Registration error and retirement throws open race in redrawn ward

BOUNDARY changes, a retirement, and a clerical error have thrown the race for the fourth seat in this redrawn northside ward wide open.

It could have been a ward-of-death after boundary changes reduced the former five seater to four.

But the decision by veteran politician Mairín Quill, not to contest the June election gave the remaining four councillors a certain amount of breathing space.

Another councillor left the ward’s race on Monday after details of a clerical error emerged.

The ward’s only female candidate, Cllr Annette Spillane, incorrectly filled out her nomination papers on May 9.

Despite the fact that she has represented the north east ward for the last five years, and pending a possible legal challenge, she will have to contest the election in the north central ward.

It means that just three sitting councillors are contesting for the north east ward’s four seats.

Fine Gael could pick up a second seat but Sinn Féin are also quietly confidant of pulling off a major coup.

All eyes will be on where Ms Quill’s votes go. She topped the poll in 2004 with 1,169 votes and these are up for grabs, with Fine Gael targeting most of them.

It is the only party running two candidates in this ward.

Sitting Cllr Dara Murphy, a strong performer on the council, should retain his seat.

His running mate, Derek Connolly, who is well-known in GAA circles, will have to build significantly on his 435 first preference votes from 2004, and benefit from transfers, to take the second seat. But it is not beyond the bounds of possibilities.

This ward has one of the most diverse social mixes of any of the city’s six wards – stretching as it does from the affluent areas of Montenotte to the more traditional working class areas of Mayfield and The Glen.

Cuts in take home pay, unemployment, anti-social behaviour are big issues on the doorsteps.

Chronic traffic caused by delays in progressing the long-awaited North Ring Road project is an issue.

Fianna Fáil’s Tim Brosnan may take a hit for his party’s performance in Government.

His stance opposing the rezoning of land for Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn at the Tank Field, could also affect him.

But the straight-talking and outspoken councillor is never afraid to speak out, even against the Government, especially when he thinks it’s wrong.

He took the second seat in 2004, with 1,022 first preference votes and should be safe.

Labour’s John Kelleher got 1,000 first preference votes in 2004 and should also be safe.

But Cllr Spillane’s mistake could benefit Sinn Féin. She was elected in 2004 as a Sinn Féin candidate but left the party last year to stand as an independent.

The fact that she is now out of the race in north east clears the way for Sinn Féin’s candidate Pat Coughlan to hoover up her votes in this ward.

If this ward still had five seats, the Worker’s Party’s Ted Tynan, a former city councillor, could have been in with a shout. He polled 474 first preference votes in 2004, almost double the amount from the previous election.

The other candidates include former Fianna Fáil candidate Dave Whyte, who is running as an independent.

A long-standing member of Fianna Fáil’s National Executive and the party’s former chairman in Cork, Whyte narrowly missed out on the fifth seat to Annette Spillane in 2004, polling 568 votes before being eliminated on the sixth count.

Whether the former FF man can convince enough people to vote for him this time to win a place in what is now a four-seater is a big ask.

The Green Party’s Ken Walsh will be hoping to build on the 488 first preference votes polled by Philip Jones in the 2004 election.

The Socialist Party’s Dave Keating, a trade union activist who helped organise medical card protests last year, and protests against the axing of northside bus routes last week, completes the line-up.