THE THREE MEMBERS of the Healy-Rae family running for local election in Kerry County Council have been elected.
Independent Jackie Healy-Rae secured his seat yesterday evening, while his cousins Johnny and Maura Healy-Rae, also independents, were elected during this morning’s counts.
Maura stood in Killarney, Johnny stood in Kenmare and Jackie stood in Castleisland.
The three Healy-Raes received a combined vote of 8,743 first preferences – Jackie with 2,621, Johnny with 3,023 and Maura with 3,099 votes.
This election has seen 24-year-old Jackie Healy-Rae Junior run his first election campaign. He serves as a parliamentary assistant to his father Michael Healy-Rae TD.
Jackie was the first elected councillor in the Castleisland area yesterday.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie ahead of this weekend’s elections, Jackie reflected on the family’s strong political background.
“I had four siblings and if you grew up in a football household, it’ll catch on to one. Politics was going to catch one of us and it caught me, Jackie was elected in ’97 when I was two years old, and my father was elected in ’99 when I was four, so it was always around me,” he said.
“My father would bring me to the council AGM every June because I loved it, and I’d get the day off school and the mayor would take people out for dinner after… I thought was great.”
The 2016 elections saw Danny Healy-Rae’s seat on Kerry County Council filled by his daughter Maura, where she joined her brother Johnny. She was co-opted to fill the seat left behind after her father’s election to the Dáil.
Following the 2016 election, Danny Healy-Rae’s seat on Kerry County Council was filled by his daughter Maura, who was co-opted to fill his seat after he was elected to the Dáil. She joined her brother Johnny, who was already serving on Kerry County Council.
Jackie Healy-Rae senior was the first member of the Healy-Rae family to enter politics, back in the 1960s.
His sons Danny and Michael both currently serve as independent TDs.
The Healy-Rae family have seen a 19-election streak of wins.
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