Local elections: Everything you need to know about Skibbereen-West Cork constituency

Karen Coakley — who previously ran with Fine Gael but is now Independent — will want to retain her seat, but it will be a serious contest in the constituency.

With more than a dozen candidates scrapping it out for five seats, Skibbereen-West Cork local electoral area (LEA) promises to be one of the most competitive constituencies when the votes are cast next month.

The issues on the doorsteps are hardy perennials, from roads and housing to access to disability support services and aggrieved farmers, even if there are distant rumblings in some quarters about migration, not least when it comes to the change-of-use of some hotels in what is still a major tourist destination. And it’s fair to say that electoral expectations centre around many of the familiar faces who will seek to return to County Hall when all the votes are counted.