All change in Edenderry as four new faces line up

Edenderry Electoral area always had all the ingredients of a real dogfight. Take the expansion of the area to six seats from the previous five. Add in the departure of two-time Fianna Fáil general election candidate Ger Killally and the inclusion of vastly-experienced sitting councillor Michael Fox, who had opted to leave the Tullamore area following a boundary realignment, and things got even hotter. And with eight independents contesting the Edenderry Electoral Area, there was always likely to be a real bloodbath. With two former Progressive Democrat councillors also seeking re-election as independents, there was a real feeling of change in the air. But despite this, no-one could have predicted the utter transformation that the electorate wreaked on politicians in the region. After the electorate had its say, four new faces emerged out of the six victors. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could both claim success. Fianna Fáil came into the election with two out of five seats - and left with three out of six, despite a fall of 10 percentage points in its first preference votes. Fine Gael witnessed a 8.8% fall in its share of the vote, but also took an extra seat. They also replaced their existing councillor John Foran with a new face. With 18 candidates this time, compared to nine in 2004, the main parties were never likely to retain their share of the vote. The real question was whether they could retain their share of the seats, or if the independents could ride the national tide to the council chamber. Fianna Fáil"s John Foley entered the council chamber for the first time, after a stunning performance which saw him eclipse the quote by over 280 votes on the first count. He was followed in by party colleague Noel Bourke, who has been a loyal and successful standard bearer for Fianna Fáil in North Offaly for many years. Independent Eddie Fitzpatrick, who was elected in 2004 as a Progressive Democrat, also enjoyed a massive success, significantly increasing his vote, from 503 five years ago to 1,237 in this election. For Fine Gael, 22-year-old Liam Quinn, a native of Croghan, stole the limelight, polling 722 first preferences and taking the first seat for the party. He was joined in the council chamber by Nichola Hogan (28), a barrister, from Edenderry, the first Fine Gael candidate from the town of Edenderry to triumph in 80 years! The final seat was a real cliffhanger between Labour newcomer Declan Leddin, who really made a name for himself, the veteran Fox, who was running as an independent and Fianna Fáil"s Ger Plunkett. This one went right to the wire and on count twelve there was only 99 votes between the three, with Leddin in front. The distribution of the votes of the outgoing Fine Gael councillor John Foran were crucial. Unfortunately, for long-time former Fine Gael councillor Michael Fox, he didn"t secure enough to bring himself above Plunkett and instead he was eliminated. In another ironic twist, it was the votes of the ex-Fine Gaeler Fox, which significantly favoured Fianna Fáil"s Plunkett rather than Labour"s Leddin, thanks mainly to Plunkett"s geographical proximity to Fox, that eventually edged the FF candidate ahead of the Leddin, to secure the final seat. NOTE: In our preview two weeks ago, we inadvertently referred to Fidelma Doolan and Stephen Mather in a list of candidates as representing Fianna Fáil. They both ran as independents.