Limerick well represented on ballot paper for European election

UNLIKE in recent contests, Limerick is well represented on the ballot paper for the European election this year for Ireland South.

A record-equalling 23 candidates will chase five seats in what is a massive constituency, stretching from West Cork to North Wicklow, and covering much of the heart of the country, including Limerick.

This time, there appears to be a recognition of the importance of having Limerick-based candidates on the ticket.

And there are real hopes Shannonside could be represented in Brussels for the first time since the 1999 to 2004 parliament when former Justice Minister Gerry Collins, and Pat Cox, a Limerick-educated, ex-European Parliament president, won seats in the old Munster constituency.

There are high hopes within Sinn Fein circles that the party can recapture the seat it held in Europe from 2014 to 2019.

Senator Paul Gavan, a former trade unionist, based in Castleconnell, will run for the party as part of a two-person ticket alongside Carlow-Kilkenny TD Kathleen Funchion.

Labour, which last won a seat in Ireland South in 2009 thanks to Tipperary TD Alan Kelly, is pinning its hopes this time on Prof Niamh Hourigan.

Hailing from North Circular Road in the city centre, the nationally well-known sociologist comes from something of a political dynasty.

Her father Michael is a former Mayor of Limerick, while her sister Niamh is a Green Party TD in Dublin.

Cian Prendiville, a former councillor for City North, will fly the flag for People Before Profit-Solidarity.

Meanwhile, Lorna Bogue will run for Rabharta.

She’s a councillor in Cork, but hails from the Treaty City.

Cratloe man Eddie Punch, the general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association, is representing Richard O’Donoghue’s new Independent Ireland party.

Back in 2019, Clare TD Michael McNamara sought the Labour nomination to run for Europe, but lost out to Sheila Nunan.

Based in Scariff, he is back this time as an Independent having been elected to Dail Eireann in 2020.

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Former Cork TD Billy Kelleher is bidding for a second straight term in the European parliament.

The Fianna Fail man's running mate is former RTE radio host Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, who is based in Carlow.

Former GAA president Sean Kelly is hoping to make it four elections to Europe in a row, and he is joined on the Fine Gael ticket by Cork’s John Mullins.

In the sunny south-east, maverick Independent candidate Mick Wallace is hoping to be back for a second term as is Grace O’Sullivan of the Green Party.

The count for the European election will take place in Cork.

European election candidates for Ireland South (in alphabetical order)

Derek Blighe - Ireland First

Ross Lahive - The Irish People

Una McGurk - Non Party

Prof Niamh Hourigan - Labour

Patrick Murphy - Aontu

Graham de Barra - Non Party

Michael Leahy - Irish Freedom Party

Senator Paul Gavan - Sinn Fein

Kathleen Funchion - Sinn Fein

John Mullins - Fine Gael

Susan Doyle - Social Democrats

Billy Kelleher MEP - Fianna Fail

Cynthia Ni Mhurcu - Fianna Fail

Christopher Doyle - Non Party

Grace O’Sullivan MEP Green Party

Sean Kelly MEP - Fine Gael

Michael McNamara  - Non Party

Mary Fitzgibbon - Non Party

Cian Prendiville - People Before Profit-Solidarity

Mick Wallace MEP -  Independents 4 Change

Lorna Bogue - Rabharta

Eddie Punch - Independent Ireland

Ciaran O’Riordan - Non Party

Note: MEP denotes outgoing member