Tallaght Independent Senator Lynn Ruane re-elected to the Seanad

TALLAGHT Independent Senator Lynn Ruane was re-elected to the Seanad in the Trinity College Dublin constituency.

Ms Ruane retained the seat she first won in 2016.

A graduate of An Cosán in Jobstown, Ruane was President of the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union from 2015 to 2016.

Ruane says her work is focused on including “the perspectives of civil society and amplify the voices of maginalised communities in Irish politics.”

Another incumbent Independent Tom Clonan, a former army captain and writer, was re-elected to the Seanad.

Meanwhile, a recount has been requested for the final seat on the Trinity panel after just 31 votes separated Green Party councillor Hazel Chu and entrepreneur Aubrey McCarthy.

Chu, who grew up in Firhouse and is a former Mayor of Dublin, has requested a full recount in Dublin University/Trinity College’s Seanad constituency.

In the final 15th count, Independent candidate McCarthy was 31 votes ahead of Ms Chu.

The recount was scheduled to start this morning at approximately 9.30am.

In the Trinity constituency, Ms Ruane was first to exceed the 4,450 quota, reaching 4,806 votes when she received most transfers following Labour candidate Sadhbh O’Neill’s elimination.

Meanwhile, Katherine Zappone was eliminated on the ninth count.

Zappone, the former children’s minister and Dublin South West TD, moved back to New York after losing her seat in General Election 2020.

In 2021, Zappone was back in the news following the Merrion Hotel controversy, which involved  a gathering of 50 or so guests, including Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.

It took place during covid restrictions and public criticism led to Zappone not taking up a position as a newly created UN envoy role.