Clare Claffey wins battle of Banagher to stay in council race

The battle of Banagher is over and sitting councillor Clare Claffey has prevailed.

In the ninth count the Social Democrats representative received 12 votes from John Clendennen's surplus of 69 compared to Jonathan O'Meara's single vote.

That result condemned O'Meara to elimination but it also means Cllr Claffey is only 100 votes behind the candidate just ahead of her, Barbara Daly of Fianna Fail.

And because Claffey will almost certainly do far better when O'Meara's votes are transferred the positions in the race will be reversed.

Fine Gael's Hugh Egan, Sean Maher of Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail's other first time candidate Audrey Hennessy Kennedy remain the front runners in a field which has shrunk to five for the three remaining seats.

Sitting councillors Peter Ormond (Fianna Fail), John Leahy (Independent) and John Clendennen (Fine Gael) have already been elected in the Birr Electoral Area which is the only incomplete Electoral Area in Offaly.

Details of Count Nine in the Birr Electoral Area - 

Count 9

Distribution of John Clendennen's surplus of 69 votes

Quota 1,712

Six seats: three already filled -

Peter Ormond – FF – 1,943 (elected)

John Leahy – Ind - 1,815 (elected)

John Clendennen – FG – 1,781 (elected)

Hugh Egan – FG – 1,378 + 15 Total: 1,393

Sean Maher – SF – 1,134 + 4 Total: 1,138

Audrey Hennessy Kennedy – FF – 1,083 + 27 Total: 1,110

Barbara Daly – FF – 1,012 + 0 Total: 1,012

Clare Claffey – SD - 900 + 12 Total: 912

Jonathan O'Meara – 880 + 1 Total: 881 (Eliminated)