Roscommon delay: A fresh election has been called for Roscommon County Council following the sudden death of Fine Gael Councillor Mr Gerry Donnelly.
Mr Donnelly, from Athleague, was elected to Roscommon County Council in 1991. He is survived by his wife Teresa, five sons and two daughters. The election will take place on Saturday June 19th, eight days after voting in every other area.
The returning officer yesterday cancelled the June 11th poll in accordance with the law governing local elections, which specifies that the poll cannot go ahead if a candidate dies between the close of nominations and polling day.
The remaining candidates will be deemed to have been nominated for the fresh election, but new nominations will be received between 10 a.m. today and noon on Friday.
This means final results for the entire State in the local elections will not be known until the weekend after next. Counting in all other wards will begin next Saturday morning, with most results to be known that evening or on Sunday.
Voting in Roscommon will take place on June 19th between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, said he had learned with regret of Mr Donnelly's death. The election in all other electoral areas for Roscommon County Council will be unaffected.
A ballot paper for the fresh election will be sent to each person entitled to vote by post. All postal votes already cast in the election in that electoral area will be destroyed.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, paid tribute to Mr Donnelly.
"Gerry had many achievements in life but his greatest public achievement was becoming mayor of Co Roscommon, a role he relished, not for its status but because he had a great sense of pride in his county," he said.
"Gerry was universally liked, right across the political divide, and ensured that the council chamber ran like clockwork during his term of office," Mr Kenny added.