In the early Friday morning hours, the remaining spots for the Midlands-North-West constituency in the European election were secured, marking the end of a gruelling six-day count in Castlebar. Three candidates gained seats in the 21st count without managing to hit the quota of 113,325 votes due to the surplus votes from leading candidate, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan. These included Maria Walsh from Fine Gael, Nina Carberry, who was also on the Fine Gael ticket, and independent candidate, Ciaran Mullooly.
Before this count, both Flanagan and Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen achieved their seats, with Flanagan heading off to start his third term in Brussels. Flanagan, who secured his position with a total of 118,754 votes, expressed his gratitude to those who had placed their trust in him and stated his eagerness to begin his duties in Brussels. He hopes to secure a spot on the Committee on Agriculture in the European Parliament and bring about significant justice for those impacted by substandard concrete blocks.
In addition, he called on his Irish MEP colleagues to deny their support to the current European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, due to her backing of the Israeli attack on Gaza.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Ireland’s Prime Minister, Simon Harris, denied the rumours that the Fine Gael party had resorted to enlisting figures of fame for a successful Midlands-North-West campaign. Both Fine Gael candidates, Carberry and Walsh, had already established their names prior to their political careers, with Carberry being a former jockey and Walsh a previous Rose of Tralee winner.
Responding to a query about the influence of celebrity status on European elections, Harris replied: “Nina Carberry is not a celebrity, she’s a champion.” He described the party’s electoral strategy as one of reaching out to the vast number of constituents within Ireland’s largest constituency.
Finally, Carberry responded to questions regarding her minimal media exposure throughout the campaign by noting her participation in numerous hustings and an RTÉ Six One news debate. She firmly stated that she’d done her “fair share”.
Upon being elected, Ms Carberry gave a speech expressing her enthusiasm to put her skills to use in Europe. Despite some doubters, she affirms her value and ability to make a significant contribution.
Subsequent to his victory, Mr Cowen pledged fidelity to his responsibilities to the public. He committed to providing the country with the worthy representation it merits in Europe.
In the presence of Mr Cowen, the Tánaiste Mr Micheál Martin divulged his contrarian view about Fianna Fáil’s strategy of running three candidates in the same constituency being misconceived. He pointed out that this strategy may not have been a failure, given the strategies employed by other political parties.
Celebrating his electoral triumph, former RTÉ correspondent Mr Mullooly expressed satisfaction and joy. In reaction to critiques of Independent Ireland’s climate change position, Mr Mullooly clarified that he isn’t against environmental initiatives or a climate change sceptic.
Mr Mullooly’s victory came at Sinn Féin candidate Michelle Gildernew’s expense. He reflected on many communities’ readiness to contribute positively to the environment in the midlands and west but highlighted the necessity of equipping people with suitable infrastructure and a just transition framework.
After her re-election to the European Parliament, Ms Walsh gave a speech where she expressed her gratitude. Noting the gender representation disparity in Irish politics, she stressed the importance of amplifying female and minority voices in the democratic process.