Constituency profile - Offaly: Vote unlikely to throw up surprise

Anyone looking for a shock result in election 2016 would be wise not to spend too much time pondering the political landscape in Offaly.

Even during the 2011 ‘democratic revolution’, the area — then the Laois-Offaly five-seater — was stable in its backing for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the situation almost certain to continue when votes are cast on February 26.

However, due to boundary changes, Laois-Offaly is now two separate three-seaters, meaning that there is one empty seat available.