Dean Donnelly, a MMA coach hailing from Tallaght, has been ushered into South Dublin County Council, thanks to a nomination from independent councillor, Paddy Holohan. Mr Donnelly was brought in to occupy the last of the 40 seats on the local authority, which had remained empty since the June election. The vacancy had come about after former MMA star, Mr Holohan, clinched victories in two wards – Tallaght South and Tallaght Central – and decided to take the Tallaght South seat. This left him the option to nominate a replacement for the other seat.
“Dean is a person I’ve known for a considerable period of time and he’s the perfect example of commitment and integrity, which is ideal for this vacant position,” Mr Holohan stated during a council meeting, emphasising the community services done by Mr Donnelly. He stood by his decision that Donnelly would “stand with the community”.
Nonetheless, the People Before Profit councillors suggested that Kieran Mahon, who ranked seventh in the six-seat race for Tallaght Central, should take up the empty seat. Councillor Jess Spear mentioned the nomination is not a mark of disrespect towards Cllr Holohan or his preferred candidate.
Councillor Spear further voiced her concern about the potential trend this scenario could set, enabling independent candidates to contest in multiple wards and later handpick their successors. Sinn Féin’s Councillor William Carey shared her sentiments, voicing concerns about the implications for democracy.
However, Fianna Fáil’s Shane Moynihan backed Mr Donnelly’s co-optation, stating any apprehensions were mitigated by the rarity of such occurrences. He expressed relief that this case will not set a precedent for candidates to co-opt members freely.
Elsewhere, in Fingal, Sinn Féin’s Ann Graves was nominated to take over the seat left vacant by Marian Buckley, who had to step down for health reasons a month post the local elections.