Breathnach looses seat as Fianna Fáil vote slumps in Louth
IT was late on Sunday night when a despondent Declan Breathnach was preparing himself for the worst case scenario. ‘I’ll have to clear out my desk next week,’ he said as he stood watching the votes being counted. ‘Four years of stuff,’ he mused.
BUT he was determined to remain hopeful - ‘It’s 60-40’, he said.
By Monday afternoon, it was clear that the transfers weren’t going his way and that Fergus O’Dowd, Peter Fizpatrick and Ged Nash would be returned for the 33rd Dail.
‘I am disappointed particular with the amount of work and effort put in during the campaign but that’s the vagaries of the PR system and we didn’t get the shake out we had hoped for.’
Breachnach was a member of Louth County Council for 25 years, serving as chairperson on two occasions and also of the Dundalk Muncipal District and was also a member of the old NEHB, before he took the Fianna Fail seat in 2016 after veteran politician Seamus Kirk stepped down.
During his stint in the 32rd Dail he was Fianna Fail spokesperson on North-South Bodies and Cross-Border Co- Operation and was Vice- Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
The party obviously suffered for its role in providing confidence and supply for Fine Gael and saw its vote fall across the country.
Last time out Breathnach had been first TD to be elected in Louth and a number of pundits for Breathnach to keep his seat or even top the poll,so his disappointment was understandable as his vote failed to hold up this time.
On Sunday afternoon local Fianna Fail councillors were coming to terms with the prospect of the party not having a seat in Louth for the first time. It was a shock, they admitted.
‘ There didn’t seem to be an over amount of antipathy towards Fianna Fail at the door,’ said Cllr Emma Coffey. ‘We got a very positive response when going door to door and have a very good team here in Louth,’
‘ The people have spoken and we are looking at democracy in action’ she said. ‘ The country has spoken about what and they want a move to the left. ‘Who brought about social housing and a social welfare system but Fianna Fail?’