Constituency profile: Clare

Traditionally, Clare has been Fianna Fáil country, with the party consistently taking at least two of the seats on offer since it became a four-seater in 1981.

However, during the economic crash election of 2011, history went out the window and arch-rivals Fine Gael got the upper hand. Clare will be a litmus test for whether the party has been forgiven five years on. While Fine Gael should retain its seats, Fianna Fáil is aiming to double its standing by running three candidates in the constituency, including a sitting TD and a former GAA county board chair.

As a result, Labour’s Michael McNamara, like many of his party colleagues across the country, is facing a tough battle to hold his Dáil position, with the added pressure of a dark-horse Sinn Féin candidate and at least two competitive Independents.