Constituency profile - Cork East: Current and former Fianna Fáil party members battle for last seat

The sprawling constituency of Cork East is essentially split in two, with the main population centres of Fermoy, Mallow, and Mitchelstown in the north and Midleton, Youghal, and Cobh in the south.

With many people commuting into Cork City each day, traffic congestion and the road network in general are among the concerns on the doorsteps.

The city’s Dunkettle roundabout is a major source of grief for approaching commuters. Likewise, a motorway between Cork and Limerick is nowhere in sight and the bypass of Mallow has been delayed.

Agriculture is a major industry, with Dairygold headquartered in the constituency and a Glanbia presence. As always, the price of milk and grain will be among the rural issues of debate.

Although schools and the quality of school buildings were a major issue in 2011, much has been done to replace prefab classrooms and build extensions, as well as new schools, so anger around this issue in the main has subsided.

With two candidates — Tom Barry and Noel McCarthy — in the northern end of the constituency, and David Stanton in the south, Fine Gael will be hoping to retain at least two seats.

Although Mr Stanton is likely to be elected early, securing a second seat may involve more of a fight, but is still very likely.

Minister of state Seán Sherlock, who was first elected in 2007, will also be confident of holding a seat for Labour.

The final seat is likely to end in a battle between current and former Fianna Fáil members, with Sinn Féin or a strong independent also posing a threat.

Fianna Fáil has put forward two candidates in Barbara Ahern and Kevin O’Keeffe, with the pair hoping to follow in the footsteps of their fathers, both former junior ministers.

Long-serving county councillor O’Keeffe is likely to have the edge over political newcomer Ms Ahern as FF hope to reclaim a seat. But former Fianna Fáil member Mary Linehan-Foley, now running as an Independent, is likely to cause some damage to the party vote.

She could grab votes too from Sinn Féin, as Youghal-based sitting TD Sandra McLellan is not standing this time around, leaving Ms Linehan-Foley as the harbour town’s only local candidate.

Sinn Féin has been weakened in the constituency over rumoured disputes and bullying.

Allegations that Ms McLellan, who last year announced she will not to stand again, was “bullied” by elements within the party, have caused some division at grassroots level, with a number of people leaving or being asked to leave.

However, many believe a traditional Sinn Féin vote still exists, which will put candidate Pat Buckley firmly in the fight for the final seat, possibly with FG. Kieran McCarthy, who quit the party, has the higher profile, being a longer serving public representative but his elimination, if early, could bolster Buckley’s chances.