Constituency wrap: Limerick City

FORMER defence minister Willie O’Dea kept the FF flag flying in Limerick City.

He was elected on the sixth count, but it was a far cry from 2007 when count staff almost suffered exhaustion dealing with his 19,082 vote.

But the ‘new kid’ on the re-configurated Limerick City constituency block was Michael Noonan. At 67, he was surrounded by a posse of grandchildren at the count centre as he topped the poll for the first time in his long career.

In 2002 he bombed as leader of Fine Gael. His political obituary was written, but yesterday’s man returned.

Meanwhile, the gentleman of Limerick politics, Peter Power, was a victim of the anti-FF campaign, with the minister of state losing his seat.

Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan and FG’s Kieran O’Donnell secured the remaining two seats but O’Donnell, promoted by Enda Kenny as the party’s finance spokesman, may have to ponder what might have been when cabinet seats are allocated.