Constituency profile: Tipperary

In 2012 the the Constituency Commission decided that 24 electoral divisions in the north of Tipperary, involving 10,953 identified voters, should be hived off into the new Offaly constituency, allowing the remainder of Tipperary to form one new five-seat constituency.

Three of the leading candidates in this behemoth constituency — Michael Lowry, Mattie McGrath, and Alan Kelly — have dominated the airwaves so far, but there is far more to this race that what appears on the surface.

The hiving off of the northern part of the county to Offaly is a blow to Mr Kelly, whose home patch has been ripped asunder. However, the minister, nicknamed AK-47, who believes “power is a drug”. is a formidable politician and is without question a force to be reckoned with. While his party’s numbers are down significantly, Mr Kelly should have more than enough done to see him home.