Clonakilty to be the decider

From Kilnamanagh to Carrigaline and almost all points in between, all roads lead to Clonakilty today where results in two Cork County Council divisions will be decided.

Some level of upheaval is a given in both the huge West Cork area and in Bandon-Kinsale, due to the reconfiguration of both areas compared with the last local election boundaries in 2009.

West Cork had 12 seats split between the Bantry and Skibbereen electoral areas. They have now merged, losing four seats in the process. It means 10 sitting Cllrs battling it out with nine others for just eight seats. The current make-up of the area is 6 Fine Gael, 3 Fianna Fáil and one independent - two other sitting Cllrs decided not to run again.

Four independent candidates and one from People Before Profit are contesting the seats alongside six Fine Gael, five Fianna Fáil, two Sinn Fein and one Labour candidate. Some independent candidates have reported positive feedback on the doorsteps amid anger at the government and larger parties generally.

In Bandon-Kinsale, six seats are on offer with 11 candidates in competition for them, including sitting Cllrs Alan Coleman of Fianna Fáil and his Council colleagues Tim Lombard and Kevin Murphy, both of Fine Gael.

The total electorate across both areas is 77,721, with indications of a reasonably good turn-out.

Incidentally, the people of Clonakilty get a chance to return to the polls today under a new initiative to elect a mayoral council of five people from a panel of eight, in response to the abolition of local town councils.