Athlone’s long-serving councillor, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, was celebrating on Monday night after securing his seat in the 32nd Dáil.
Boxer raced to 7,585 votes after just the first count in Kenagh last Saturday, almost 2,000 ahead of third place Peter Burke (FG ) on 5,683. By the end of the first day of counting Moran looked in an impressive position on 7,672 votes, but there was still much to do.
Sunday’s count started slowly for the Athlone man, with Boxer picking up meagre transfers from elected candidate Robert Troy (73 ) and eliminated candidates Donal Jackson and Stephanie Healy (14 ), James Miller (42 ) and Barbara Smyth (19 ). The redistribution of votes from eliminated candidates Noel McKervey (122 ), Brian Fagan (174 ), Manchán Magan (207 ) and Mae Sexton (145 ) later in the day quickened the pace for Moran.
Count 11 and the redistribution of Gabrielle McFadden’s votes increased Boxer’s total by a significant 758. This brought him to more than 9,244, leaving him needing a little less than 2,000 to secure his election. After the redistribution of James Morgan’s votes and a recount called by Fianna Fáil candidate Connie Gerety-Quinn, Boxer saw his total increase to 10,108 and it appeared as though he was on the brink of election.
Moran received the transfers needed from a rather unlikely source in Connie Gerety-Quinn. The Longford candidate, excluded after the 12th count, transferred 1,012 votes to Moran. Longford man James Bannon may have believed he would receive more transfers from his home county than the 1,130 he got from Gerety-Quinn. The transfers from Gerety-Quinn pushed Moran past the magic number of 11,056 votes, seeing him elected to the Dáil for the first time in his political career.
Boxer Moran has been a firm favourite among the people of Athlone, particularly since his efforts in helping those affected by flooding in both 2009 and in 2015. Considered a man of the people and for the people, the image of Boxer in his waterproofs knee-deep in floodwater is one fresh in the memory, and perhaps this helps to explain the level of support he has received from both Athlone and further afield. It is his third attempt at a Dáil seat, having unsuccessfully contested the 2011 general election and the 2014 by-election.
Speaking after this election, Moran expressed his gratitude to the people of Athlone and Longford-Westmeath for putting their faith in him, and pledged to work hard for the constituency. He assured those that voted for him that the Anti Austerity Alliance representatives in the Dáil are “not just there to make up numbers” and are determined to make a contribution to the next Government.
