Ó Murchú sensed desire for change on the doorsteps
Imelda Ruairí Fergus Peter Ged 24.3% 17.7% 9.1% 8.6% 8.2% Electorate: 113,128 --- Turnout: 63.1% Declan Mark John James Audrey 8.2% 7.7% 6.3% 5.5% 1.6% Eamon Cathal David Topanga Albert 1.1% 0.8% 0.4% 0.3% 0.2%
In the run-up to polling day Ruairí Ó Murchú admitted there was pressure on him to take the seat vacated by Gerry Adams.
He also stated he had no problem with that, and as soon as a clear tally picture began to emerge it became apparent he was going to follow Sinn Féin running mate Imelda Munster into Dáil Éireann.
Ó Murchú did so with 12,491 votes, comfortably exceeding the 11,778 quota.
Co-opted onto Louth county council in September, 2017, he successfully contested last May’s Local Elections, receiving 1,423 votes in Dundalk South.
He will now leave the local authority to take up his new job as a TD.
‘It’s absolutely marked.
‘I want to thank not only the people who voted for us but also the activists who went out, put up posters and knocked on doors and did the needful.’
While expecting a strong performance from the party in the constituency, the magnitude of it did come as something of a surprise.
‘Long before we had impressive poll numbers, we were getting a really brilliant response on doors.
‘It was people looking for change and they were buying the Sinn Féin solutions from Mary Lou (Mcbrilliant, really humbling,’ he re
Donald), Eoin Ó Broin and Pearse Doherty.
‘In that sense we saw it (big vote) coming. In another sense, did we expect the vote to be as high as it was? No.
‘I expected Imelda Munster to do well. Did I expect Imelda Munster and myself to do as well as we did? Not exactly.
‘It’s a real endorsement of what Sinn Féin’s offering. It’s a real endorsement of Imelda Munster and it’s a real opportunity that’s been offered to myself.’
The swing to Sinn Féin in the ‘Wee County’ was reflected nationwide.
‘It’s across the board. It’s exactly what we were hearing, the people saying, ‘ look, I’m fed up with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We’ve had 100 years of switching between one and the other and we just wanted change.’
While the message was clear in Louth, it may be some time before the make-up of the next government is decided.
‘ The next few days will determine a lot. The reality is we would prefer a government that doesn’t contain Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, but we are willing to talk to anybody.
‘What we want is a Republican programme for government,’ Ó Murchú continued.
‘If we get a deal that we can sell to our membership that will deliver on the real issues that matter, then we are up for it.’