Fianna Fail councillor PJ O’Hanlon has called on his party head office to work better with local candidates.
O’Hanlon topped the poll in Carrickmacrosss-Castleblayney LEA with 1,478 votes. However, Fianna Fail are unlikely to get a second seat.
“I’m delighted and over the moon and I didn’t expect it, I am really trilled” O’Hanlon told Northern Sound after his election.
“It is going to be a tight race. Unfortunately there is a possibility we could lose a seat. It’s all going to be down to eliminations and transfers”.
“We have to learn from this north Monaghan” explained O’Hanlon. “We’re in a situation in North Monaghan where Fine Gael have 300 votes less than us”.
“They have two seats and we have one” explained O’Hanlon.
Head office interference
“We need to sit down and we need to look at our strategy and we need to be blunt and honest for the people in Dublin and in head office in Fianna Fail, to work with us and not at us”.
“If we are serious about this and we want to bring these votes and get seats back for Fianna Fail, that’s something that will have to be done” declared O’Hanlon.
“Sure it’s a very special day for me to head the poll in my electoral area, it’s the first time that has ever happened to me is great. But, there is a tinge of sadness to it, because if we lose a seat, that’s not what it’s about”.
“That’s something we have to do is sit down with the people in Dublin and plan this out properly” O’Hanlon explained.
“You have to sit down and work with people” declared the Monaghan man. “This thing of Dublin sending down directives and this is what we do. All this online calls and video calls that doesn’t win elections”.
“All I have done is work hard for the last five years. I’ve gone out and met the people. They’ve said to me, PJ, we like what you’re doing, we endorse what you’re doing and we want you back in there”.
“We need to work with the people in head office and say what the best plan is for us”.
“If you take us last year. We ran three candidates in the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney area and won two seats. I don’t want to pre-empt what happens tomorrow but I don’t think we should have got ourselves into this position”.
Follow live updates from the Monaghan count centre.
