Constituency Profile: Laois

A running joke in Leinster House before the Dáil broke was simply how fast one could say the three names of the individuals who are expected to retain their seats.

Not forgetting the fact that Laois, a new three-seater, has broken away from Offaly and is added to by six areas from Kildare South, no huge changes are expected here on polling day.

But all has changed since this two-county constituency was once a comfortable place for Fianna Fáil, including when former taoiseach Brian Cowen won more than 19,000 first preferences here in 2007.