Sligo Local Council Elections 2024

Glad to see a thread on this. Heres a list of candidates from what I can gather online. Errors and Omissions excepted!

Ballymote-Tubbercurry - 14 so far for 7 seats
FG: Martin Connolly, Patrick Cleary, Dara Mulvey, Gerard Mullaney
FF: Liam Brennan, Barry Gallagher, Keith Henry, Paul Taylor
SF: Jason Gorman, Jennifer Van Aswegen, Donal O'Connor
IND: Michael Clarke, Joe Queenan
IFP: James Conway

Don't see any big shocks here. FG could lose one to FF. Also be interesting to see where Baker FF seat goes to.

Sligo Drumcliffe - 8 so far for 5 seats
FG: Tom Fox, Thomas Walsh
FF: Edel McSharry, Donal Gilroy
SF: Thomas Healy
IND: Marie Casserly, Colm McGurran
IFP: Amanda Gallagher

Think it'll be the same 5 sitting ones elected. Internal FF battle will be great craic given the history.

Sligo Strandhill - 9 so far for 6 seats.
FG: Fergal Nealon
FF: Tom McSharry
SF: Arthur Gibbons, Pauline Donnelly
LAB: Nessa Cosgrove
AON: Graham Monaghan
PBP: Gino O'Boyle
IND: Declan Bree
Green: Johnny Gogan

The two retirements of the women Cllrs is disappointing from a gender balance option. FF could lose their second seat here but to who is the question.

Updates as per local media in Sligo Strandhill

Sligo Strandhill - 11 so far for 6 seats.
FG: Fergal Nealon
FF: Tom McSharry, Seamus Kilgannon
SF: Arthur Gibbons, Pauline Donnelly
LAB: Nessa Cosgrove
AON: Graham Monaghan
PBP: Gino O'Boyle
IND: Declan Bree, Diarmuid McConville
Green: Johnny Gogan

In Ballymote/Tubbercurry the biggest talk in the election last time was the postal vote scandal but sure nothing came of it. The geographic size of the area is completely ridiculous. I think you'll see both Queenan and Clarke elected in West Sligo despite there being more challengers there. Apple Tax man Conway seems to have gone very quiet since his announcement into the field from the far right Irish Freedom Party and I don't see him featuring, yet ironically had he stayed Independent he may have, but he let his true colours show.

Mulvey and Mullaney are the most experienced FG Cllrs and will hold on so that's four of the seven filled. Taylor will hold his seat you would imagine given his poll topping performance last time and the only sitting Cllr for them. Then it's a case of who holds Bakers seat. Henry in Ballymote might stand the best chance given he went before and was a Cllr for a time.

So then its down to the last seat with probably Connolly FG, Gallagher FF and the strongest SF (whoever that is, sorry I'm not from this constituency) all in contention.

Haven't studied Drumcliffe closely enough to make a guess at it yet. Anyway it'll be getting busy from now.

yeah I’d be thinking Cosgrave and Kilgannon fighting it out for the last there

Had a browse at Sligo/Drumcliffe over the weekend. I think you’ll see Casserly, Walsh, Fox and Healy in without too much fuss. The big question is Gilroy or McSharry. I don’t see any of the others really challenging and to be honest there’s very few declared anyway. What is it 8 for 5. There’s two seats south of Sligo town and at least two north of it. McSharry is the only one who can unseat any of the present crew but I don’t see FF getting two. I’d give her the nod only slightly against Gilroy. If he leaks any votes in North Sligo to Casserly he’ll be in danger of losing to McSharry.

FF didnt want Gilroy, that was clear from the outcome of the convention. Mind you, there's many a person in North Sligo that dont want him either

not a chance casserly will top the poll or will healy be in bother.

I see nominations have opened and will close this weekend. Will we have any last minute additions to the tickets across the county? Sligo Drumcliffe seems to be the shortest ballot paper with is it just 3 not to be elected unless I'm missing someone else. Only 6 in with a shout in my book anyway.

In town I think there's only 7 in with a serious chance and out the country in Ballymote-Tubbercurry probably 10 out of the 15 with any serious chance.

So the candidates have been published by Sligo CoCo. https://www.sligococo.ie/Elections2024/NoticeofPoll/

Sligo-Strandhill 14 for 6 seats
Sligo-Drumcliffe 10 for 5 seats

Ballymote-Tubbercurry 15 for 7

Right I'm going to be brave and two weeks out call each area with the poll topper. These are in no particular order.

Sligo-Strandhill:
Bree, O'Boyle, Gibbons, MacSharry, Nealon. Kilgannon and Cosgrove to fight it out for the last and I'll give the nod to Cosgrove as she should do better on transfers. Bree to top the poll.

Sligo-Drumcliffe:
Casserly, Healy, Walsh, Fox. The FF battle starts then and I'm going to pluck for Gilroy but this is a real toss up I think. Walsh to top the poll.

Ballymote-Tubbercurry:
Clarke, Queenan, Taylor, Henry, Mulvey, Mullaney. Then its the Tubbercurry battle between Connolly and Gallagher. I'll go with Gallagher. Clarke to top the poll based on what posters are saying here that he's putting in a big campaign outside his area.

So overall that'll give a council of 5 FF, 5 FG, 4 IND,2 SF, 1 PBP, 1 LAB. Not exactly seismic change!

Anyone else to put their head on the block?

yes thats about it - I dont need to have a politician call around the house to have heard of him/her I watch the news on TV and listen to the local radio station and read local news online - if i havent heard of a particular candidate and what they are doing/have achieved then I dont think they would be worthy of a vote.
What would they do if they did come around and i saw them and spoke to them they would either get an earful about what is not getting done , or they would promise me things that they cannot deliver or keep because all they want is a vote to get them in. Its a form of door to door salesmen , people coming around door to door to sell raffle tickets, Jehova witnesses , eir and electricity reps coming around and knocking on the doors for their gain - I dont like them calling on me either.

😁 True I suppose - point being they are all uninvited

I dont think I have much confidence in any candidate who cannot follow simple instructions of clear signs on a front door by the letterbox

precisely - evenings and weekends , you know relax and chill time, maybe watch telly or something in the evening or going out whatever, not get het up discussing politics on the doorstep with them and hearing false promises of what they will do if you vote for them, or what they have achieved since being in power have been doing good, and pushing for, in the last month because there is an election coming up.

I suppose they choose evening and weekends to call around because most of the time they wont find people at home in the daytime.

Making some slight alterations to my predictions based on some conversations with people in different areas at work. Looking forward to the count, will Ocean FM be doing their YouTube feed again?

Sligo-Strandhill:
Bree, O'Boyle, Gibbons, MacSharry, Nealon. Kilgannon and Cosgrove to fight it out for the last and I'll give the nod to Cosgrove as she should do better on transfers. Bree to top the poll.

Sligo-Drumcliffe:
Casserly, Healy, Walsh, Fox. McSharry to pip Gilroy for the FF seat. Walsh to top the poll.

Ballymote-Tubbercurry:
Clarke, Queenan, Taylor, Henry, Mulvey, Mullaney. Then its the Tubbercurry battle between Connolly and Gallagher. I'll go with Connolly just about but my source said that Gorman SF local transfers will decide which it is. Taylor to top the poll. Perhaps a one candidate strategy would have been better for SF here given the big geographic gaps between them?

So overall that'll give a council of 6FG, 4FF, 4 IND,2 SF, 1 PBP, 1 LAB.