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With more than half of the local council seats filled, the Civil War parties are in a battle for the top spot, with independent candidates the third most popular choice with more than 100 wins so far.
In comparison, Sinn Fein have suffered a ballot box bruising with less than 50 seats won so far – despite their target of trying to double the 81 slots they won in the 2019 election.
Following the shocking results for the lead opposition party, a despondent Mary Lou McDonald issued a grovelling apology to supporters as she said: “I am sorry that we didn’t do better.”
Speaking surrounded by a handful of her Senators and TDs, the Sinn Fein leader conceded that “this hasn’t been our day” as she said they must now reflect on defeat and learn lessons before the upcoming general election.
Who Watches the Watchers? 