High turnout in key indicator constituency

Turnout in Cork North West was among the highest in the country, with figures this morning indicating up to 73% of voters went to the polling booths yesterday in this constituency.

This figure is in line with 2002, when the three-seat constituency boasted the highest turnout in the country.

Each vote counted in Macroom this morning was being closely scrutinised by tallymen from all the main parties when the ballot boxes were opened at 9am.

Donal Moynihan was the first of Fianna Fáil’s three candidates to arrive at the count centre but was reluctant to give his assessment of how the highly-anticipated local contest would play out.

He has been widely tipped by pundits as the Fianna Fáil candidate most likely to lose out.

Only very preliminary figures were available by early morning, with 30% of the total poll tallied.

Boxes from the western and northern side of the constituency showed Fianna Fáil on 56.5%, Fine Gael on 32.7%, Labour on 5% and the Greens on 4.8%.

One of the main topics of conversation in the hall was the national exit poll revealed early this morning.

Labour candidate Martin Coughlan conceded that the poll, which showed Fianna Fáil holding its 2002 level of support, was bad news for the Opposition.

“It doesn’t sound too good. If that’s the situation we are going to get what we had last time as a government — and the people are welcome to it,” he said.

Cllr Coughlan was adamant that his party should not consider coalition with Fianna Fáil, irrespective of the final outcome.

“Absolutely not. It certainly wouldn’t have my vote,” he said.

Fine Gael Macroom Town Councillor Ted Lucey played down the poll, which indicated his party will remain in opposition.

“If we’re at 26% that means 51 or 52 seats. If we do that I can’t see Fianna Fáil doing as well as indicated," he said.

The eyes of the nation are set to linger here as the count process evolves, with commentators and parties both agreeing that the outcome in Cork North West will be a key indicator of how the overall contest will play out elsewhere.

Three outgoing Fianna Fáil TDs, one Fine Gael deputy and a former Fine Gael TD are all expected to be in contention for seats.

However, with Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe having followed his Ballincollig base from Cork South Central into this constituency, either he or one of his running mates, Donal and Michael Moyhihan, are sure to lose out. This has created tensions, with relations believed to be strained between the three.

For Fine Gael, former TD Michael Creed is widely expected to win his seat back but his party is hoping that this will not be at the expense of sitting TD Gerard Murphy.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.