FORMER FIANNA Fail stalwart Cllr. Martin Murphy has compounded the point he made when he left the party in the run-up to last weekend’s local elections by topping the poll and being one of only three candidates to reach the quota.
Significantly, while Fianna Fail made great inroads across the country, and on the incoming local authority in Wexford, none of the party’s candidates reached the quota in New Ross.
The other two councillors who reached the hallowed figure of 1,410 for the New Ross electoral area were both Fine Gael party members, Willie Fitzharris and Larry O’Brien.
For Cllr. Murphy the victory was made all the more significant by the fact he received a staggering 1,373 first preference votes.
He left the Fianna Fail party a few months ago as a result of his dissatisfaction with internal fractions within the party. It now appears that when he left the party he took a lot of the party faithful with him.
Prior to the election some observers were expecting Fianna Fail councillor, Michael Sheehan, to top the poll. However, while he did come out of New Ross with 994 first preferences his final figure of 1,388 meant he was elected without reaching the quota but he was still the best performing Fianna Fail candidate in New Ross.
Cllr. Murphy confirmed to The Echo that he will remain as an independent councillor when the incoming local authority convenes later next month.
Significantly, he also said that he is amenable to ‘anyone knocking on his door’ including Fianna Fail in the months ahead.
However, Cllr. Murphy told The Echo that before any decision would be made about him returning to Fianna Fail a long consultation process would take place between him and the people who elected him.
The New Ross Municipal District Council will be composed of three Fianna Fail party member, two independent (both former Fianna Fail) and one Sinn Fein member.
They are: Cllrs. Martin Murphy (Non-Party), Michael Whelan (FF), Michael Sheehan (FF), John Fleming (FF), Oisin O’Connell (SF), Willie Fitzharris (FG), Larry O’Brien (FG) and Anthony Connick (Non-Party).
What the outcome of the election means for New Ross town remains to be seen as it will be directly represented by just two councillors after Eirigi party member, John Dwyer, missed out on a seat to Fine Gael’s, Cllr. Willie Fitzharris.
Ironically, it was town candidate Niamh Fitzgibbon’s transfers to her Fine Gael party colleague, after she was eliminated, that effectively sealed Dwyer’s fate and meant the town went from having a potential three public representatives to two.
