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Counters begin work in Cork North Central this morning. Alamy Stock Photo

A full recount is underway in Cork North Central as TD Mick Barry fights to retain his seat

In the early hours Eoghan Kenny of Labour was declared as taking the last seat by just 35 votes Mick Barry, of People Before Profit Solidarity (PBPS).

LAST UPDATE | 6 mins ago

A FULL RECOUNT HAS got underway in Cork North Central this morning as outgoing TD Mick Barry fights to retain his seat. 

In the early hours of this morning as Eoghan Kenny of Labour was declared as taking the last seat by just 35 votes Barry, of People Before Profit Solidarity (PBPS), requested the move. 

Martin Harvey, the returning officer for Cork City, met with both Labour and PBPS representatives. It was decided after that meeting that the recount would begin with an examination of bundles of 50 votes at a time. 

Mick Barry said after a meeting this lunchtime with returning officers that there were 29 discrepancies found in a trawl of 25% of all votes. He said of those discrepancies that he gained one vote to his favour however he believes that this may be indicative of a broader issue. 

Harvey has told The Journal this morning that if there is a discrepancy in those bundles then a full recount will get underway – we are likely to get a result from that initial examination around lunchtime. 

“We have spoken to Mick Barry and come to the agreement that the start of the procedure would be checking his papers and Eoghan Kenny’s papers to make that his number one is on the paper and Eoghan’s number ones are on the paper and make sure the numbers tally up. 

“We need to check that there are twenty bundles in each 1,000 – we need to check carefully that the vote is given to the relevant candidate.  

“After that we will talk to Mick and Eoghan and decide what way to progress from there – that may involve a full recount or a limited count,” he said. 

cork-north-central-candidate-mick-barry-for-solidarity-who-requested-a-recount-at-nemo-rangers-gaa-club-as-the-counting-continues-for-irelands-general-election-picture-date-monday-december-2-2 Solidarity, People Before Profit TD Mck Barry in Cork North Central this morning. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Mick Barry said he will battle to retain his seat and cautioned Labour and the Social Democrats not to make deals with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. 

“I’m feeling we have a bit of ground to make up, there are 35 votes there but if they are there to be had we’ll find them and we’ll fight this to a finish. I am a wee bit tired, but cool as a breeze.

“I feel it is important to have another voice in the Dáil with a message such as this: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are going to fall short of their magic number, the over all majority. 

“Labour and the Social Democrats should not do coalition deals with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – they need to learn the lessons of what happened to the Greens in the last Government,” he said. 

Barry added that the Green’s had thought they could “push through real change” with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael majority. 

“They didn’t, they ended up losing nearly all of their seats. It happened with Labour in the past – it is a mistaken strategy.

“Instead Labour and the Social Democrats should turn towards Sinn Féin, People Before Profit Solidarity and left wing independents and say lets have a strong left wing opposition in the next Dáil and campaign against this Government with radical policies to say the market doesn’t work and we need fundamental change,” he added. 

‘Material difference’

Eoghan Kenny has not arrived at the count centre yet but we spoke to Councillor Peter Horgan who is a member of the Labour team.

“Eoghan Kenny was deemed a TD last night by the returning officer, Mick Barry has a recount – what is happening now is that bundles are being checked for both candidates.

“Those bundles will check if there is any discrepancies which is highly unlikely.

“Once those bundles are checked, of 14,887 votes between the two candidates, that’s about 297 bundles of 50, after that there will be a further determination and engagement between the candidates and the returning officer to decide if there will be a full recount of those 14,000 votes. 

“If no material difference after the bundles it is hard to see if whether or not but we’ll have to see once this check has begun if we go to a full recount which will take two to three days,” he said.

If successful Kenny, 24, would be one of the youngest TD in the Dáil – he is a teacher and is a native of Mallow, Co Cork. 

He has worked with Sean Sherlock, the outgoing TD, and is a strong community worker and chair of the parish council in Mallow as well as working with the local Tidy Towns.

He was co-opted for James Kennedy’s seat after that councillor decided not to run in February.

He held that seat on the first count in Mallow electoral area and campaigned on a major infrastructure plan for his hometown. 

Mick Barry is a stalwart socialist campaigner on the northside of Cork city – hewas first elected to Cork City Council in 2004.

He was heavily involved in the campaign against Campaign against home and water taxes in 2013. He has campaigned for local services as well as for support for the Palestinian people.  

He was a founding member of the Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) and was elected to the Dáil in 2016 on his fourth attempt as part of the AAA-People Before Profit grouping. 

He retained his seat at the 2020 General election with Solidarity People Before Profit.

The candidates elected so far in Cork North Central are Padraig O’Sullivan, Thomas Gould, Ken O’Flynn and Colm Burke.

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