Laois poll topper Fine Gael's Cllr Conor Bergin may be a future TD

The first seat is about to be filled in the Laois Local Elections, and it will go to a poll topper who could well be the next new TD for Laois.

Fine Gael Cllr Conor Bergin has topped the tally in the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District.

He spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live shortly before the announcement, with the joint Fianna Fáil Fine Gael tally putting him first at 1,582 number one votes.

"I think the quota will be over 1,600, so it might go to a recount first.

"I'm delighted. I wasn't expecting it. It's humbling. I was here in 2019 in a very different situation, I was fighting for the last seat.

"I am very grateful to everyone who voted for me. I worked hard particularly in rural areas, in Borris-in-Ossory, the Pike of Rushall, Camross, Ballaghmore," he said.

He increased his vote in every single box across his electoral area, and actually doubled his vote in the Mountrath and Castetown, which is is delighted with.

Cllr Bergin credits it partly to good old fashioned footwork and well ahead of the June 7 election, eschewing a big social media campaign.

"It was overwhelmingly a very positive campaign. I read a lot on social media about candidates having negative experiences but I had a very positive one. People wanted to engage, they wanted to talk. The issues they raised were about roads, housing, community facilities.

"I started at the end of February at weekends. From the start of April, it was every night. I had a good team of 30, I was out with them at each door. I think it's crucial. You have to get around. You won't get into every house with things like electric gates, but people appreciate that you made the effort.

"I deliberately didn't do much social media campaigning. It's still the personal contact that matters, that I know people, and people know me. People will vote on what you did for five years, not a couple of weeks. 

He revealed that he will probably seek a seat in the next general election, likely to happen within the next 12 months. Fine Gael Deputy Charlie Flanagan is not running for election again.

"It's not a conversation for today, but I will consider it," he said.