# 2019 Galway County Council election

An election to all 39 seats on Galway County Council was held on 24 May 2019 as part of the 2019 Irish local elections. County Galway was divided into 7 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).

## Boundary changes

Following a recommendation of the 2018 Boundary Committee, the boundaries of the LEAs were altered from those used in the 2014 elections. Its terms of reference required no change in the total number of councillors but set a maximum LEA size of seven councillors, which three of the 2014 LEAs exceeded. Other changes were necessitated by population shifts revealed by the 2016 census.

## Overview

Fianna Fáil had a very good election, winning 3 additional seats and increasing their vote by over 5%. Fine Gael lost a seat to fall to 11 but also increased their vote. The Greens gained 1 seat in Conamara and Republican Sinn Féin retained their single seat. Sinn Féin lost 2 seats to be reduced to just 1 member. However, Gabe Cronelly who had quit the party since 2014 was re-elected as an independent.

## Results by party

| Party | Party | Seats | ± | 1st pref | FPv% | ±% |
| | Fianna Fáil | 15 | 3 | 25,369 | 32.80 | 5.40 |
| | Fine Gael | 11 | 1 | 23,869 | 30.86 | 3.26 |
| | Sinn Féin | 1 | 2 | 3,721 | 4.81 | 2.69 |
| | Green | 1 | 1 | 1,482 | 1.92 | New |
| | Republican Sinn Féin | 1 | | 971 | 1.26 | 0.14 |
| | Aontú | 0 | | 1,128 | 1.46 | New |
| | Renua | 0 | | 505 | 0.65 | New |
| | Inds. 4 Change | 0 | | 429 | 0.55 | New |
| | Social Democrats | 0 | | 407 | 0.53 | New |
| | Labour | 0 | | 206 | 0.27 | 3.23 |
| | Independent | 10 | 1 | 19,262 | 24.90 | 4.50 |
| Total | Total | 39 | | 77,349 | 100.00 | |

## Results by local electoral area

^ *: Outgoing councillor elected in 2014. ^ †: Outgoing councillor coopted subsequent to the 2014 election.

### Athenry–Oranmore

Athenry–Oranmore: 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 |
| | Independent | James Charity | 14.32% | 1,792 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Albert Dolan | 13.74% | 1,720 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Jim Cuddy | 11.64% | 1,457 | 1,530 | 1,540 | 1,630 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Gabe Cronnelly | 9.80% | 1,226 | 1,235 | 1,253 | 1,280 | 1,289 | 1,418 | 1,512 | 1,547 | 1,800 | |
| | Fine Gael | David Collins | 9.29% | 1,163 | 1,182 | 1,203 | 1,216 | 1,219 | 1,250 | 1,295 | 1,413 | 1,560 | 1,596 |
| | Fine Gael | Liam Carroll | 7.07% | 885 | 899 | 904 | 926 | 926 | 956 | 1,003 | 1,041 | 1,186 | 1,224 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Michael Hannon | 6.02% | 753 | 785 | 810 | 820 | 830 | 853 | 864 | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Shelly Herterich Quinn | 5.95% | 745 | 750 | 788 | 820 | 824 | 853 | 916 | 1,141 | 1,326 | 1,404 |
| | Fine Gael | Helen Jennings | 5.86% | 734 | 738 | 749 | 792 | 793 | 842 | 910 | 933 | | |
| | Independent | Josette Farrell | 5.17% | 647 | 664 | 667 | 696 | 710 | 750 | 886 | 1,105 | 1,138 | 1,148 |
| | Sinn Féin | Louis O'Hara | 4.05% | 507 | 519 | 535 | 555 | 556 | | | | | |
| | Green | Kenneth Keavey | 3.97% | 497 | 528 | 532 | 591 | 595 | 679 | | | | |
| | Labour | Marian Spelman | 1.65% | 206 | 213 | 216 | | | | | | | |
| | Renua | Amanda McManus | 1.46% | 183 | 187 | 188 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 23,796 Valid: 12,515 Spoilt: 202 Quota: 1,565 Turnout: 12,717 (53.44%) ||||||||||||||

