‘Disappointed’ Cunniffe won’t rule out a future campaign

Mount Temple native Dympna Cunniffe was one of the first-time candidates at this general election, with her candidacy for Fianna Fáil announced less than a month before polling day.

She spoke to the Westmeath Independent at the count centre on Saturday, after receiving 528 first preferences, which placed her 15th among the 20 candidates in Longford Westmeath on the first count.

"I was maybe a little bit disappointed," she said of her performance.

The campaign itself had been a "whirlwind" of just 20 days, but she said it was something she'd thought about for some time.

"The idea of running had always been in the back of my mind, but I thought it would be more for the council, something local."

The issue of the planned accommodation centre for 1,000 asylum seekers in Lissywollen had been the dominant one raised with her on the campaign trail, she said.

"It was on every doorstep. There were worried faces on every doorstep," she said.

The same issue resulted in her making national headlines when Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he disagreed with some comments she made about the planned centre. The story ran on the front page of the Irish Independent.

"I wouldn't have been seen that day... I went out the country," said Dympna when asked about the controversy. "I was obviously getting my wrist slapped."

Despite the challenges of this campaign, she didn't rule out the possibility of running for a council seat in the future.

"I would love it. There's lots of work to be done," she said.