Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 1311Electoral dispute (Seanad vote recount challenge) · Co. Dublin

Former Seanad candidate seeks full recount of agricultural panel vote in High Court

Cllr Angela Feeney, a Kildare councillor and former Seanad candidate, brought a High Court petition in July 2025 challenging the conduct of vote counting for the January 2025 Seanad agricultural panel election. She was eliminated on the 23rd count by a margin of 0.116 of a ballot, missing out on the final seat to Fine Gael's Maria Byrne. The returning officer had denied her request for a full recount, and her side had not identified any particular error in the count process. The High Court heard the petition on 15 July 2025.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court15 Jul
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Cllr Angela Feeney brought a High Court petition challenging the conduct of vote counting for the Seanad agricultural panel.
  • She was eliminated on the 23rd count by a margin of 0.116 of a ballot, missing out on the final seat to Fine Gael's Maria Byrne.
  • Each valid Seanad ballot paper is deemed to have a value of 1,000 votes, and the total valid poll for the 11-seat agricultural panel was 95,667 votes.
  • The returning officer denied her request for a full recount.
  • Counting continued at a distance of about 7 feet from candidates.
  • Other candidates were eliminated by similarly slim margins, less than the value of one ballot paper.
  • Cllr Feeney's side had not identified any particular error in the count process.
Where
The petition was heard in the High Court in Dublin.
When
The Seanad agricultural panel election took place in January 2025, and the High Court hearing was reported on 15 July 2025.
Other details
Cllr Feeney is a councillor in Kildare, a member of the Labour Party's central council, and former head of Technological University Dublin's school of languages, law and social sciences.
9 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatCllr Angela Feeney brought a High Court petition challenging the conduct of vote counting for the agricultural panel. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe was eliminated on the 23rd count by a margin of 0.116 of a ballot. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatEach valid Seanad ballot paper is deemed to have a value of 1,000 votes. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe total valid poll for the 11-seat agricultural panel was 95,667 votes. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHer request for a full recount was denied by the returning officer. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatCounting continued at a distance of about 7 feet from candidates. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatCllr Feeney is a councillor in Kildare. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOther candidates were eliminated by similarly slim margins, less than the value of one ballot paper. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatCllr Feeney's side had not identified any particular error in the count process. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Jul2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Former Seanad candidate wants full recount of agricultural panel vote, court hears

    First report of the High Court hearing into Cllr Feeney's petition for a full recount of the Seanad agricultural panel vote.

    victim, Angela Feeney, female, irish (judged from name)Angela Feeney