Sinn Fein has become joint largest party in County Monaghan

Monaghan County Council: Sinn Féin has become the largest party in Co Monaghan in what was one of its strongest performances…

Monaghan County Council: Sinn Féin has become the largest party in Co Monaghan in what was one of its strongest performances nationally.

The party took seven out of 20 seats on Monaghan County Council, making it the joint largest party in the county. It took a further 16 seats on the five town councils in the county. In total, the party now has 23 local representatives in Co Monaghan compared with 20 for Fianna Fáil and 16 for Fine Gael.

The election also saw the collapse of the Fianna Fáil vote in Co Monaghan, with the party losing three of its councillors on the county council. Fianna Fáil is now the smallest party on Monaghan County Council with just five seats.

One of the Fianna Fáil losers was councillor Mr Shane O'Hanlon, the son of Ceann Comhairle and former Fianna Fáil minister Dr Rory O'Hanlon. He had been tipped as a future general election candidate.

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Speaking at the county council election count centre in Monaghan town, local Sinn Féin TD Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caolaín said the party's performance locally and nationally indicated Sinn Féin could be in a position to be part of a coalition government after the next general election.

Sinn Féin had "earned the support and respect from an ever-growing electorate".

His party colleague, newly-elected councillor Mr Shane Conlon, who topped the poll in the North Monaghan area, said the party took half of the vote in Monaghan town. "Every second person you meet on the streets of Monaghan is a Sinn Féin voter."

Fianna Fáil had been expecting to poll poorly in the north of the county because of the Monaghan hospital issue.

However, party members were shocked when Fianna Fáil suffered its worst defeat in the south of the county in the Carrickmacross area where the hospital was not a major issue. The party's vote was halved, and two of its three sitting councillors in Carrickmacross lost their seats.