2 weeks Ago By Donal O'Regan
DEPUTY Richard O’Donoghue has been re-elected in the ninth count with a total vote of 11,468. Mr O’Donoghue said it was “unbelievable” to take the second seat in the three-seat constituency, “ This time five years ago, we were here fighting out for a seat, for the last seat, and to have won the second seat in County Limerick with the help of all these people and the people of Limerick is a statement in itself,” he added. “I'd like to say thank you very, very much to everyone that voted and trusted me.
Over the last five years people have been brilliant to me. They have given me the encouragement that I need to go forward.” He thanked his family, particularly his son Niall, who “stepped up” as his Director of Elections for this election, which Mr O’Donoghue said was “brilliant”.
“I had five councillors helping me,” he explained: his brother John, Tommy Hartigan, Jerome Scanlon, Eddie O'Ryan and Bridget Teefey. “All my family, all my office, we've had over 7,000 cases come through our office in five years. That's 7,000 people that these people in the office have helped,” Mr O’Donoghue continued.
“I'm only the piece in the front, they're the machine behind it. I'm only the front.” Mr O’Donoghue received 10,540 first preference votes, up 40% on his 2020 number of 6,021.
Pleased with how his party is doing in the polls, Mr O’Donoghue said it was “all down to the office and my friends and the good people of County Limerick for increasing our vote”. LIVE BLOG: General Election results from Limerick He said that the increase of 4,519 votes “ gives me confidence that people know what we're doing and are doing”. The General Election wasn’t the only thing on his mind today, as he was also invited to two weddings, those of Stephen and Claire O’Kelly, and Adrian and Fiona Farragher.
“I was talking to Stephen this morning,” he explained, “we had a good few words this morning, to wish him well.” He attended the service of Adrian and Fiona’s wedding in Granagh Church this Saturday morning, and promised to “call in for a pint later on our way home”. When asked if getting re-elected to the Dáil was better than the weddings, he wittily responded: “the wedding is not over, we're just heading there now!” He has promised to be there for the last dance.
Mr O’Donoghue spent his Election Day on Friday collecting and putting up two “26 foot” Christmas trees for the Woodlands House Hotel and for the village of Ballingarry. “I wake at six o'clock every morning. That's how I wake.
So if I go to bed at 12, I wake at six. So, yesterday morning, I collected a Christmas tree for the Woodlands House Hotel and I also collected one for Ballingarry, for the village of Ballingarry,” he told Limerick Live. “W hat's the point of staying home?” he questioned.
“I like walking and I like being in the community. It was a wet day for it but we had good fun.” Mr O'Donoghue's surplus of 83 votes will be distributed in the tenth count, which is now underway.
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