2014_Limerick_City_and_County_Council_election
2014 Limerick City and County Council election
Part of the 2014 Irish local elections
An election to all 40 seats on Limerick City and County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Irish local elections, a reduction from an overall total of 45 seats at the previous elections (17 at the 2009 City Council election) and 28 at the 2009 County Council election). It was a new local authority replacing the abolished Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council. Limerick City and County was divided into 6 local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect 40 councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
Significantly Fianna Fáil emerged as the largest party on the council despite being 3,838 first preference votes behind Fine Gael. The party won seats in Limerick city, historically a weak area for them in local elections. Its best results were in Cappaghmore–Kilmallock and Limerick City East where they secured 3 seats in each LEA. Fine Gael were disadvantaged by the merger of the 2 local authorities as they held many councillors on the old City Council and several of these Councillors were defeated under the new boundaries. However, the party won 3 seats in Newcastle West. It was a very poor election for Labour as they just returned 1 seat in each of the 3 city LEAs just as did the Anti-Austerity Alliance. Sinn Féin won 6 seats, to join their existing member Maurice Quinlivan. Independents secured the remaining 3 seats, 1 of which was Emmett O'Brien a former member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive.[1][2] After the elections 4 of the Fianna Fáil members broke away to form an independent block over an internal disagreement over who should secure the Chairmanship of the council. This was later resolved after intercession by Party Headquarters and they rejoined the Fianna Fáil grouping.[3]