Dogfight likely as veterans hang up their boots

WITH an above average marriage rate, a greater likelihood than the rest of us to own their homes outright and families less likely to have a single mother at the head, the population of Cork South West would appear to favour the traditional — and politics is no different.

For the past 30 years Fine Gael has taken two seats in the three-seat constituency in all but one of nine general elections. The exception was 2002, when Fianna Fáil’s Denis O’Donovan topped the poll, snatching the long-held seat of PJ Sheehan, a TD since 1981.

However, despite improving its first preference vote in 2007, with newcomer, Christy O’Sullivan, topping the poll, FF lost out again to Sheehan and the old order was restored. It was however something of a surprise that O’Sullivan outpolled outgoing FF TD, Denis O’Donovan, by more than 2,500 votes. The Labour Party had high hopes for its candidate, Michael McCarthy, but he failed to get elected.