Old scores to settle in tough battle for seats

BY far, Kanturk is the most difficult Cork County Council electoral area to call now that it has been reduced from a five-seater to a four-seater due to boundary changes.

The 2004 poll topper has decided not to seek re-election and there are some old scores to be settled among candidates.

Gerard Murphy, Newmarket was first elected a county councillor in 1991 and remained in County Hall until he took a Fine Gael seat in the Dáil in 2002. Due to the dual mandate directive, he had to forfeit his local authority seat to Tim Collins.

The Meelin-based man must have thought he was destined to have a relatively secure seat and the backing of Deputy Murphy camp in the council.

However, in 2004, to many people’s surprise, Murphy was instrumental in the election of his wife to the council, with Collins left out in the cold.

It left a very bitter taste among Collins’ supporters.

Five years ago, Marian Murphy got 2,379 first preference votes, coming in second place behind FG running-mate Patrick Buckley on 2,734. He has decided not to contest the June 5 election.

In third place that time out, with 2,202 first preferences, was Marie ‘The Shamrock’ Murphy. The Millstreet woman is seeking re-election for FF. She was nearly 700 first preferences ahead of neighbour, FG’s Noel Buckley.

He edged into the fourth seat due to transfers, leaving Fianna Fáil’s Michael Donegan, a long serving county councillor from Charleville, to take the fifth.

Fianna Fáil will be under pressure to retain both of their seats, with both Marie Murphy and Michael Donegan having to fight for their lives.

Ex-TD Gerard Murphy’s machine should be robust enough to see off the challenge of Tim Collins, unless the latter puts in a superb performance, which some pundits suggest he’s capable of.

Hovering in the background with some vote-grabbing intent is Paul Cagney, a solicitor who Fine Gael feel is a real hopeful. Being from Charleville he will impact on Mick Donegan and even if he doesn’t make it this time out is likely to be a good long-term prospect.

Labour’s Ted Linehan, a hackney driver from from Meelin, only got 837 first preferences in 2004. Nevertheless he will be hoping to capitalise on an anti-government swing.

However, this constituency is staunchly conservative in its voting patterns.

Donie Kelleher is running for Sinn Féin and also hoping to capitalise on any turn to the Left, although he is likely to struggle.

In 2004, Fine Gael managed to get three seats and FF two. There was no room for any other parties and a breakthrough by them is unlikely, but not impossible.

What makes the constituency so hard to read is that transfers will be a key factor.

Logistics will come into play and it will depend very much on who and where candidates are elected and eliminated for distribution purposes.