Biggest number of candidates ever in constituency

THIS time around, three Fine Gael candidates will have their names near the top of the ballot paper and not many would bet against two of them taking seats in Leinster House on March 9.

With Batt O’Keeffe retiring amid controversy over Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s reshuffle debacle that helped bring the election date forward, Fianna Fáil’s Michael Moynihan hopes he can hold onto the seat he took comfortably four years ago, in second place just behind FG’s Michael Creed, who runs again this time around.

But even as one of the constituencies with the highest FF vote last time around (53% of first preferences went to Moynihan, O’Keeffe and unsuccessful outgoing TD Donal Moynihan), it might yet be a close call for the Kiskeam man if the party’s performance in recent polls is reflected on election day.