Battle expected for final seat in Limerick City as General Election campaign kicks off

UNOFFICIALLY, campaigning for the General Election has been going on for weeks - if not months.

But now, canvassing has stepped up a gear across Limerick as Taoiseach Simon Harris confirmed Ireland will go to the polls this side of Christmas.

In what has been one of the worst kept secrets in the political world, the Fine Gael leader stood on the steps of Government buildings in Dublin and fired the starting gun on a three-week long campaign which will conclude with polling day on Friday, November 29.

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On Friday morning last, in anticipation of the announcement, election posters began to spring up across the city and county.

From Kilmallock to Corbally, and Abbeyfeale to Adare, many hundreds of people have had their doors knocked upon by politicians and activists seeking a first preference vote.

As always, Limerick as the third city in Ireland, is being seen as a key prize, with a second seat for one of the major parties seen as a key step towards power.

This is being reflected as Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein are all providing their more established candidates with running mates.

It was further illustrated by the fact that Mr Harris was canvassing at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle over the weekend.

A battle royale can once again be expected for the fourth and final seat in the city.

Fianna Fail veteran Willie O’Dea has been paired with former Limerick Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan, who was the highest performing party candidate in this summer’s mayoral election.

Fine Gael’s Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell is once again joined on the ticket by Senator Maria Byrne.

And there is another member of the Upper House seeking election - Castleconnell man Paul Gavan, the running mate to Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan who topped the poll in Limerick City in 2020.

Councillor Conor Sheehan has his eyes on winning a seat and following in the footsteps of Labour grandees, the late Jim Kemmy and former Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan, who launched his campaign last week.

Independent councillor Frankie Daly was beaten to the final seat in the City by Green TD Brian Leddin in 2020 and both are running again. And there is a further northside councillor who is hoping to make a second breakthrough for her party in the space of just six months: Aontu's Sarah Beasley.

Flying the flag for the Social Democrats is Cllr Elisa O’Donovan, while Esther Aherne will run for Independent Ireland.

And with the overcrowding crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) never far away from the headlines, Melanie Sheehan Cleary is running for the Mid-West Hospital Campaign. She is the mother of Eve Cleary, who died in 2019, aged just 21, hours after being discharged from UHL.

In the rural Limerick County constituency, Fine Gael’s Patrick O’Donovan - promoted to the Cabinet when Mr Harris came to power earlier this year - will hope to keep a seat he’s held since 2011.

He will compete with Fianna Fail’s Niall Collins, a Minister of State, and a TD since 2007.

Former Fianna Fail councillor Richard O’Donoghue was elected as an Independent in 2020.

Now, as general secretary of Independent Ireland, he will hope to hold onto his berth in the three-seater constituency.

There looks set to be at least three people with the Collins name on the ballot in Limerick County.

Niall Collins is joined by running mate Cllr Bridie Collins, Adare.

And Sinn Fein is running Joanne Collins of Cappagh.

Fine Gael have put Cllr Noreen Stokes of Pallasgreen on their ticket for Limerick County alongside Mr O’Donovan.

As of this Tuesday lunchtime, 17 candidates had indicated their intention to run in the Limerick City constituency, and 14 in the County area.

But with nominations to run open until Saturday next, more could enter the contest. Conversely, the deadline to withdraw from the race falls this Saturday.

Polling will take place between 7am and 10pm on Friday, November 29.

There is just one change to a polling place in Limerick: in Ballysteen near Askeaton.

Here, voters will be asked to use Ballysteen National School.

Ballysteen community centre was used for the local and mayoral elections back in June.

There are no other changes to report in terms of polling stations ahead of voting day.

CANDIDATES

LIMERICK CITY
Esther Aherne Independent Ireland
Cllr Sarah Beasley Aontu
Senator Maria Byrne  Fine Gael
Melanie Cleary  Mid-West Hospital Campaign 
Cllr Frankie Daly Independent
Ruairi Fahy  People Before Profit
Senator Paul Gavan, Sinn Fein
Michelle Hayes Independent
Deputy Brian Leddin  Green Party
Deputy Willie O’Dea Fianna Fail
Deputy Kieran O’Donnell Fine Gael
Cllr Elisa O’Donovan  Social Democrats
Dee Ryan Fianna Fail
Cllr Conor Sheehan  Labour
Deputy Maurice Quinlivan Sinn Fein
Dean Quinn  National Alliance

LIMERICK COUNTY
James Barrett Independent
Cllr Bridie Collins Fianna Fail
Joanne Collins Sinn Fein
Richie Crehan Independent
Deputy Niall Collins Fianna Fail
Laura Fahey People Before Profit
Rob O’Donnell Green Party
Deputy Richard O’Donoghue Independent Ireland
Deputy Patrick O’Donovan Fine Gael
Donna O’Loughlin Irish Freedom Party
Lorraine O’Sullivan National Alliance
Michael Ryan Aontu
Cllr Noreen Stokes Fine Gael
Gerben Uunk Irish Animal Welfare party

*names are in alphabetical order