Local elections: TDs’ family members elected as Caio Benicio loses out

The finance minister’s brother and a Tipperary TD’s daughter were among the first batch of councillors elected to local authorities around the country.

With more than 200 candidates elected out of 949, the rough outline indicates Fine Gael and Fianna Fail holding steady, while Sinn Fein has not made the gains they had hoped for.

One of Fianna Fail’s candidates in Dublin’s North Inner City area, Caio Benicio, the Brazilian delivery driver who intervened in the Parnell Square attack last November, will not win a seat.

He won just 3% of first preference votes and was one of three Fianna Fail candidates in the area.

In Cork, Finance Minister Michael McGrath’s brother Seamus blasted past the quota in the Carrigaline electoral area, winning 5,191 votes, which is more than double the quota.

The former lord mayor of Cork County won 36% of first preference votes.

Sheila O’Callaghan, the sister of Fianna Fail MEP Billy Kelleher, was elected to Cork County Council on the first count after winning 17% of first preference votes in Cobh.

Mairin McGrath, who is the daughter of independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, was elected on the first count in the Cahir area of Tipperary County Council.

Roisin Kenny, the sister of Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny, was elected to Leitrim County Council in the early hours of Sunday.

In Kerry, the children of Independent TDs Michael Healy-Rae and Danny Healy-Rae were elected to Kerry County Council.

Michael’s son Jackie and Danny’s children Johnny and Maura were elected in three separate electoral areas, all on the first counts.

Lorna Bogue, the leader of Rabharta, a splinter group from the Greens, lost her seat on Cork City council.