While Kerry County Council will find itself the immediate focus of attention in the wake of the Dan Kiely Supreme Court decision today, political analysts already believe that the case will have widespread implications on how votes are counted and considered in future elections.
Whatever his political future holds, the colourful North Kerry politician will go into the history books for having taken this case and winning it.
Kerry County Council issued the following, brief statement on the judgement this evening.
“The Supreme Court delivered its decision on Mr. Dan Kiely’s legal challenge to the result of the 2014 Local Election Count for the Listowel Municipal District this morning.
The decisions of the Supreme Court Judges are lengthy, detailed and complex and the Council is at this time awaiting the written Judgements. Following receipt of the Judgements the Council will consider them with our legal advisors. Kerry County Council will issue further comment having considered these Judgements.”
It will make an interesting development as a total recount of the May 2014 local election votes in the Listowel Municipal Area hase been ordered.
In that count, Dan Kiely was pipped by two votes for the final seat by outgoing Cllr. Mikey Kennelly. One of the judges in the case just finished, noted that there were over 50 dubious votes uncovered in the course of that count.
The former Kerry County Councillor and Senator’s call for a recount fell on deaf ears at the time and even failed in a Circuit Court case here in Kerry. Interesting times ahead.
