By Anne Lucey
The story of the Killarney and South and West Kerry local electoral areas is the astonishing performance of father and son Danny and Johnny Healy-Rae.
Danny in the Killarney area has two quotas, according to the tallies. His son Johnny is running for the first time in the sprawling South and West Kerry area which runs from Kenmare to Dingle. He has more than a quota and a half.
Between them, the two men they have more than enough for a general election.
Speaking at the count centre in Killarney this afternoon, Danny Healy-Rae said: "Jackie's legacy still stands," adding that people remembered what his father Jackie, the former TD, had done for them. He also referred to the family work record, saying: "We don’t be at home at all, to be honest."
Michael, his brother the TD, was also a tremendous worker, he said, "and it all helped".
Johnny Healy-Rae said he was going home to let the cows out into the fields. With all the canvassing now done, he said it was time to pay more attention to his cattle.
The junior Healy-Rae (29) released song to boost his campaign.
Anne McEllistrim’s bid to take a seat in Killarney has failed. Cllr McEllistrim moved from her electoral area in Tralee to allow her brother and former TD Tom run in Tralee, but she has come in last of the
Fianna Fáil candidates.
Her addition by party headquarters after she failed to get a nomination at convention caused rancour and led to disquiet amongst the three selected candidates.
Meanwhile, Rathmore native Niall Kelleher is likely to pick up a seat for Fianna Fáil. In South and west Kerry , Kenmare’s Dan McCarthy is likely to break through, but this won’t be at the expense of Patrick Connor-Scarteen, a sitting councillor. The poor performance of the mid Kerry sitting councillor Matt Griffin is likely to secure Scarteen and PJ Donovan after transfers.
The decision by Fianna Fáil headquarters to add a candidate to the three already selected in South and West Kerry led to the resignation of Paul O’Donoghue from the ticket. It also has not secured a seat for Fianna Fáil and there will be a scramble for the last seat with Sinn Féin in the mix.