Independent candidate Kevin Bradley was hit with mixed emotions after his elimination from the Letterkenny electoral area.
Bradley requested a second recount of the eleventh count this afternoon, following an initial recount granted to Aontú’s Mary T Sweeney last night.
Eliminated with 1,008 votes, Bradley says he’s glad to get that closure.
“It’s for the team I called the recount,” he tells Donegal Daily.
“When I came in here I thought what about my team and the people that voted for me? I would be going to bed thinking should I have or should I not have. I’m glad I did it.”
The bakery manager will be happy to get back to business this week, but reflects on a “good spell” of five years in local government, with the last year being Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny-Milford MD.
The start of his first council term in 2019 was hit with unimaginable loss following the tragic death of his friend, rally legend Manus ‘Mandy’ Kelly. The pair had shared in the highs of being elected for the first time just weeks previously.
Manus’ brother Donal’s poll-topping performance in this year’s count was a silver lining for Bradley, he said.
“Manus was only a month into it and we lost him. You had a man in along with you and you thought things were going to be good,” he said.
“To see Donal Mandy come in and top the poll there yesterday, I was more than delighted for him. If I never was elected and he was elected I was happy.”
Featured photo: June 2023 – Cllr Kevin Bradley elected Mayor of Letterkenny-Milford, and is handed over the mayoral chain by Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly
