# 2014 Meath County Council election

An election to all 40 seats on Meath County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Irish local elections, an increase from 29 seats at the 2009 election. County Meath was divided into six local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). In addition, the town councils of Kells, Navan and Trim were abolished.
Fine Gael remained the largest party, and gained 2 seats when compared to 2009, despite having a lower first preference vote than Fianna Fáil. The party was somewhat insulated by the additional seats allocated to Meath. While Fianna Fáil was the largest party in terms of vote share running too many candidates and transfer leakage, in LEAs like Kells, Ratoath and Trim in particular, saw the party miss out on potential additional seats. By contrast Sinn Féin were the major winners in the elections as the party returned a team of 8 to the new Council. Independents gained 4 additional seats, including Nick Killian, a former Fianna Fáil councillor. Labour lost all of their 4 Council seats in a testament to the anti-Government sentiment.

## Results by party

| Party | Party | Seats | ± | 1st pref | FPv% | ±% |
| | Fine Gael | 13 | +2 | 14,315 | 22.82 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | 10 | +2 | 17,366 | 27.68 | |
| | Sinn Féin | 8 | +7 | 11,402 | 18.17 | |
| | Labour | 0 | -4 | 3,225 | 5.14 | |
| | People Before Profit | 0 | 0 | 333 | 0.53 | |
| | Direct Democracy | 0 | 0 | 253 | 0.40 | |
| | Workers' Party | 0 | 0 | 231 | 0.37 | |
| | Green | 0 | 0 | 157 | 0.25 | |
| | Independent | 9 | +4 | 15,456 | 24.6 | |
| Total | Total | 40 | +11 | 62,738 | 100.00 | — |

## Results by local electoral area

^ *: Outgoing councillor.

### Ashbourne

Ashbourne: 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | Independent | Joe Bonner | 21.41 | 1,907 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Darren O'Rourke | 15.79 | 1,407 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Dr. Claire O'Driscoll | 14.35 | 1,278 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Suzanne Jamal | 8.28 | 738 | 765 | 771 | 774 | 775 | 778 | 790 | 855 | 1,057 | 1,183 |
| | Fine Gael | Alan Tobin | 7.05 | 628 | 732 | 738 | 747 | 755 | 783 | 805 | 816 | 922 | 1,126 |
| | Fine Gael | David Harford | 5.95 | 530 | 552 | 556 | 557 | 560 | 562 | 572 | 616 | | |
| | Labour | Niamh McGowan | 5.35 | 477 | 591 | 601 | 608 | 620 | 649 | 689 | 703 | 755 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Joe Sheridan | 5.34 | 476 | 495 | 506 | 511 | 512 | 515 | 525 | | | |
| | Independent | Sharon Keogan | 5.07 | 452 | 497 | 524 | 530 | 538 | 577 | 759 | 820 | 910 | 990 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Seán Smith††† | 5.06 | 451 | 555 | 563 | 576 | 584 | 599 | 629 | 840 | 881 | 1,001 |
| | Independent | Aisling O'Neill | 2.80 | 249 | 322 | 349 | 367 | 398 | 498 | | | | |
| | Independent | John King | 1.55 | 138 | 206 | 219 | 229 | 288 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Paul Nolan | 1.34 | 101 | 137 | 153 | 168 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Cathal Loftus | 0.85 | 76 | 98 | 104 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,845 (44.89%) Valid: 8908 Spoilt: 93 Quota: 1,273 Turnout: 9,001 (45.36%) ||||||||||||||

