Local elections: Everything you need to know about the Fermoy constituency

Cllr Noel McCarthy topped the poll in Fermoy last time out for Fine Gael. Picture: David Creedon

Who is running?

• Derek Blighe – Ireland First 
• Ken Brennan – Ind Ire 
• Neilius Cotter – FF 
• Kay Dawson – FG 
• Diarmuid Hanley – Lab
• Thomas Horgan – Ind 
• Noel McCarthy – FG
• Deirdre O’Brien - FF 
• Joe O’Brien - SF 
• Peter O’Donoghue - Ind 
• Frank Flynn – FF 
• William O’Leary - Ind 
• Frank Roche – Ind 
• Mary Ryder – Green Party
• Joe Tobin – Ind 

What you need to know

Political analysts will be keeping a very close eye on the Fermoy constituency for potential national swings of public opinion. That’s primarily because the runners here include a Fianna Fáil defector who publicly lambasted his party’s hierarchy for "losing touch with its grassroots" and a prominent member of right-wing party Ireland First.

To make matters even more interesting you can throw an anti-vaccine campaigner into the mix.

There’s a huge poster on the gable wall of a property in Rathcormac of local man William O’Leary. He caused consternation among ‘The Soldiers of Destiny’ when jumping ship to the independents a few weeks ago and launching a very public attack on FF leadership.

The poster is well positioned, as many believe O’Leary is too. It’s right on the village’s main street heading north. You can’t miss it.

Former party colleagues who will be running against O’Leary will be wondering if he’ll do them damage at the polls. 

They and other mainstream party members will also be concerned about the impact that the high-profile founder of Ireland First Derek Blighe will have when the ballot papers are counted.

Blighe, who is prominent in anti-immigrant protests in Fermoy, is also running in the European Elections.

Fianna Fáil are running Mayor of County Cork Frank O’Flynn and Deirdre O’Brien, daughter of former TD Ned O’Keeffe, and have drafted in Nelius Cotter a young candidate from Castletownroche to replace O’Leary on the ticket.

The mayor is from the village of Glanworth and one of his former neighbours, Joe O’Brien, is a first-time candidate running for Sinn Féin.

Both he and O’Flynn will have the same contacts despite representing different parties. O’Brien spent many years living in Glanworth and knows many people there.

Again, like O’Flynn, he was also employed by the Dairygold Co-Op. O’Brien worked in the company’s sales section and his job brought him into contact with a lot of people across the North Cork region. The two candidates are also steeped in the GAA.

O’Flynn is also acutely aware that being mayor might be a high-profile job, but the title doesn’t win you elections.

Outgoing mayors (all Fine Gael) Noel O’Connor (Mallow), Barbara Murray (Youghal) and Buttevant-based Fine Gael councillor Tom Sheahan were all shock fallers in previous elections.

Cllr Frank O'Flynn is the Fianna Fáil candidate in the Fermoy local election: 'There’s no such thing as a safe seat.' Picture: David Creedon

“There’s no such thing as a safe seat. I’m acutely aware the last three outgoing mayors lost their seats. While others can be out canvassing the mayor still has to attend events all over the county and also chair meetings. Maybe that’s why,” O'Flynn said.

The Fine Gael candidates are the well-seasoned Noel McCarthy, an off-licence owner in Fermoy who is also chairman of its Tidy Towns, and Kay Dawson from Mitchelstown. Both are seen by their party as solid and should do well. McCarthy topped the poll last time out.

In 2019, O’Flynn came in second position, followed in third by Ms O’Brien, William O’Leary in fourth, and Kay Dawson in fifth.

The other independent seeking re-election is agricultural contractor Frank Roche (Castletownroche) who was a bit of a surprise victor in the 2019 election when he picked off the last seat.

Since then, he has built solidly on his voter base, although Roche must be seen as the most vulnerable and easiest to unseat by the newcomers to the field.

Sinn Féin could steal a seat here for Joe O’Brien as they have a reasonably strong base locally.

Labour is running Diarmuid Hanley. This was once a happy hunting ground for the party. Noel McCarthy was previously a Labour county councillor before jumping ship a few years ago to Fine Gael. However, it could be an uphill struggle for Hanley considering the party has slumped in the polls in recent years.

Also on the ballot paper is first-timer Joe Tobin (Independent), a community activist who is involved in a number of groups and associations in Fermoy.

Another is Ken Brennan running for Independent Ireland, who is from the village of Conna, on the south-eastern extremity of the municipal district.

There is also a somewhat more colourful candidate in the form of Peter O’Donoghue, who is from Kilworth. He’s an anti-vaccine campaigner who came to prominence during the covid pandemic.

All the candidates will be seeking a good turnout from voters in their municipal district. It encompasses an area east to west from Araglin to Doneraile and north to south from Mitchelstown to Rathcormac.