Looking for your number one to make an impression

Election 2016: Analysis

While all eyes are on the battle to take the four seats up for grabs, the money seems to be on a one, two, three of Enda Kenny, Michael Ring and Dara Calleary taking the first three seats, but the order of how that finishes up could differ from last time. With those three odds on to make it back to Leinster House, there looks to be a three-way battle between Michelle Mulherin, Rose Conway-Walsh and Lisa Chambers for the last seat. But that's only five candidates and there are 11 others looking to sway your vote to their side. We'll run down through the other 11 and give you a brief overview below.

Jerry Cowley (Independent )

The big beast in the chasing pack is the Mulranny based GP. Cowley was elected to the Dáil as an Independent in 2002, but lost his seat in 2007 when his vote collapsed from 8,079 to 3,407 five years later. Cowley came back for more in 2011, this time running for the Labour Party, but he didn't fare much better, polling 3,664 first preference votes before being eliminated on the seventh count, only picking up 2,255 transfers. Cowley was a late entrant into the race this time and is running under the "No Doctor, No Village" umbrella. Cowley will take a reasonable vote from his base in Mulranny and in boxes all over the county, but doesn't look as though he'll have enough to stay in the hunt. His transfers could be crucial to deciding the last seat when he's eliminated.

Michael Farrington (Renua )

The Kiltimagh native has no record in elections in the past and this time is the first time he has contested an election. Farrington has thrown his lot in with Mayo native Lucinda Creighton's Renua party. With a lack of candidates in the east of the county he could use this as a base for a potential run at a county council election in three years' time and build up his profile in the area.

Tom Moran (People Before Profit )

The 73-year-old Moran is the first People Before Profit Candidate to run in Mayo in either the local or general election. Moran is a retired aviation engineer from Westport. While his party has made plenty of inroads in large urban areas, it has struggled to gain traction in rural areas like Mayo. However there is a growing number of people looking for an alternative to the major parties and Moran could pull votes from all areas.

Peter Jordan (Independent )

Jordan is one of the two candidates running under the First Independent Mayo umbrella in today's election. Jordan is a well known businessman and has been involved in community groups in Ballina. He ran Jordan's Bar and Restaurant on the Ballina to Foxford road for many years before it closed two years ago. Jordan will be looking to pull votes out of Ballina but with two big heavy hitters from the main parties, Dara Calleary and Michelle Mulherin, also in situ it will be a tough task for him to make an impression.

George O'Malley (Independent )

O'Malley is the second of two candidates running under the First Independent Mayo umbrella, like his running mate the Glenhest resident has no track record in elections before and put his name forward after the placing of adverts by the group looking for people with no political background to come forward. O'Malley is a former maths teacher and currently works in the environmental sector. Much like his running mate it is hard to see O'Malley poll that high today.

Margaret Sheehan (Green Party )

The Green Party has never really made an impression with the voters in Mayo and it looks very unlikely that it will this time around. This is Sheehan's second time running for election, having contested the 2014 local elections in South Mayo where she polled 103 first preference votes. Margaret is following in the footsteps of her husband John Carey, who ran in the 2011 General Election for the party; in that election the Green Party received 266.

Stephen Manning (Independent )

Manning has risen to public notice in recent years after founding the Integrity Ireland group and has been involved in a number of protests at the County Registrars Court over eviction issues. Manning had initially declared his interest his running under the First Independent Mayo Umbrella and was announced as one of seven potential candidates for the group, but was removed from the process by the group's organisers. Manning his since put himself forward as an independent candidate.

Sean Forkan (Independent )

This is the second time that Cloontia native Forkan will contest a general election, having run in 2011 where he polled just 29 votes after he entered the race very late in the day. Forkan was also a late entrant into this race and he is campaigning on the need for accountability in the medical and Garda systems. If Forkan can improve on his vote this time around, he'll be happy but realistically he will be one of the first people out of the race again.

Gerry O'Boyle (Independent )

Ballyhaunis man O'Boyle will be contesting his second election in just two years and in his second different constituency. O'Boyle stood in the Roscommon-South Leitrim by-election, after Luke "Ming" Flanagan was elected to the European Parliament, where he polled just 82 votes. He shortly after declared that he would contest the next election in Mayo. O'Boyle, a former member of the New Land League, is now the founder of Mayo Eviction Free County and is involved with Land League West. He has been a regular in the County Registrars Court as part of his work with these groups.

Kamal Uddin (Independent )

Uddin has thrown his hat in the ring for the second election in a row. The 48-year-old chef from Castlebar polled 133 first preference votes in the 2014 local elections. Uddin has said that he wants to see people work together from all political sides for the betterment of the county as a whole and he is running to raise his profile again before he contests the next local elections.

 

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