Political parties in Limerick gearing up for general election

THE GENERAL election could still be anything up to six months away, but already parties in Limerick and nationally are finalising their tickets.

Only Taoiseach Simon Harris can go to Áras an Uachtaráin and fire the starting gun on the race for the 34th Dail.

He has consistently maintained the current Dail will run until March, the maximum time allowed for this term.

This comes in spite of pressure from his party’s grass roots who sense an opportunity to go to the country before Christmas in the wake of a giveaway budget next month.

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Candidates locally are being told to prepare to hit the ground running in the event this could happen.

This week, Fine Gael has finalised its ticket in the four seater Limerick City constituency.

It’s a case of as you were, with the two candidates who ran in 2020, Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell and Senator Maria Byrne flying the flag for the party.

Fine Gael in the Limerick County constituency are expected to finalise their ticket in the next few weeks, with Minister Patrick O’Donovan set to be joined on the ticket by newly elected councillor Noreen Stokes.

All parties are selecting female candidates with an eye on new legislation which promises party funding only in return for a quota of women on the ticket.

In this vein, Adare councillor Bridie Collins is to be the running mate to Fianna Fail Minister Niall Collins in the Limerick County constituency.

Former Limerick Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan is expected to be running mate to veteran Fianna Fail TD Willie O’Dea in the city.

And given her performance in the summer’s mayoral election, she will harbour hopes of securing a seat.

So far, only one woman has declared elsewhere in Limerick County - Joanne Collins for Sinn Fein - which means there will be at least three candidates with the Collins surname on the ballot in the three-seater.

Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue will hope to secure re-election after his breakthrough victory in 2020.

And Richie Crehan, who hails from Fedamore is also set to run as an Independent.

Councillor Elisa O’Donovan has made no secret of her ambition to become only the third woman to be elected to represent Limerick City in the Dail, and is expected to be selected by her Social Democrats party.

Councillor Sarah Beasley, who made history in May becoming Aontu’s first Limerick councillor is running.

As is Melanie Cleary, who will run for the Mid-West Hospital Campaign.

She lost her daughter Eve in 2019 from blood clots after being discharged from University Hospital Limerick.

Independent councillor Frankie Daly, who came close to securing election in 2020 is running again.

Despite Sinn Fein’s recent dip in the polls, Maurice Quinlivan will be hoping to come top of the pile in Limerick for a second straight election.

Brian Leddin, who made history by securing a seat for the Green Party will hope to be returned for a second term.

For the first time since 1998, former Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan will not be contesting a general election for Labour.

Instead, councillor Conor Sheehan, who came within a handful votes of heading the poll in City North at the local election, will be hoping to take a seat previously occupied by the late Jim Kemmy.