Ms Clune is one of three sitting MEPs contesting Ireland South, with five seats up for grabs. But she was placed seventh in a Red C poll.

In this special report Elaine Loughlin reveals the extent of expenses payments accrued by Irish MEPs over the most recent five-year European Parliament term.

Post-election legal action, drinking with Nigel Farage, a brother involved in anti-Government protests, EU broadband funding demands — oh, and the little matter of the Ireland South MEP race. Fiachra Ó Cionnaith meets Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly.

Fianna Fáil TD and Ireland South MEP election candidate Billy Kelleher has been accused of "selling out" traditional pro-life party support over his decision to back the removal of the eighth amendment.

Ireland South MEP candidates will battle it out for crucial European election votes tonight at an Irish Examiner town hall debate with just a week to go before the national ballot.

The European Parliament has an important role in the government of the union, but its enduring reluctance to deal with its warranted reputation as a gravy train damages its standing and emboldens Eurosceptics across the continent.

In the second day of a three-part series on the European elections, Elaine Loughlin profiles Dublin — the ‘constituency of death’.

So that’s Monday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Cork MEP Brian Crowley will be entitled to severance payments of more than €350,000 over the next two years and a pension pot of €1.4m, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

In the first of a three-part series on the EU elections, Irish Examiner Political Editor Daniel McConnell profiles Ireland South

Long-standing Cork TD Billy Kelleher has lost out by just eight votes in his bid to be selected as Fianna Fáil's Ireland South candidate in the imminent European elections today.

Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly has admitted that he is "worried" about the forthcoming European elections after it emerged that his running mate Deirdre Clune secured about one-third more delegate votes than him at Sunday's selection convention.

I am writing this from the Metropole Hotel in Cork, where I was invited to be their writer-in-residence for January, writes Louise O'Neill.

Sidelined in the Dáil and itching for a change, Kelleher sees Brussels as a way out from his prison, writes Daniel McConnell.

Ireland’s longest-serving MEP who announced his retirement from politics has defended taking his EU salary while he was in hospital for nearly four years and claimed he hasn’t spoken to his party leader since mid-2014.

Fianna Fáil Cork North Central TD Billy Kelleher has declared his intention to formally contest the forthcoming European elections, now that MEP Brian Crowley is stepping down.

The predictable decision by MEP Brian Crowley not to stand again to be an MEP brings down the curtain on one of the most successful politicians this country has ever seen, writes Daniel McConnell.

Here's your morning bulletin.

PLANS for a €100m residential development in Cork’s Mahon, with 413 units across six blocks including one mooted tower of 25 storeys tall by the Jack Lynch Tunnel approach is being proposed for lands owned by McCarthy Properties.

MEP Brian Crowley has been urged to resign after four years of absence from the European parliament because of the “damage” to Ireland’s interests and because of the UK’s imminent exit from the EU.

A farmer who started the campaign to have farmers compensated for loss of income due to a ban on agricultural activity in hen harrier conservation areas has declared his interest in running as a Fianna Fáil candidate in the next European Parliament elections.

Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley’s controversial hold on his European seat is set to come under intense scrutiny this evening when a party colleague formally challenges him for the role.

Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley’s controversial hold on his European seat is set to come under intense scrutiny this evening when a party colleague formally challenges him for the role.

There have been renewed calls for Ireland South MEP Brian Crowley to resign or clarify his position after not voting once in the European Parliament since his re-election four years ago.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin

A number of Fianna Fáil TDs have hit out at “insensitive and inappropriate” complaints about Ireland South MEP’s Brian Crowley‘s non-attendance at EU meetings.

Dr Crokes 2-16 Kenmare District 1-12: They’re back. The famine on Lewis Road, although brief, is no more. 

EX-Dr Crokes stalwart John Galvin will face his old club in next Sunday's Kerry SFC final after guiding Kenmare District to a thrilling 0-20 to 0-19 victory over Rathmore in Sunday's semi-final.

Kenmare District 1-16 St Brendan’s Board 1-10: Kenmare District eventually came good in this lacklustre Garvey’s Supervalu Kerry SFC clash with St Brendan’s at a sun-splashed Austin Stack Park.

MEPs from Ireland have recorded the joint fifth highest level of correcting voting errors in the European Parliament.

AIB All-Ireland JFC final - Templenoe (Kerry) 4-13 Ardnaree-Sarsfields (Mayo) 1-10: A hat-trick of goals from Stephen O’Sullivan, allied with key contributions from Brian Crowley and the Spillane brothers, secured a famous victory for Templenoe in the AIB All-Ireland junior club final.

All-Ireland JFC semi-final - Templenoe (Kerry) 1-9 Curraha (Meath) 0-5: Classy Templenoe continued their relentless pursuit of Croke Park glory when they saw off the stern challenge of Meath side Curraha at Kilmallock yesterday afternoon, but not before they got an early scare.

On the basis of the announced team at least, Monaghan have chosen to leave well enough alone by naming the same 15 that started the Ulster final for tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Tyrone.

Champions Ballylanders repeated their 2015 Limerick SFC final victory over St Patrick’s to accelerate their title defence. They recorded a 0-13 to 0-10 win last night.

Under Micheal Martin’s leadership, they have been sidelined. They didn’t nominate a presidential candidate, have no female TDs, and their only MEP, Brian Crowley, left after his re-election. Shaun Connolly asks, has the sun set on the party?

It’s ladies to the fore as the 2014 Cork Person of the Year will be announced this week.

Hastings Cup

There are no plans to change procedures in the European Parliament when members fail to attend, a spokesperson for the office of the president has said.