John Moran has made history by becoming Ireland’s first-ever directly elected mayor.

The Independent candidate, a former Department of Finance secretary general, defeated Independent Helen O’Donnell on the 12th and final count

Placing third in the Limerick mayoral race was Fianna Fáil's Dee Ryan, who said she never would have considered running as an independent.

“Not to take away from the fantastic campaigns those other candidates ran, I certainly wouldn’t have had a high enough profile locally,” she said.

“My campaign started full-time on the 6th of April, so I had two months to put it together and I wouldn’t have accomplished nearly as much [without Fianna Fáil].

“I also wouldn’t have liked to run as an independent, I love being part of a team and Fianna Fáil has been absolutely amazing, I’ve had huge support, and we have shared values.”

Fianna Fáil's Dee Ryan eliminated from race to become #Limerick #mayor.

That's despite picking up the most transfers from Daniel Butler of Fine Gael.

The 12th and final count has begun...after which Limerick will make history by directly-electing a mayor for the first time. pic.twitter.com/yBHyZeJE31

— Ellen Butler (@LN_but) June 11, 2024

Placing fourth in the Limerick mayoral race was Fine Gael’s Daniel Butler who said he faced challenges during his campaign.

“There was a lot against us; we came in very, very late,” he said.

“We came in the middle of a change in leadership in the Fine Gael party, we came in with another candidate pulling out of the same pocket, my director of elections lost his mother during it.

“The safety of my family was threatened and compromised during the election, but we fought on, fought a very good campaign.

“The vote that I got was reflective of the energy and innovation I brought to the campaign and I’m very proud of what we achieved as a team.”

Main image: John Moran is Elected at Limerick Racecourse in Limerick's mayoral election in which citizens voted to directly elect their own mayor for the first time in the history of the State. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo