Gerry Adams
Sinn Féin president and Louth TD Gerry Adams has thanked local voters for the support they showed the party in last week’s local and European elections.
The party returned their best ever result in an election poll with 10 of their 11 candidates earned seats on Louth County Council and the unlucky JJ Quigley only missing out by just four votes to Fianna Fáil’s Conor Keelan.
Adding to a great weekend for Sinn Féin in the area, Carrickmacross man Matt Carthy also got elected to the European Parliament having topped the poll in Louth.
Commenting on the matter, Deputy Adams said:
“I want to thank all those who voted for our local team of Louth County Councillors and for Matt Carthy for Europe. I also want to thank all our party workers, their families and all our candidates in Louth. Sinn Féin stood 11 candidates for Louth County Council and 10 were elected. I want to thank JJ Quigley for his hard work and commitment and his family for their support.
“Sinn Féin is now the largest party on Louth County Council, as well as across the island of Ireland. In the EU election Sinn Féin took 483,113 votes and four EU Parliamentary seats. The party now has 262 Councillors and is the largest party on eight councils.
“We are committed to using our growing mandate of Councillors, TDs, MEPs, MPs, and MLAs wisely and in the interests of citizens.
“Sinn Féin will also keep the commitments we made to the electorate.
“It is clear increasing numbers of citizens are seeking a new kind of politics. Some combination of Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil has been in government since the foundation of this state. The old way of doing politics, as practiced by these parties, has failed.
“The message arising out of the elections is that citizens want change. They have rejected the ‘consensus for cuts’ represented by Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil. The electorate has endorsed Sinn Féin’s message that there is a fairer way.
“The result is also an endorsement Sinn Fein’s message of the need to reinvigorate the Peace Process and for an agreed, united Ireland.
“The huge vote for Sinn Fein also marks a profound change in the political landscape in this state. The Government dismisses this as a protest vote or, as the Taoiseach claims, a sign of frustration by the electorate. This is wrong. The Government has been sent a very clear message. They do not have public support for the damaging policies they are implementing.
“The voters have called time on this government. They should change political direction or call a General Election.”
Talk of the Town 