Cruising to the top

Cruising to the top


Edwin McGreal

Newly-elected Foxford-based Fine Gael Cllr Neil Cruise has declared the highest election expenses of any candidate in the 2014 local elections in Mayo.
Cllr Cruise, one of eight councillors in the new Ballina Municipal District, spent €8,572.16 on various election expenses. These expenses ranged from newspaper advertising to signwriting for vehicles to diesel.
Cllr Cruise’s spend is over twice the average amount spent by elected candidates to the new 30-seat Mayo County Council.
In fact Cllr Cruise was one of only eight candidates who declared expenses over €5,000. Seven of them were elected - Cllrs Paul McNamara (€5,564.58) and Brendan Mulroy (€7,360) in West Mayo; Cllrs Richard Finn (€5,700) and Patsy O’Brien (€5,193.24) in Claremorris; and Cllrs Cruise, John O’Hara (€5,290) and Michael Smyth (€6,847.33) in Ballina.
Former councillor Michael Burke was unsuccessful in his effort to be re-elected despite spending €5,077 on his election campaign.
The most frugal of all elected candidates was Castlebar-based Independent Cllr Frank Durcan who spent just €1,359 on his election campaign. To put this in context, 23 of the 29 unelected candidates spent more on their campaigns than Cllr Durcan.
In total €200,635.99 was spent by all candidates, an average of €3,400.61 per candidate. Of this €127,610.16 was spent by elected candidates with €73,025.83 spent by the 29 unelected candidates.
The average spend by elected candidates was €4,253.67 while the average spent by unelected candidates was €2,518.13. Many party candidates had much of their expenses offset by the party while Independent Marie Kilcullen was the only candidate to declare donations to her election campaign. She declared donations of €1,300.
West Mayo is the second biggest municipal district in the country and two Westport-based candidates clearly clocked up the miles in traversing its highways and byways.
Cllr Christy Hyland (Independent) declared a cost of €2,000 for diesel in his campaign while Cllr Brendan Mulroy (Fianna FΡil) listed €2,100 for transport and travel.
As a sign of the times newly elected Castlebar-based Cllr Lisa Chambers spent €453 on Facebook ads and €416 on Google ads.

Ballina Municipal District
Elected candidates
Neil Cruise (FG) €8,572.16
Gerry Ginty (Ind) €3,502.56
Michael Loftus (FF) €4,772.42
Jarlath Munnelly (FG) €2,600
John O’Hara (FG) €5,290
Annie May Reape (FF) €3,327
Michael Smyth (FF) €6,847.33
Seamus Weir (FG) €3,520

Unsuccessful candidates
Enda Lavelle (Ind) €2,000
Eamon Moore (FF) €4,274.75
Jimmy Maloney (FF) €3,033.84
Joe Mellett (FG) €2,573
John Sheahan (SF) €3,026.62
Martin Peyton (Ind) €1,3315
Mark Winters (FG) €4,458.73
Peter Clarke (Ind) €990
Padraic Staunton (FG) €3,035

Castlebar Municipal District
Elected candidates
Cyril Burke (FG) €4,460
Lisa Chambers (FF) €4,008.50
Frank Durcan (Ind) €1,359
Blackie Gavin (FF) €4,809.25
Henry Kenny (FG) €4,060
Michael Kilcoyne (Ind) €4,071
Al McDonnell (FF) €4,400
Therese Ruane (SF) €3,347.62

Unsuccessful candidates
Brendan Henaghan (FG) €4,480
Donal Geraghty (Ind) €424.35
Eugene Lavin (FG) €4,995.60
Eugene McCormack (FG) €4,000
Harry Barrett (Lab) €2,654
Kamal Uddin (Ind) €780

Claremorris Municipal District
Elected candidates
John Caulfield (FF) €2,392.76
Tom Connolly (FG) €4,061.78
John Cribbin (FG) €3,765.42
Richard Finn (Ind) €5,700
Gerry Murray (SF) €3,190
Patsy O’Brien (FG) €5,193.24
Damien Ryan (FF) €3,500

Unsuccessful candidates
Harry Walsh (Ind) €1,604.81
JP Kean (FF) €1,689.54
Michael Burke (FG) €5,077
Marie Kilcullen (Ind) €1,704.20
Mags Sheehan (Green) €546.90

West Mayo
Elected candidates
Gerry Coyle (FG) €4,688.61
Michael Holmes (Ind) €2,202
Christy Hyland (Ind) €3,400
Tereasa McGuire (FG) €3,787.47
Paul McNamara (FF) €5,564.58
Brendan Mulroy (FF) €7,360
Rose Conway-Walsh (SF) €3,857.62

Unsuccessful candidates
Austin Francis O’Malley (FG) €2,433
Breege Grealis (FG) €1,423
Caroline Fitzgerald (Green) €332.30
Joan Geraghty (FF) €3,500
Joe Lavelle (Ind) €1,480
John O’Malley (FG) €3,345
Michael O’Donnell (Ind) €1,104.18
SeΡn Carey (FF) €3,701.96
Tommie Joe Jennings (FF) €3,024.90