### Ballinasloe

Ballinasloe: 6 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 |
| | Independent | Tim Broderick | 17.83% | 2,362 | | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Michael Connolly | 16.36% | 2,168 | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Peter Keaveney | 12.32% | 1,632 | 1,651 | 1,691 | 1,698 | 1,794 | 1,807 | 1,831 | 1,898 |
| | Independent | Declan Geraghty | 11.63% | 1,541 | 1,580 | 1,626 | 1,637 | 1,722 | 1,741 | 1,778 | 1,808 |
| | Sinn Féin | Dermot Connolly | 10.47% | 1,387 | 1,500 | 1,519 | 1,603 | 1,614 | 1,748 | 1,932 | |
| | Independent | Aisling Dolan | 8.17% | 1,082 | 1,142 | 1,160 | 1,259 | 1,275 | 1,422 | 1,571 | 1,841 |
| | Fine Gael | Aidan Donohue | 6.38% | 845 | 944 | 980 | 1,001 | 1,022 | 1,059 | 1,090 | 1,352 |
| | Fine Gael | Michael Finnerty | 5.26% | 697 | 720 | 733 | 749 | 752 | 784 | 875 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Mike Kelly | 3.86% | 511 | 536 | 575 | 609 | 693 | 724 | | |
| | Social Democrats | Ken Campbell | 3.07% | 407 | 446 | 456 | 496 | 498 | | | |
| | Independent | Harriett Bruce | 2.35% | 311 | 344 | 354 | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Kenneth O'Brien | 2.32% | 308 | 326 | 369 | 374 | | | | |
| Electorate: 23,513 Valid: 13,251 Spoilt: 211 Quota: 1,894 Turnout: 13,462 (57.25%) ||||||||||||

### Conamara North

Conamara North: 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Independent | Thomas Welby | 29.42% | 2,140 | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Eileen Mannion | 19.25% | 1,400 | 1,590 | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Gerry King | 18.56% | 1,350 | 1,437 | 1,464 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Seamus Walsh | 13.91% | 1,012 | 1,281 | 1,312 | 1,363 | 1,467 |
| | Independent | Josie Conneely | 8.59% | 625 | 668 | 696 | 749 | 984 |
| | Sinn Féin | Tom Healy | 8.02% | 583 | 644 | 663 | 705 | |
| | Independent | Críostóir Breathnach | 2.24% | 163 | 198 | 212 | | |
| Electorate: 13,633 Valid: 7,273 Spoilt: 142 Quota: 1,455 Turnout: 7,415 (54.39%) |||||||||

### Conamara South

Conamara South: 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Fine Gael | Padraig Mac An Iomaire | 15.71% | 1,408 | 1,472 | 1,535 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Noel Thomas | 13.51% | 1,211 | 1,244 | 1,327 | 1,515 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Dáithí Ó Cualáin | 13.01% | 1,166 | 1,250 | 1,324 | 1,408 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Máirtín Lee | 11.34% | 1,016 | 1,056 | 1,124 | 1,207 |
| | Green | Alastair McKinstry | 10.99% | 985 | 1,117 | 1,216 | 1,436 |
| | Republican Sinn Féin | Tomás Ó Curraoin | 10.84% | 971 | 1,117 | 1,268 | 1,396 |
| | Fine Gael | Ann Flaherty | 9.73% | 872 | 904 | 992 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | MacDara Hosty | 7.57% | 678 | 694 | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Kevin O'Hara | 5.68% | 509 | | | |
| | Independent | Críostóir Breathnach | 1.26% | 113 | | | |
| | Independent | Patrick Feeney | 0.36% | 32 | | | |
| Electorate: 18,232 Valid: 8,961 Spoilt: 203 Quota: 1,494 Turnout: 9,164 (50.26%) ||||||||
Tomás Ó Curraoin appeared on the ballot as an independent (non-party) but is a member of Republican Sinn Féin and is the sole public representative of that party.

### Gort–Kinvara

Gort–Kinvara: 5 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 |
| | Fine Gael | Joe Byrne | 27.08% | 2,751 | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | P. J. Murphy | 15.90% | 1,615 | 1,896 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Martina Kinane | 14.56% | 1,479 | 1,555 | 1,569 | 1,619 | 1,631 | 1,680 | 1,736 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Gerry Finnerty | 8.05% | 818 | 968 | 996 | 1,016 | 1,141 | 1,153 | 1,261 | 1,354 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Kevin Fahey | 7.99% | 812 | 921 | 935 | 960 | 1,036 | 1,054 | 1,162 | 1,275 |
| | Fine Gael | Fionn Kiely | 5.88% | 597 | 736 | 820 | 846 | 873 | 940 | 994 | |
| | Independent | Geraldine Donohue | 5.29% | 537 | 623 | 642 | 690 | 777 | 909 | 1,095 | 1,328 |
| | Inds. 4 Change | Cormac MacGowan | 4.22% | 429 | 461 | 466 | 515 | 546 | | | |
| | Independent | Hubert Geoghegan | 4.01% | 407 | 481 | 495 | 557 | 616 | 702 | | |
| | Independent | Declan Diviney | 3.84% | 390 | 463 | 474 | 501 | | | | |
| | Renua | Emma O'Connell | 3.17% | 322 | 360 | 374 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17.335 Valid: 10,157 Spoilt: 178 Quota: 1,693 Turnout: 10,335 (59.62%) ||||||||||||

