Keddy Finally Gets Elected

Up for the count… St David’s THURS28NOV24

e’s the Kilcoole candidate who has been standing in every local and general election since 1991 without ever winning a seat.

But the 80-year-old Charlie Keddy can take some comfort in the fact that to at least some of the students at St David’s Secondary School, he’s a winner.

Perhaps it’s the man’s hardline stance against property tax, abortion and dog poo that swung it, or it could simply be the anti-woke wave that embraces going backwards rather than forwards, but Charlie’s old school politics seem to be resonating with a portion of our youth.

Despite the fact that he has just come in third from the bottom at the weekend’s real general election count, with 151 votes placing Charlie above fellow Independents Dominic Plant’s 23 votes and Sean O’Leary’s 9.

Good news for Stephen Donnelly too – in this alternative universe, the Minister For Health held onto his seat.

Conducting on on the eve of Friday’s polling day, here’s how the St David’s Holy Faith mock election went down…

Run by the Young Social Innovator’s Get Voting team, the St David’s mock election took place on Thursday 28th November, with staff and students casting their votes in an election mirroring the general election. This mock election aims to teach young people about the voting system and give them practice for when they are older.

It was a great success with a 63% turnout and a total of 529 votes. The students were voting for who they felt would best represent their country in government.

And after the fastest count in Greystones history, we had our results at 10:30 this morning.

They are as follows:

38% Simon Harris – elected in the first round

27% (inclusive of transfers) Jennifer Whitmore – elected in the second round

24 % (inclusive of transfers) Charlie Keddy – elected in the third round

23% (inclusive of transfers) Stephen Donnelly – elected in the third round

It seems as if St David’s admired Charlie Keddy’s dedication and determination, as he has gone for election every year since 1985 without ever winning a seat. So, well done to him for gaining his first ever seat!

It was very tight between John Brady and Stephen Donnelly with them being tied at one of the final stages of the election. However, Stephen Donnelly gained the fourth and final seat.

Overall, it was an action-packed day and taught students the importance of getting out to vote and how to do so. Well done to everyone who came out to vote!

Nice. Well done too to reporter Zoe Cartmell for the above account, and to photographers Evelyn Kirwan and Ruby O’Dwyer for the pics. Real election results here.