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LAST UPDATE | 2 Dec 2024
SOLIDARITY PEOPLE BEFORE Profit’s Mick Barry has conceded the election in Cork North Central entering a full recount early – Labour’s Eoghan Kenny takes the last seat.
In the early hours of this morning as Eoghan Kenny of Labour was declared as taking the last seat by just 35 votes Barry, of People Before Profit Solidarity (PBPS), requested the move.
Martin Harvey, the returning officer for Cork City, met with Mick Barry and his team at 4.30pm today. Barry told Harvey that he was withdrawing his recount request as he believed there was no chance of success.
Earlier a full recount got underway as just 35 votes separated Kenny from Barry.
It emerged that during the recount that the gap had increased to 39 votes for Kenny.
The outgoing TD Mick Barry said that he had no regrets and paid tribute to his team
“We’ve withdraw our request for a full recount – we did that on the basis that with 63% of the vote counted that we were 39 votes behind and rather than Cllr Kennys lead narrowing, it was actually increasing by small margins.
“We’re not going to stay here until midnight just for the sake of it – it is clear the direction things were going on that basis we called for recount to end,” he said.
Mick Barry speaks about the conclusion of the Cork North Central count. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/HlmcAgyVrG
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
Barry said that he was tired after just four hours sleep but also after a lengthy campaign and pre-campaign.
“I’m fine – we gave it our best shot. We had a great team – 124 people participated in our campaign, Socialists, trade unionist, feminists, disability justice activists, queer activists.
“We had thousands of discussions on the streets where people brought up not being able to buy a house, not being able to afford the rent, the massive under funding of autism and disability services and the inequality in wealth in our society.
“I think Fianna Fail would be making a mistake if they felt with just over 40% of the vote in a less than 60% percent turn out, for a mandate for right wing policies.
“Young people in particular have major issues in the way they are dealing with the crisis and perhaps the housing crisis will be taken out on to the streets like the water charges were in the past,” he added.
Barry said he will take time to decide on what is the next plan but he said “I will always be a campaigner”.
Kenny said that he was “privileged” to be elected and was looking forward to getting to work in the 34th Dáil.
“I am extremely honoured to get this mandate from the people of Cork North Central – particularly the people of my hometown of Mallow that gave me this opportunity.
“It has been really evident, throughout the whole campaign there is a need for new politicians to tackle the issues that we are facing housing, health care and in many different issues.
“Being the youngest TD in Dáil Eireann is a real privilege and hopefully we’ll set the world alight above in the Dáil with the Labour Party with 11 TDs elected,” he said.
If successful Kenny, 24, would be one of the youngest TD in the Dáil – he is a teacher and is a native of Mallow, Co Cork.
He has worked with Sean Sherlock, the outgoing TD, and is a strong community worker and chair of the parish council in Mallow as well as working with the local Tidy Towns.
He was co-opted for James Kennedy’s seat after that councillor decided not to run in February.
He held that seat on the first count in Mallow electoral area and campaigned on a major infrastructure plan for his hometown.
New TD Eoghan Kenny speaking in Cork North Central after his election. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/vmYaQ4FZgo
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
Mick Barry is a stalwart socialist campaigner on the northside of Cork city – hewas first elected to Cork City Council in 2004.
He was heavily involved in the campaign against Campaign against home and water taxes in 2013. He has campaigned for local services as well as for support for the Palestinian people.
He was a founding member of the Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) and was elected to the Dáil in 2016 on his fourth attempt as part of the AAA-People Before Profit grouping.
He retained his seat at the 2020 General election with Solidarity People Before Profit.
The candidates elected so far in Cork North Central are Padraig O’Sullivan, Thomas Gould, Ken O’Flynn and Colm Burke.
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So much for people who say why vote, my vote doesn’t count. You can see here that every vote does count
Hopefully he will stay in, last thing we need is another Liebour TD
This should mean PBP lose their speaking rights in the Dáil. Every cloud, eh readers?
@honey badger: Yawn. Bore off.
@honey badger: I believe it does. It’s an awful shame Paul Murphy managed to scrape in. But at least we won’t have to listen to him as much
@Ian: Cheer up, Ian. I’m sure you can watch their previous episodes on oireactas tv!
@Ger Whelan: It is an awful shame! It’s a small but welcome consolation that their lack of electoral traction has muzzled them.
@honey badger: You don’t understand how speaking rights work. They will form a group of 7 with another small party or independents for the sake of speaking rights.
You’d have none of this nonsense if the media hadn’t campaigned against e-voting
@Tom O’ Donnell: In 2024 there’s definetly a case to be made for online voting.
If our banks allow us to bank online and the taxman allows us to do our taxes online surely it’s not beyond the wit of man to figure out an online voting system.
There would be issues with the old and infirm being able to access it but then again not having to make their way to a polling station would possible balance that out.
The current system / circus is closer to the famine than autonomous cars and nuclear fusion.
@Tom O’ Donnell:
E voting in Brazil since 1996, population of 216 million, shows how backward we are in this country
@Tom O’ Donnell: The paper ballot is a permanent record, not vulnerable to hacking or whatever other online skullduggery can be dreamt up. A bulwark of democracy.
@John Brennan: Or even just simple coding (programming) errors.
@William Airey: I don’t think we need to learn anything about democracy from Brazil, thanks
Mick Barry is having a hard time accepting that Cork people do not want to be represented by a full-time whinger.
@D Farrell: Typical he has been rejected shouting and balling is not political discourse
@D Farrell: Very poor representative, never anything to offer, just anti everything.
@SV3tN8M4: oh the irony
A battle of the Commies.
@Dan Murphy: Isn’t that the truth. It’s a bit like choosing whether to get punched in the face or kicked in the crotch.
@Dan Murphy: Or to more accurate: a battle of the dictionary-shy who don’t understand what a communist is.
Mick hasn’t been seen or heard of around our constituency up until 3/4 weeks ago. Absolute bluffer of a man. His lackies do all his work. Change it up and give Maher a chance. Mick’s a waking sound bite (the rare time he pops up) like election time
@Alan Murphy: Spot on.
@Alan Murphy: He got an easy in 2016 after labour were wiped out, Kathleen Lynch , had to look her up btw did so much for that area, including getting back paid SW for women who were discriminated against……I went school in the North Mon in the 70s so it’s a place that I genuinely love…….well done Labour Toddy is looking down happily
Getting in this late seems like an ‘I was the best of the worst’ badge of honneur.
Way too many TDs in Ireland.
@offside again: Feck off
Delighted for the young guy from Mallow even though the other Labour party candidate John Maher gave a lot of transfers to Mick Barry. City voters versus Mallow voters. Best of Luck to Eoin a budding politician since birth.
@Tim Brennan: And whatabout Sarsfields beating Ballygunner…..that’s the real story…..wrong constituency but what the feck
Well our democracy allows for this so let it happen, if Labour prevails great as its a long time since there was a Labour TD in that constituency…..I think it was Toddy O O’Sullivan, although Democratic Left had that lady…..and they merged so maybe it’s not that long.
Barry and Co have a real problem with the voters having elected people to govern those who choose the sideline are the real problem. You’re elected to govern in this Dail not the next one.
Hello to all the lads blindly hoping Mick Barry loses his seat because some lad with a cameraphone told them he was a ‘communist’.
Mick has a smile that could light up Cork North Central
“Queer activists” no wonder the people rejected him
have your say