Battle likely to go down to the wire

THE intriguing battleground that is the Kerry South constituency is likely go right down to the wire but it looks as if the death knell could be about to sound for two of the country’s high-profile political dynasties.

If the findings of the Irish Examiner-Red C poll hold true, former cabinet heavyweight John O’Donoghue’s political career will be in tatters after the voters have their say, while it looking increasingly likely that Cllr Michael Healy-Rae will not be able to hold the Dáil seat vacated by his father.

In keeping with national trends, there has been a huge surge in Kerry support for Fine Gael and that is expected to see the party snap up two of the three seats on offer in Kerry South. That would represent a major reversal of fortunes for an organisation that was without a seat in the constituency for 18 barren years up to the 2007 election when Rathmore-based Tom Sheahan finally made the breakthrough.