Fianna Fáil shocked as second Healy-Rae enters Kerry fight

With minutes to spare before the 12pm deadline, the Independent councillor for the Killarney area, Danny Healy-Rae, surprised everyone and handed in his nomination papers to run in the 2016 general election.

Some 16 candidates have now declared for the new five-seater single constituency of Kerry.

Danny Healy-Rae was accompanied to county registrar Padraig Burke’s Tralee office by his younger brother Michael Healy-Rae, the TD for Kerry South, who quietly handed in his nomination papers on Tuesday.