### Kells

Kells: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Seán Drew | 12.03 | 1,634 | 1,638 | 1,650 | 1,658 | 1,727 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Gallagher | 11.77 | 1,599 | 1,607 | 1,649 | 1,653 | 1,686 | 1,687 | 1,843 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Johnny Guirke | 11.50 | 1,562 | 1,572 | 1,607 | 1,619 | 1,633 | 1,633 | 1,643 | 1,656 | 2,068 | | |
| | Independent | David Gilroy | 11.18 | 1,519 | 1,551 | 1,597 | 1,683 | 1,706 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Oliver Fox | 8.52 | 1,158 | 1,161 | 1,163 | 1,173 | 1,178 | 1,179 | 1,237 | 1,246 | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Sarah Reilly | 8.27 | 1,124 | 1,147 | 1,167 | 1,240 | 1,338 | 1,347 | 1,362 | 1,363 | 1,490 | 1,568 | 1,598 |
| | Fine Gael | Eugene Cassidy | 8.10 | 1,100 | 1,104 | 1,115 | 1,188 | 1,210 | 1,212 | 1,301 | 1,347 | 1,378 | 1,394 | 1,399 |
| | Fine Gael | John V. Farrelly | 8.06 | 1,095 | 1,099 | 1,102 | 1,158 | 1,207 | 1,211 | 1,245 | 1,261 | 1,334 | 1,373 | 1,377 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Bryan Reilly | 7.42 | 1,008 | 1,010 | 1,019 | 1,021 | 1,079 | 1,090 | 1,313 | 1,327 | 1,698 | 1,785 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Ronan Murtagh | 4.95 | 673 | 674 | 680 | 681 | 686 | 686 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Brian Collins | 2.91 | 395 | 420 | 435 | 448 | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Aideen Andrews | 2.48 | 337 | 360 | 361 | | | | | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Seamus McDonagh | 1.70 | 231 | 234 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Sandy Gallagher | 1.10 | 150 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 25,923 Valid: 13,585 (52.41%) Spoilt: 205 Quota: 1,699 Turnout: 13,790 (53.20%) |||||||||||||||

### Laytown-Bettystown

Laytown-Bettystown: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Eimear Ferguson | 18.14 | 1,785 | | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Wayne Harding | 15.60 | 1,535 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Sharon Keogan | 11.69 | 1,150 | 1,265 | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Sharon Tolan | 8.51 | 837 | 860 | 868 | 874 | 891 | 1,068 | 1,090 | 1,270 |
| | Fine Gael | Paddy Meade | 8.01 | 788 | 809 | 888 | 906 | 911 | 1,076 | 1,099 | 1,189 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Stephen McKee | 7.98 | 785 | 811 | 871 | 875 | 880 | 925 | 1,015 | 1,086 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patricia Heritage | 6.36 | 626 | 675 | 760 | 775 | 796 | 813 | 841 | 916 |
| | Labour | Eoin Holmes | 5.64 | 555 | 581 | 604 | 622 | 642 | 686 | 722 | |
| | Fine Gael | Dermot McCullen | 5.16 | 508 | 521 | 529 | 536 | 545 | | | |
| | Independent | Tom Kelly | 4.81 | 473 | 547 | 553 | 596 | 687 | 710 | 901 | 997 |
| | Independent | David Keaveney | 3.44 | 339 | 433 | 448 | 497 | 592 | 609 | | |
| | Direct Democracy | William Lacey | 2.57 | 253 | 328 | 331 | 356 | | | | |
| | Independent | Mick Martin | 1.48 | 146 | 170 | 178 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Denis Proctor | 0.62 | 61 | 75 | 84 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 22,959 Valid: 9,841 (42.86%) Spoilt: 114 Quota: 1,231 Turnout: 9,955 (43.36%) ||||||||||||

### Navan

Navan: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | Sinn Féin | Joe Reilly†† | 14.02 | 1,360 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Francis Deane | 12.30 | 1,193 | 1,199 | 1,210 | 1,225 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Shane Cassells† | 10.83 | 1,051 | 1,056 | 1,058 | 1,107 | 1,136 | 1,145 | 1,181 | 1,183 | 1,251 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Sinead Burke | 10.14 | 984 | 1,070 | 1,077 | 1,122 | 1,166 | 1,256 | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Tommy Reilly | 9.41 | 913 | 924 | 926 | 950 | 981 | 989 | 1,003 | 1,005 | 1,046 | 1,110 |
| | Independent | Wayne Forde | 7.70 | 747 | 756 | 773 | 779 | 838 | 909 | 921 | 939 | 1,025 | 1,265 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Padraig Fitzsimons | 6.77 | 657 | 661 | 662 | 685 | 701 | 717 | 732 | 734 | 759 | 810 |
| | Fine Gael | Jim Holloway | 6.44 | 625 | 629 | 634 | 650 | 662 | 674 | 914 | 916 | 1,017 | 1,106 |
| | Independent | Paddy Pryle | 4.62 | 448 | 454 | 470 | 482 | 506 | 573 | 589 | 604 | 667 | |
| | Labour | Anton McCabe | 4.56 | 442 | 446 | 452 | 465 | 476 | 501 | 526 | 528 | | |
| | Fine Gael | John Duffy | 3.77 | 366 | 367 | 370 | 373 | 384 | 390 | | | | |
| | People Before Profit | Alan Lawes | 3.43 | 333 | 336 | 346 | 353 | 364 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Stephen Ball | 2.75 | 267 | 271 | 275 | 278 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Jenny McHugh | 2.31 | 224 | 226 | 229 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Paul Hagan | 0.61 | 59 | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Gerry O'Brien | 0.35 | 34 | 35 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 22,088 Valid: 9,703 (43.93%) Spoilt: 122 Quota: 1,213 Turnout: 9,825 (44.48%) ||||||||||||||

