Local Elections: Constituency thrown open by boundary extensions and candidate withdrawals

In the fourth of a five-part series, Kevin O’Neill profiles the new Cork City electoral area.

Cork City South-West was thrown wide-open by the changes to its boundary, but also by some internal decisions.

In a big shock, two former Lord Mayors of Cork confirmed they would not be seeking re-election in May: Fianna Fáil’s Mary Shields and Fine Gael’s John Buttimer both announced their intention to step away from public office.