Constituency profile: Dublin North-West

The shock withdrawal of Independent TD Tom Fleming from the race for the Dáil means a whole swathe of the new Kerry constituency along the Cork and Limerick border and taking in Killarney, Castleisland, and Rathmore is open territory, political observers say.

East Kerry and the Killarney electoral area is not fielding a single sitting politician and the decision is a game-changer in the huge constituency, combined for the first time since 1937.

However, there are indications Labour supporters are urging a rethink of the single-candidate strategy of running only Tralee-based Arthur Spring.