Counting the cost of a Galway City Council seat

The 18 city councillors who were elected to City Hall, spent more than €62,000 on posters, election literature and leaflets, transport and travel, and advertising including social media.

A further €52,000 was spent by candidates who failed to get elected, among them Fine Gael councillors John Walsh and Pearce Flannery who lost their seats, despite spending more than €5,000 each on the campaign trail.

Three Sinn Féin councillors who also lost their seats – Mairéad Farrell, Mark Lohan and Cathal Ó Conchúir – between them racked up spending of almost €8,500.

Of those who were elected, Fine Gael newcomer Clodagh Higgins was the candidate who pumped the most resources into her campaign, with a spend of €6,137. Each of her 811 first preference votes equated to a cost of €7.56 in election expenditure.

Fianna Fáil’s John Connolly, with a bill of just €1,251, spent the lowest amount of money of all successful councillors.

Mayor Mike Cubbard (Ind) got the most value per vote out of his local election spend – he spent €2,161 on electioneering, and won 1,292 first preferences, which works out at just €1.67 per vote. Only one candidate, Darius Ivan, in City West, spent absolutely nothing – and garnered just 30 first preferences. This is a preview only. For extensive coverage and a full breakdown of election expenses and how they were paid for, see this week's Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week's paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.