It was independents day in Castlebar on Saturday afternoon, as both Michael Kilcoyne and Frank Durcan were elected to Castlebar Town Council on the first count. After a long morning's counting the tally's came to true, as from early on both independents looked cert. to make the quota which was set at 486, which Kilcoyne came just shy of doubling with his first preference vote of 965 votes. Kilcoyne who was first elected to the council in 1999 has steadily seen his numbers rise through the last two elections.
Durcan who stepped down from the Town Council before the last election in 2004, also beat the quota at the first time of asking with a 507 first preference votes. It could be a victory on the double for both men, who are also contesting the Castlebar electoral area election for Mayo County Council with early tally's showing Kilcoyne once again the front runner taking 15 per cent of the first preference votes and Durcan taking a ten per cent share of the votes.
