Derry & Strabane Council Election 2023: SDLP's Brian Tierney and Catherine McDaid take final two seats in Ballyarnett

The final vote came at the expnse of Aontú candidate Emmet Doyle who managed to attract an impressive number of first preferences bolstered by transfers but this wasn’t enough to secure the final seat with a finally tally of 1,147.73 votes against a quota of 1,392.

This means Aontú along with Alliance will now have no representation on Derry City & Strabane District Council after the latter party’s two candidates also lost their seats.

The six candidates elected to represent the people of Ballyarnett after the sixth and final count are: Sandra Duffy, Rory Farrell, John McGowan, Pat Murphy, Catherine McDaid and Brian Tierney.

Count 4

Sinn Féin’s three candidates in Ballyarnett have all secured seats on the new Derry City & Strabane District Council in what is turning out to be a historic election for the party locally and across the north.

Patrick Murphy was elected on the fourth count in the ward, filling the fourth of six seats in Ballyarnett with two still be decided.

The quota to be deemed elected in Ballyarnett is 1,392 votes and the vote share after the fourth round currently stands at Damien Doherty (People Before Profit Alliance) 855.33, Emmet Doyle (Aontú) 945.89, Catherine McDaid (SDLP) 1,059.04 and Brian Tierney (SDLP) 1,136.42.

The four elected so far are Sandra Duffy (SF), Rory Farrell (SDLP), John McGowan (SF) and Patrick Murphy (SF).

Count 3

The third seat in Ballyarnett has gone to Sinn Féin Councillor John McGowan on the second count, with no-one elected on the third count.

Alliance candidate Colm Cavangh was excluded earlier with his 457 first preference and transfer votes disseminated.

As things stand now after Count 3 there are five candidates still in the running, with Sinn Fein’s third candidate Patrick James Murphy less than 100 votes shy of the quota.

The quota to be deemed elected in Ballyarnett is 1,392 votes and the vote share currently stands at Damien Doherty (People Before Profit Alliance) 852.45, Emmet Doyle (Aontú) 964.43, Catherine McDaid (SDLP) 1,052.30, Patrick James Murphy (Sinn Féin) 1,289.45 and Brian Tierney (SDLP) 1,124.50.

Three seats remain to be filled in the six seater Ballyarnett ward.

Count 1

Mayor of Derry & Strabane Sandra Duffy has topped the poll in Ballyarnett and has been deemed elected on the first count alongside SDLP COuncillor Rory Farrell.

Nine candidates are standing in the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area and turnout at the polling stations was 51.88%.

The quota to be deemed elected is 1392 votes with Colrs Duffy and Farrell exceeding the quota on the first count.

Following the first count, the votes for each candidates in alphabetical order are: Colm Cavanagh (Alliance) 436, Damien Doherty (People Before Profit Alliance) 727, Emmet Doyle (Aontú) 887, Sandra Duffy (Sinn Féin) 2,164, Rory Farrell (SDLP) 1,405, Catherine McDaid (SDLP) 856, John McGowan (Sinn Féin) 1,299, Patrick James Murphy (Sinn Féin) 960, Brian Tierney (SDLP) 1,006.

In the last local government election in 2019 the SDLP returned three councillors; Sinn Féin two and Aontú one.

The first preference tallies were as follows: ELECTED - SDLP Angela Dobbins 1,392 votes (14.54%); ELECTED – SDLP Brian Tierney 1,235 votes (12.90%); ELECTED – SDLP Rory Farrell 1,170 votes (12.22%); ELECTED – Aontú Anne McCloskey 1,032 votes (10.78%); ELECTED – Sinn Féin Sandra Duffy 899 votes (9.39%); ELECTED – Sinn Féin Aileen Mellon 848 votes (8.86%); People Before Profit Nuala Crilly 826 votes (8.63%); Sinn Féin Caoimhe McKnight 656 votes (6.85%); Independent Warren Robinson 639 votes (6.67%); Sinn Féin Neil McLaughlin 538 votes (5.62%); and Allliance Danny McCloskey 340 votes (3.55%).

Of a total Ballyarnett electorate of 17,425 electors, 9,575 (54.95%) valid votes were cast in the May 2019 poll, with the quota set at 1,368 votes.

There were 199 spoilt votes. Turnout was 56.09% (9,774 electors).

Colm Cavanagh, Alliance Party.

