'Fianna Fáil has learned lessons and will move forward' - Cllr Philip Brady

Cllr Brady is in contention for the fourth seat on the Ballyjamesduff municipal District.

Cllr Philip Brady (FF) has arrived at the count centre in Cavan with his family and dad - former county councillor Danny ‘The Gunner’ Brady.

Cllr Brady is in contention to take the fourth seat on the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District after facing serious competition from other candidates in the Mullahoran, Ballinagh, Killnaleck and Finea locations of the Ballyjamesduff Electoral Area (EA) where political analysis are describing as “congested”.

He is the current Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council and was first elected in 2019 after winning the seat vacated by his father. Speaking to the Anglo Celt this evening, Cllr Brady pointed to the highls and lows of the last few hours but admitted relief at finding himself still in contention.

“No election is ever easy and to still be in contention for a seat is good,” he continued. “Fianna Fáil only ran two candidate in the Ballyjamesduff Electoral Area this time round and that is probably because Cllr Shane P O’Reilly left the party and went to Independent Ireland. Fianna Fáil could probably have done a small bit better but it’s still good to be in contention for a seat.”

Meanwhile, looking to his party colleague Nathan Galligan (FF) who now has a genuine battle on his hands to clinch the last seat on the Municipal District with Noel Connell (SF), Lester Gordon (SI) and Grainne McPhillips (Aontú) all vying for the seat, the current Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council added: “We are just going to have to wait and see where the surplus goes from Cllr O’Reilly and indeed Cllr Treavor Smith if he gets in on the first count - which he is very close to - and then you have the distribution of votes from those who get eliminated at the start.

"Things are going to become more clear after the first count and after transfers are distributed. We are hopeful but you just never know what will happen in counts. We just have to wait and see the first count coming to a conclusion and we’ll know a lot more then.”

Asked if Fianna Fáil should have run a third candidate in the municipal district, Cllr Brady highlighted the “benefit of hindsight”. “Looking back we certainly could have done that because other parties had more freedom in other parts of the county,” he continued.

“But the party took a stance on the number of candidates it was running. I don’t know if running three candidates would have worked for us but who knows? I would definitely say that we learned lessons and that’s politics for you; it’s all about learning lessons and trying to move forward. “