Poll: FF marginally behind FG in Cork South West

Fianna Fáil is to make a last desperate effort to hold its second seat in Cork South West after a party poll showed it was just a few hundred votes behind Fine Gael, according to the Evening Echo.

The Fianna Fáil poll shows that there will be an incredibly tight battle between its candidates Cllr Christy O’Sullivan and former Fine Gael TD Paddy Sheehan.

A party analysis of the poll leads strategists to believe that one last push will enable it to hold two seats.

A party source said that Fianna Fáil will now throw all its resources at the constituency, and senior ministers Micheál Martin and John O’Donoghue will concentrate on Cork South West next week.

Analysis of the poll by Fianna Fáil showed only a few hundred votes between Cllr Sheehan and Cllr O’Sullivan for the last seat.

However, the leaked poll details must be taken with a warning, as they come from a Fianna Fáil source and are beneficial to the Fianna Fáil campaign.

A spokesman for Fine Gael said that it had carried out three polls in the last 18 months, and it showed the party holding two seats, with Cllr Christy O’Sullivan actually losing votes after he decided to run with Fianna Fáil rather than as an independent.

“This is desperation politics. If Micheál Martin and John O’Donoghue are concentrating on Cork South West, does that mean they’ve given up on the two Fianna Fáil seats at risk in their own constituencies?” said the spokesman.

The poll was carried out for Fianna Fáil in the last three weeks. It showed Fine Gael TD Jim O’Keeffe topping the poll on 21%, just ahead of sitting Fianna Fáil TD Denis O’Donovan on 20%.

Cllr Paddy Sheehan was on 16%, just ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Christy O’Sullivan. Labour will be encouraged by a strong showing from Senator Michael McCarthy, on 14%.

Sinn Féin’s Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin was on 9% and Green party candidate Quentin Gargin was on 5%.

Fine Gael lost a seat here in 2002 to Fianna Fáil, and Cork South West is seen as a key target for Fine Gael.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny both canvassed in the constituency last Saturday and Fine Gael director of elections Frank Flannery has said he is “confident” of a gain here.