Colm Cavanagh, a stalwart of the Alliance Party in Derry, is a veteran of many elections locally. In May 2016, he contested the Moor District Electoral Area (DEA), receiving 122 first preference votes (1.57%).

In 2011, he ran for Alliance in the old Northland DEA of Derry City Council, and won 217 votes (2.3%). And in 2001, he contested the Waterside DEA of DCC, receiving 270 votes (2.6%). In the last local government election in May 2019 Alliance candidate Danny McCloskey received 340 first preference votes (3.55%) in the Ballyarnett DEA.

Damien Doherty, People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA).

Damien Doherty, a workers’ rights campaigner, is contesting the Ballyarnett DEA for the People Before Profit Alliance. It is the second time PBPA have contested the district. In the last local government election in May 2019 PBPA candidate Nuala Crilly received 826 first preference votes (8.63%) in Ballyarnett.

Emmet Doyle, Aontú.

Aontú candidate Emmet Doyle served as councillor for the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA) from 2020 when he was co-opted by the party to replace Anne McCloskey.

He contested the last election in May 2019 as an Independent candidate in the Moor DEA, receiving 496 votes (6.40%) in the Creggan, Bogside and Brandywell constituency.

Previously, in the 2014 local elections, he stood for the SDLP in the Moor, receiving 676 votes (9.86%). In the last election of May 2019, Aontú candidate Anne McCloskey took a seat in Ballyarnett with 1,032 first preferences (10.78%).

Sandra Duffy, Sinn Féin.

The outgoing Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Sandra Duffy, was first elected as a Sinn Féin councillor in May 2014 when she topped the poll in the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA) with 1,163 votes (15.12%).

She was re-elected in 2019 when she received 899 votes (9.39%). She first entered the political fray when she unsuccessfully contested the Shantallow DEA of the old Derry City Council in 2011.

In the last local government election in May 2019 Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,941 first preference votes (30.72%) in the Ballyarnett DEA, a percentage share before transfers that translated into 2.1 quotas.

Rory Farrell, SDLP.

SDLP candidate Rory Farrell was elected as councillor for the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA) in the last local government election of May 2016. Receiving 1,170 first preference votes (12.22%) he was the third highest polling candidate in the DEA.

Previously, he narrowly missed out on taking a seat in the neighbouring Foyleside DEA in May 2014. He received 743 votes (11.67%) in that election in Foyleside, which comprises the northern part of Derry city centre and the city's western suburbs including Ballymagroarty and Hazelbank as far as Coshquin.

In May 2019, the SDLP's three candidates received 3,797 first preference votes (39.66%), the equivalent of 2.8 quotas, prior to transfers.

Catherine McDaid, SDLP.

Catherine McDaid, from the Steelstown area, is contesting a local government election for the first time. The outgoing Deputy Mayor Angela Dobbins, who recently announced her retirement from front-line politics, is acting as her election agent.

In May 2019, the SDLP's three candidates in the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA) received 3,797 first preference votes (39.66%), the equivalent of 2.8 quotas, prior to transfers.

John McGowan, Sinn Féin.

John McGowan is contesting his first local government election. The well-known businessman was co-opted by Sinn Féin to replace Damien Mullan as one of the party's councillors in the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA) in November 2021.

Mr. Mullan had himself been co-opted to replace Aileen Mellon during the summer of 2021. In the last local government election in May 2019, Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,941 first preference votes (30.72%) in the Ballyarnett DEA, a percentage share before transfers that translated into 2.1 quotas.

Patrick Murphy, Sinn Féin.

Patrick James 'Pat' Murphy, who is based in Shantallow, is contesting a local government election for the first time. In the last local government election in May 2019 Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,941 first preference votes (30.72%) in the Ballyarnett District Electoral Area (DEA), a percentage share before transfers that translated into 2.1 quotas.

Brian Tierney, SDLP.

Brian Tierney is a former mayor and was SDLP group leader for part of the last mandate of Derry City and Strabane District Council. Co-opted to the Shantallow District Electoral Area (DEA) of the old Derry City Council in early 2014 he was elected to the Ballyarnett DEA of the new Derry City and Strabane District Council, which replaced it, in May 2014, receiving 963 first preference votes (12.52%).

He was returned again in May 2019 when he was the second highest polling candidate, receiving 1,235 votes (12.90%). In May 2019, the SDLP's three candidates received 3,797 first preference votes (39.66%), the equivalent of 2.8 quotas, prior to transfers.