TD hopes for ‘good spread’ in the mayoral election

INDEPENDENT TD Richard O’Donoghue says he hopes to see a “good spread” of candidates from both rural and urban Limerick in the upcoming mayoral election.

Limerick people will go to the polls on Friday, June 7 to elect a first citizen.

It’s the first time in the almost 900-year history of Limerick that the public will be electing a mayor.

Mr O’Donoghue said: “It’d be nice to see people given a choice which will be inclusive.”

Six candidates have so far declared for the maiden election.

The Independent Ireland TD said he hopes there is geographical balance across the county and the city, arguing the rural area is equally as important as the urban.

“The county is equally important to the city. I want to see people putting up their hand in the county. I’d like to see the field being a good reflection. If a person runs from the city, knowing there are people running from the county, they know they will be able to depend on them after the election to help them rebuild both city and county,” he explained.

Ultimately, Mr O’Donoghue hopes whoever wins election to the office will be able to turn around to the other candidates to urge them to all work together.

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“But unless you have people running from both the city and county, you don’t have the reflection across the whole county,” he added.

First elected to Dail Eireann in 2020, Mr O’Donoghue has ruled out contesting the mayoral election himself.

“My place at the moment is representing Limerick in Dublin trying to build a team around Ireland with the new party,” he said in reference to Independent Ireland, which he is general secretary of.

He ruled out the alliance running a candidate in the mayoral election - for now.