The race for the first directly elected mayor of Ireland commences in Limerick today, with the Independent candidate John Moran leading upfront. A comprehensive survey of the votes from various parties has indicated Moran, the ex-secretary general of the Department of Finance, securing 24 per cent, while another Independent candidate, enterprising woman Helen O’Donnell, has reportedly received 16 per cent.
As per the vote estimation, Dee Ryan from Fianna Fáil is believed to be at 14 per cent, Daniel Butler from Fine Gael is at 13 per cent and Maurice Quinlivan from Sinn Féin is at 10 per cent. With a total of 15 candidates competing, the resolute outcome may not be known until Tuesday or probably later in the week.
In 2019, Limerick expressed support on the subject of electing a mayor directly. This position attracts an annual salary of €154,000 with the key responsibility being the proposal of the annual budget for Limerick City and County Council, requiring the concurrence of the councillors nonetheless.
Regarding the anticipated counting, Mr Moran has abstained from commenting. Ms O’Donnell professed her wish to clinch transfers, but continues to assert it’s early to predict anything with certainty. Meanwhile, Ms Ryan maintained hopefulness towards the tally reflecting the count and has her fingers crossed. On the same note, Mr Quinlivan expressed contentment with his current standing and reserved comments until being certain.
Patrick O’Donovan, Limerick County TD and Minister for Higher Education, was seen expressing confidence over the tallies in an interview he gave to RTÉ radio on Sunday. However, he foresees the final results to come out no sooner than Tuesday. Ms O’Donnell, a former member of Fine Gael and widow of Tom, a Fine Gael TD and MEP, chose to participate in the mayoral race as an Independent.
When questioned about whether she would have made a better contender for Fine Gael, Mr. O’Donovan responded, “Well, if my aunt were called John, she’d be my uncle…Helen O’Donnell chose a specific path and I wish her all the best and good fortune.”
In addition to vying for mayor, some candidates augmented their prospects by participating in local council elections, offering a silver lining if the mayoral competition does not go favorably. Mr. Butler defended his council position in the Limerick City West. Amidst the mayoral hopefuls who also secured their council posts were Frankie Daly, an independent, as well as Conor Sheehan from the Labour Party.