### Loughrea

Loughrea: 5 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 |
| | Fine Gael | Michael 'Moegie' Maher | 20.82% | 2,152 | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Jimmy McClearn | 19.74% | 2,041 | | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Shane Curley | 15.29% | 1,581 | 1,742 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Ivan Canning | 15.13% | 1,564 | 1,589 | 1,747 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Pat Hynes | 9.17% | 948 | 1,052 | 1,101 | 1,105 | 1,111 | 1,190 | 1,339 | 1,560 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Pat Flanagan | 7.14% | 738 | 814 | 840 | 845 | 853 | 889 | 942 | 1,128 |
| | Aontú | Joe Campbell | 6.39% | 661 | 674 | 727 | 736 | 737 | 774 | 847 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Annemarie Roche | 3.21% | 332 | 353 | 375 | 378 | 379 | 467 | | |
| | Independent | Eoin Madden | 3.11% | 321 | 349 | 358 | 360 | 362 | | | |
| Electorate: 18,729 Valid: 10,338 Spoilt: 165 Quota: 1,724 Turnout: 10,503 (56.08%) ||||||||||||

### Tuam

Tuam: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Fine Gael | Peter Roche | 16.36% | 2,430 | | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Joe Sheridan | 10.39% | 1,544 | 1,588 | 1,602 | 1,649 | 1,726 | 1,841 | 1,846 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Donagh Mark Killilea | 10.24% | 1,521 | 1,607 | 1,636 | 1,698 | 1,893 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Mary Hoade | 9.80% | 1,455 | 1,487 | 1,492 | 1,529 | 1,553 | 1,840 | 1,841 |
| | Fine Gael | Andrew Reddington | 9.35% | 1,389 | 1,449 | 1,454 | 1,512 | 1,533 | 1,689 | 1,690 |
| | Fine Gael | Tom McHugh | 8.47% | 1,258 | 1,376 | 1,394 | 1,442 | 1,509 | 1,676 | 1,680 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Colm Keaveney | 8.21% | 1,219 | 1,271 | 1,297 | 1,458 | 1,630 | 1,754 | 1,761 |
| | Independent | Billy Connelly | 7.53% | 1,118 | 1,152 | 1,165 | 1,253 | 1,298 | | |
| | Independent | Karey McHugh | 6.25% | 929 | 1,020 | 1,067 | 1,242 | 1,571 | 1,806 | 1,824 |
| | Independent | Shaun Cunniffe | 5.80% | 862 | 886 | 935 | 1,036 | | | |
| | Aontú | Martin Ward | 3.14% | 467 | 477 | 491 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Stíofán De Lundres Ó Dálaigh | 2.71% | 403 | 414 | 438 | | | | |
| | Independent | Thomas (T.P.) Niland | 1.62% | 241 | 251 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Dermot Ryan | 0.12% | 18 | 19 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 25,125 Valid: 14,854 Spoilt: 213 Quota: 1,857 Turnout: 15,067 (59.97%) |||||||||||

### Footnotes

* 1 2 3 Republican Sinn Féin is not a registered party, so its name is not used on ballot papers or in council proceedings.
* 1 2 See change below.

## Results by gender

2019 Galway County Council election Candidates by gender :
| Gender | Number of candidates | % of candidates | Elected councillors | % of councillors |
| Men | 63 | 80.8% | 32 | 82.1% |
| Women | 15 | 19.2% | 7 | 17.9% |
| TOTAL | 78 | | 39 | |

## Changes
### Changes in affiliation

| Name | LEA | Elected as | New affiliation | Date |
| Aisling Dolan | Ballinasloe | Independent | Fine Gael | November 2019 |
| Declan Geraghty | Ballinasloe | Independent | Independent Ireland | February 2024 |
| Declan Kelly | Loughrea | Independent | Independent Ireland | March 2024 |
| Noel Thomas | Connemara South | Fianna Fáil | Independent | March 2024 |
| Séamus Walsh | Connemara North | Fianna Fáil | Independent | March 2024 |
| Noel Thomas | Connemara South | Independent | Independent Ireland | April 2024 |
| Séamus Walsh | Connemara North | Independent | Independent Ireland | April 2024 |
| Liam Carroll | Athenry–Oranmore | Fine Gael | Independent | May 2024 |

### Co-options

| Party | Party | Outgoing | LEA | Reason | Date | Co-optee |
| | Fine Gael | Aisling Dolan | Ballinasloe | Nominated by the Taoiseach to the 26th Seanad | June 2020 | Evelyn Francis Parsons |
| | Independent | Pat Hynes | Loughrea | Retirement | November 2021 | Declan Kelly |

## Sources

* "Galway County Council - Local Election candidates". RTÉ. 13 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
* "Local Elections 2019: Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics" (PDF). Government of Ireland. Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG). pp. 112–118. Retrieved 10 June 2020.