Voters cast their ballots on Friday 7 June to select 949 local councillors, 14 MEPs and the country’s first Directly Elected Mayor in Limerick, and the results from the 2024 elections have been viewed as a ‘political boon’ for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, while Sinn Féin has initiated a review after performing well below its own expectations.

Fianna Fáil has emerged as the largest party in local government after all 949 council seats were finally filled in the Local Elections 2024. Alongside Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil attracted around 23 per cent of first preference votes, representing a slight drop on results for both Coalition parties in 2019.

Fianna Fáil now has 248 council seats, Fine Gael has 245, Sinn Féin is on 102 with 186 seats significantly held by independents. Sinn Féin has marginally increased its share of councillors. The popular vote of 12% is a major turnaround for the party, which emerged from the 2020 General Election on 24.5%.

Meanwhile, Labour is down one to 56 councillors, the Green Party’s support has dropped to 26 council seats, the Social Democrats’ share has risen to 35, with an increase in the number of independent councillors.

In terms of the European Elections, Fianna Fáil doubled its representation to four seats; Fine Gael now holds four seats (down one from 2019), Sinn Féin has increased its representation from one to two, Labour holds one seat, the Independent Ireland party claims one, with two non-party aligned independents filling the remaining seats.

Midlands North-West: Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Independent); Barry Cowen (Fianna Fáil); Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh (Fine Gael); and former RTÉ correspondent Ciaran Mullooly (Independent Ireland).

Ireland South: Sean Kelly (Fine Gael); Michael McNamara (Independent); Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin); Billy Kelleher and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Fianna Fáil).

Dublin: Regina Doherty (Fine Gael); Barry Andrews (Fianna Fáil), Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin); Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour).

Five MEPs have lost their seats in European Elections 2024 – Chris MacManus (Sinn Féin); Grace O’Sullivan and Ciaran Cuffe (Greens), in addition to Mick Wallace and Clare Daly (Independent).

The results have fuelled speculation that the Government may now look to call a general election earlier than the current projected timeline of spring 2025. However, the leaders of the Coalition parties, Simon Harris, Michéal Martin and Eamon Ryan, have insisted that they remain committed to the Government doing the full term in office.