Cork gains two new TDs as Bishopstown returns to southside in boundary changes
The new constituency boundaries for Ireland, published by the Electoral Commission last year.
With the general election campaign now well under way, voters are beginning to focus on how to cast their ballots.
But some people living in Kilkenny will suddenly find themselves in Tipperary on voting day, while some Corkonians have been moved to a new constituency.
It's all down to a comprehensive review of constituency boundaries, which will kick in from this general election.
The review carried out by the Electoral Commission will also add 14 extra Dáil seats across the country, meaning voters will elect 174 TDs in less than two weeks' time.
The change to the constituencies has led to a further two TDs for Cork, with Cork North-Central and Cork South-Central each receiving an additional seat.
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Four new seats have also been added in Dublin, with the largest change in the capital coming from the split up of Dublin Fingal.
The former five-seat constituency is set to be split into two three-seaters, known as Dublin Fingal East and Dublin Fingal West.
Laois and Offaly have also been split into two separate constituencies, with Laois taking in some of Kildare South and becoming a three-seater. Meanwhile, Offaly will also see an electoral district transferred from Kildare South to become a three-seater.
Voters in seven constituencies — Clare, Cork South-West, Donegal, Dublin Central, Kerry, Limerick County and Waterford — will remain unchanged, with the boundaries and number of TDs to be voted in remaining the same.
But in all other areas, everything from minor tweaks to sweeping changes have been implemented.
These changes have been made because Bunreacht na hÉireann dictates there should be one TD for every 20,000 and 30,000 people. Given the country's increasing population, many areas were either coming very close to this threshold or had surpassed it.
It had been widely speculated Tipperary would be separated into two constituencies, which has now come to pass.
The former five-seater becomes two three-seaters, now known as Tipperary North and Tipperary South.
But the most controversial part of the carve-up was the decision to move about 4,000 Kilkenny residents over the border and into Tipperary North.
When the announcement was made, the head of the Electoral Commission, Art O'Leary, said serious consideration went into the changes, which will result in the transfer of members of Kilkenny’s oldest GAA club, Tullaroan, moved into Tipperary for voting purposes.
In total, about 6,400 people have been impacted by the change, which sees 13 electoral districts in the Urlingford area of west Kilkenny moved across the border.
More recently, Fianna Fáil election candidate Michael Smith said: "The dogs in the street know about the rivalry between Kilkenny and Tipperary.
"For the people of north-west Kilkenny, I think they have been dealt a bad blow, it's unexpected, it's an unwelcome boundary change and it's certainly an enormous wrench," he said, adding: "This has to be overcome."
There was widespread surprise at the decision to create a new constituency in the east of the country, Wicklow-Wexford.
The newly formed voting area will take in south Wicklow and north Wexford, including Rathdrum, Avoca, and Arklow in the north, Tinahely and Bunclody to the west, and Gorey, Ferns, and Kilmuckridge to the south.
None of the outgoing TDs live in the constituency and have decided not to run here. Senator Malcolm Byrne of Fianna Fáil is the only one of the 10 candidates running for three seats who had been in Leinster House previously.
However, the greatest impact is not in the new voting area, but in neighbouring Wicklow, which will go from a five-seater to having just four seats. With all of the sitting TDs, including Taoiseach Simon Harris, running it means at least one incumbent will lose their position. Health Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly will be under pressure and could be fighting for the final seat with Green Party TD Steven Mathews and Jennifer Whitmore of the Social Democrats.
However, the fact a large part of south Wicklow, including Arklow, will go into the newly formed constituency will also impact Sinn Féin's John Brady.
After the changes were announced Mr Brady said the Electoral Commission review was “a hatchet job” on Wicklow, while Mr Harris said he was "happy enough" with the lines drawn on the map.
A number of key changes have been implemented in Cork, and these coupled with some significant political departures have shaken up the landscape for voters in the rebel county and city.
Both Cork North-Central and Cork South-Central have gained an extra seat.
Electoral Commission chief executive Art O’Leary accepted Cork was a difficult county to redraw.
“We suggest and strongly recommend that this is the best option for the county because it was something that gave us many sleepless nights,” said Mr O’Leary when the boundary changes were announced.
Mallow has been hived off into Cork North-Central.
Labour's Seán Sherlock, who is not contesting this election, described the transfer of Mallow from out of Cork East where he had been a TD, as a “seismic shift” in the political landscape in the county.
On another significant change to the boundaries, Mr O’Leary said: “There are 20,000-odd people in Bishopstown who will move from Cork North-Central back to where they feel they belong in Cork South-Central.”
Senator Jerry Buttimer is now among those who will be targeting the new fifth Dáil seat in Cork South-Central constituency. Fine Gael has also selected Shane O'Callaghan and Úna McCarthy in the hopes of retaining the seat vacated by long-serving party TD Simon Coveney.
Meanwhile, Seamus McGrath has been added to Fianna Fáil's ticket, replacing his brother Michael McGrath, who has taken up a role on the EU Commission.
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