A 20 YEAR-OLD accountancy student has become one of Ireland’s youngest councillors after being elected to Galway County Council in the early hours of the morning.

Albert Dolan was officially elected in Athenry-Oranmore on the first count at around 1.30am, after receiving 1,720 first preference votes in the area – just 72 less than independent James Charity, who topped the poll.

The NUI Galway student campaigned on a platform based on the housing crisis, rural isolation, traffic problems, and mental health.

His father Michael unsuccessfully contested a general election for the party in Galway East in 2011, when he was eliminated on the third count with 4,290 votes.

Dolan, who is named after former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, told RTÉ that he felt “amazing” after confirmation of the result early this morning.

He also told the broadcaster that he believed that people appreciated his honesty on the campaign trail.

Thanking those in the Athenry-Oranmore area who voted for him, Dolan said:

One thing I said throughout my campaign was ‘I’m not making any promises’, and people really appreciated that. 

They said ‘this young man wants to do his best for this area’ and people gave me the chance and I plan to do my very best over the next five years to represent them the way they want to be represented.

Dolan takes one of seven seats in Athenry-Oranmore, where votes for four remaining seats are being counted this afternoon.

Independent candidates Jim Cuddy and Gabel Cronelly and Fine Gael’s David Collins and Liam Kavanagh are currently best placed to take the final seats in the area.