### Ratoath

Ratoath: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Independent | Brian Fitzgerald | 18.84 | 2,054 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Nick Killian | 14.88 | 1,622 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Maria O'Kane | 9.81 | 1,070 | 1,145 | 1,184 | 1,221 | 1,276 | 1,364 | |
| | Fine Gael | Maria Murphy | 8.56 | 933 | 1,000 | 1,004 | 1,077 | 1,093 | 1,191 | 1,191 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Damien O'Reilly | 8.50 | 927 | 1,016 | 1,024 | 1,040 | 1,144 | 1,375 | |
| | Fine Gael | Gerry O'Connor | 7.90 | 861 | 937 | 944 | 989 | 1,002 | 1,018 | 1,018 |
| | Fine Gael | Gillian Toole | 7.27 | 793 | 848 | 914 | 928 | 1,087 | 1,107 | 1,107 |
| | Independent | Seán Henry | 5.77 | 629 | 770 | 809 | 874 | 901 | 982 | 982 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Noel Leonard | 5.45 | 594 | 669 | 677 | 688 | 728 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | P.J. White | 5.37 | 585 | 625 | 633 | 692 | 764 | 836 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Deirdre Smith | 4.31 | 470 | 491 | 552 | 578 | | | |
| | Labour | William Lacey | 1.90 | 207 | 236 | 245 | | | | |
| | Green | Seán O Buachalla | 1.44 | 157 | 180 | 190 | | | | |
| Electorate: 24,916 Valid: 10,902 (43.76%) Spoilt: 110 Quota: 1,363 Turnout: 11,012 (44.20%) |||||||||||

### Trim

Trim: 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | Sinn Féin | Caroline Lynch | 16.69 | 1,635 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Joe Fox | 12.43 | 1,218 | 1,227 | 1,234 | 1,239 | 1,264 | 1,271 | 1,367 | 1,421 | | |
| | Independent | Trevor Golden | 10.74 | 1,052 | 1,104 | 1,190 | 1,307 | 1,531 | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Enda Flynn | 9.84 | 964 | 971 | 975 | 992 | 1,006 | 1,017 | 1,060 | 1,066 | 1,131 | 1,134 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Vera Flynn | 9.46 | 927 | 942 | 946 | 956 | 969 | 982 | 1,009 | 1,082 | 1,125 | 1,127 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Ronan McKenna | 9.0 | 882 | 897 | 905 | 911 | 918 | 923 | 961 | 1,182 | 1,336 | 1,345 |
| | Fine Gael | Noel French | 8.88 | 870 | 878 | 896 | 901 | 915 | 924 | 959 | 1,006 | 1,313 | 1,320 |
| | Labour | James O'Shea | 5.77 | 565 | 582 | 603 | 609 | 619 | 634 | 786 | 838 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Vincent McHugh | 5.23 | 512 | 523 | 529 | 531 | 536 | 545 | 558 | | | |
| | Labour | Tracey McElhinney | 4.43 | 434 | 447 | 453 | 457 | 470 | 494 | | | | |
| | Independent | Keith Ellis | 2.96 | 290 | 316 | 346 | 419 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Dennis O'Rourke | 2.30 | 225 | 265 | 282 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | David Keane | 2.30 | 225 | 247 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 24,531 Valid: 9,799 (39.95%) Spoilt: 162 Quota: 1,400 Turnout: 9,961 (40.61%) ||||||||||||||