'Where there's hope there's light and I'm in with a fighting chance'

Cllr Sarah O'Reilly grows first preference vote by 1,300 in GE '24.

Bailieborough’s Cllr Sarah O’Reilly (Aontú) is polling extremely well and has increased her first preference vote from 3,840 in the 2020 campaign to 5,148 this time around.

“You never think that over 5,000 people are going to get into their cars, drive to a polling station and give you their number ones,” she told The Anglo-Celt after arriving in the count centre outside Cavan Town this afternoon.

“So, it’s absolutely fantastic; it’s very humbling and I am so very grateful for every single vote I get. It’s a lovely feeling that 5,000 people trusted me with their vote and it’s very much appreciated."

Meanwhile, in her much-loved hometown of Bailieborough, Cllr O’Reilly was the poll topper there, something she is not unfamiliar with having done the same in the June Local Elections.

Of the 2,299 residents who voted in the east Cavan town, where there were two local candidates from which to choose, the Aontú woman and Niamh Smyth of Fianna Fáil, Cllr O'Reilly out-polled the out-going TD by 657 votes to 489 (according to tallies).

In fact, she outpolled the combined total of the three Fianna Fáil candidates, Brendan Smith 52; Robbie Gallagher 11. “The people of Bailieborough know me well and they know that I will do my best to help and sometimes, politicians, try as they might, they can’t. I think that my work ethic and my empathy for people has resonated with voters,” said Cllr O’Reilly.

She believes she’s in with a “fighting chance” to take the last seat in the Cavan Monaghan Constituency. “There is a path for me but it possibly will take a minor miracle or the stars to align for that to happen,” she admits.

“But where there’s hope, there’s light. I am so proud of my small team throughout this campaign and what we all put into this with what was very limited resources. I had no director of elections; I was my own director, PR and media person so it was a mammoth task, David & Goliath really, against the big party machines.

“It is a waiting game. It’s really tight; there’s people here who have been around count centres all their lives and they can’t call it. So, it’s all to play for. To be still in the fight is great!"

In conclusion, Cllr O’Reilly paid tribute to her leader, Peadar Toibín who has been re-elected to the Meath West Constituency.

“He is an absolutely phenomenal person who does incredible things,” she added. “He has brought so many young female candidates into Aontú and that is fantastic. He is a principled man who is respected by everyone. People want strong leadership and Peadar is a strong leader who I am proud of.”

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