All the results and news from the Carlow Local Elections 2024

After a dramatic four days of counting, multiple recounts, and fine margins we finally have our newly elected Carlow County Council after the 2024 local elections.

We are going to look at all the news and results from all the count centre based on the three Local Electoral Areas (LEA) in Carlow. 

Muinebheag LEA 5 seats

Andy Gladney - SF - 1,292 (Celebration Video)

Daniel Pender - FF - 1,228

Michael Doran - 1,184

Willie Quinn - Labour - 1,183 (Celebration Video)

Thomas Kinsella - FG - 1,183

Four of the five seats filled in Muinbheag went to the previous elected members of the last Carlow County Council.

The big news from this Local Electoral Area was that Fianna Fáil politician Arthur McDonald has failed to be elected to the Carlow County Counci for the first time since he first ran for local government in 1991. Over 30 years he has been a member of the Carlow County Council but has failed to be elected for another term.

First time runner for Fianna Fáil, Daniel Pender has been elected to the council in the place of his running mate Arthur McDonald. Now Councillor Pender, who is the second youngest member of the Carlow County Council at just 24 years old takes his seat at the Council.

Carlow LEA 7 Seats

Fintan Phelan - Fianna Fáil - First Count 

Andrea Dalton - Fianna Fáil - First Count 

Fergal Browne - Fine Gael - Second Count (Celebration Video)

Ken Murnane - Fianna Fáil - Fourteenth Count 

Adrianne Wallace - People Before Profit - Fourteenth Count 

Paul Doogue - Fine Gael - Fourteenth Count (Celebration Video)

John Cassin - Independent - Fourteenth Count  

The Carlow LEA had 6/7 same councillor reelected to the Local Electoral Area seeing one new face added to the line up as Fine Gael's Paul Doogue replaces his Fine Gael colleague and outgoing mayor Tom O'Neill.

Big surprise to see that the outgoing Mayor of Carlow, Fine Gael's Tom O'Neill failed to remain on the Carlow County Council. Tom had been elected to the Carlow County Council on three separate occasion but will not be in a Council seat in this new council.

Tullow LEA 6 seats 

Ben Ward - Fine Gael (Celebration Video)

Will Paton - Non Party (Celebration Video)

John Pender - Fianna Fáil (Celebration Video)

Charlie Murphy - Non Party

Brian O'Donoghue - Fine Gael (Celebration Video)

Jim Deane - Sinn Féin 

The most dramatic LEA in the Carlow Local Elections by a country mile. Tullow saw recounts, a return of a former councillor, and the new election of a 21 year to County Council.

The 21 year Ben Ward of Fine Gael became the youngest member of the Carlow County Council after being elected over the weekend.

With formerly elected John McDonald of Fianna Fáil failing to be reelected to the council.

The real drama of the elections took place after the 13th count in the Tullow LEA, when just 3 candidates were separated by only 3 votes. The 13th count read :

Brian O'Donoghue - 895

Jim Deane - 893

Catherine Callaghan - 892

Following this extremely tight result a recount took place, with Brian O'Donoghue losing one vote in the count.

Again, a second recount was announced, Brain O'Donoghue gained 1 vote and lost 1 vote in this recount but having it not have changed the results, Brian O'Donoghue and Jim Deane were elected to the Carlow County Council.

Jim Deane of Sinn Féin who had lost his seat in the 2019 election is a councillor again, and Catherine Callaghan is so unlucky in missing out.