‘Spoiled votes is a very worrying trend’ – Deputy Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher

DONEGAL TD Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher said the results of this year’s presidential election were not surprising.

This comes following Catherine Connolly’s landslide victory on Saturday when she was elected the tenth President of Ireland.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Deputy Gallagher said: “I was getting a very clear indication from constituents that they were going to vote for Catherine Connolly now that our candidate Jim Gavin was out of the race.

“It is very obvious that a lot of people, who traditionally voted Fianna Fáil, voted for Catherine Connolly.”

Commenting on Heather Humphreys’ campaign, Deputy Gallagher said it was unfortunate she was called in at the last minute after Mairead McGuinness’ withdrawal from the presidential race.

“Possibly, if Mairead McGuinness was a candidate today it might have been a different landscape,” he said.

“Both Heather and Catherine had a good campaign.

“However, I think a lot of people made up their minds during the course of the local and national interviews that they did.”

With Thursday’s visit to Donegal seeming like the final box ticking exercise on Humphreys’ list, Deputy Gallagher said the last minute visit to the county surprised him.

“In fact, she only visited south Donegal,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.

“It has reflected itself now in the polls.

“She visited Ballyshannon, Killaghtee and Dunkineely.

“I think that was about it.”

Commenting on the large number of spoiled votes cast throughout the county, Deputy Gallagher said this was a very worrying trend.

“That is one I think the experts will have to analyse,” he said.

“Possibly some people that would have liked to vote for Jim Gavin thought this was the way to do it, while others are maybe unhappy with the national situation at the moment.

“It is hard to establish why this has been done.

“Obviously people are very frustrated and I think also, maybe the events of the last number of days in Dublin might have had implications as well.”

Some of the spoiled votes at the presidential election count in the Aura Letterkenny on Saturday.