McLellan optimistic of capturing last seat

THERE are clear signs that Fianna Fáil is in trouble in the Cork East constituency and that some of its voters are defecting to Sinn Féin, leaving that party’s candidate well in the hunt for the last of the four seats on offer.

Sinn Féin know full well that Cllr Sandra McLellan will have to get 6,000-6,500 first preferences to be in the shake-up and the party is quietly confident that she can attain that.

Her latest canvass in her hometown of Youghal proved, somewhat predictably, that the 49-year-old mother of three is popular there, but what was surprising was the wide range of support she was garnering.

Outside the comfort zone and on the streets of Midleton, she was also getting some promises of No1’s, but more importantly, transfers, which her director of elections, Seamus Coleman, said would prove vital.

“This is the first time we have had a candidate who is way more transfer-friendly than Fianna Fáil’s candidates,” Mr Coleman said.

Tom Brennan, the litter warden in Youghal, said that he’d be voting for “the good looking blonde” candidate, which kind of gave it away.

When questioned a bit further he opened up. “I previously voted Fianna Fáil but will be voting for Sinn Féin this time as I’m fed up with Fianna Fáil politics.”

Grandmother, Philomena Terry, said Youghal has turned into a ghost town under the last government. It’s estimated that it has lost around 2,500 manufacturing jobs since 2003.

“I think Sandra will do something for Youghal. The TDs we have don’t bother with us,” Ms Terry said.

Sheila Ring, who was sitting in the same coffee shop on South Main Street, said: “I’ll bang the door in the face of anybody from Fianna Fáil. Sandra will get my vote.”

Fiona Hennessy, an auctioneer with Sherry Fitzgerald, also said she’d be voting for the Sinn Féin candidate. “Fianna Fáil have made a mess of the country. If Sandra was a TD she might bring some employment to the town,” Ms Hennessy said.

Cllr McLellan seemed very bolstered by the reaction she was getting from some of the business community, who she admitted would previously have been very unlikely to vote for her party.

Jack Dempsey, aged 77, described himself as a floating voter, who would this time be voting for Sinn Féin.

Donie Twomey from Ballinacurra, Midleton, said he wouldn’t be giving Cllr McLellan a first preference because that was promised to another politician, but he’d consider giving her a No 2.

Michael Daly, also from Midleton, provided her with further comfort on the transfer front saying he’d vote one for FG, two for Labour and she’d be somewhere after them, but definitely before FF who on this occasion “would be at the end of the list.”

Shelley Duggan, a 21 year-old unemployed mother, said she’d give Cllr McLellan a first preference. However, her two-year-old son Rhys wasn’t having any of it, pushing the councillor’s election literature firmly away as she leant down to talk to him in his buggy.

That provided some comic relief, but her next encounter on the street was rather more serious when one middle-aged woman shouted: “I wouldn’t touch your lot with a barge pole.”

“We get that type of comment occasionally, but it’s pretty rare,” Cllr McLellan said.

Seconds later Billy Warne, 59, told the councillor he used to vote cross party, including FF.

“I know a lot of Fianna Fáilers who are going over to Sinn Féin,” he said.

“Never again do I want to see Fianna Fáil in power,” said Tom Foley from Rostellan. “I’m giving my number one to Sean Sherlock (Lab) and Sandra will get my number two.”

Cllr McLellan said she was getting support from all spectrums in Youghal, but outside her hometown, it was younger people and women who were particularly receptive.