COUNCIL PROFILE: ROSCOMMON:TWO THINGS stand out where the local elections in Roscommon are concerned. One is the remarkable number of family "dynasty" candidates, and second is the real possibility that at least one electoral area – the largest in the county – may not elect even one Government party councillor.
Changes in the county’s electoral areas since 2004 have left Roscommon with five rather than six contests: Boyle, Castlerea, Roscommon and Strokestown.
The new Castlerea electoral area is an amalgamation of what was the Ballaghaderreen (four seats) and Castlerea (three seats) areas, into one new seven-seater Castlerea area.
Seats in the Boyle electoral area have been reduced by one to four, and the addition of a seat to Athlone/South Roscommon, which now has six.
In the “dynasty” context, four children of different politicians are standing in Roscommon this year. These are outgoing councillors Rachel Doherty (FF), daughter of former minister for justice Seán Doherty; John Naughten (FG), son of former cathaoirleach of the Seanad Liam Naughten and brother of Fine Gael TD and spokesman on immigration and integration Denis Naughten; Orla Leyden (FF), daughter of Senator Terry Leyden and Trevor Finneran (FF), son of Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran.
All are expected to be re-elected, although it is said that both Rachel Doherty (in Boyle) and Trevor Finneran (in Athlone/South Roscommon) are under pressure.
The electoral area which may not to have a Government party councillor after June 5th is Castlerea.
In 2004 the then Ballaghaderreen part of that electoral area, remarkably and for the first time, did not elect any Fianna Fáil councillor.
Instead it elected two Fine Gael councillors, one Sinn Féin and one Independent.
The belief locally is that the result there after June 5th will be similar, with Fine Gael candidate Liam Callaghan taking the seat vacated by John Connor (FG) who has retired from politics.
However, in the Castlerea end of this newly amalgamated area, Fianna Fáil is thought to be in danger of losing its only seat.
Popular outgoing Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Waldron has stepped down. Outgoing councillors Luke “Ming” Flanagan (Independent) and Michael McGreal (FG) seem secure.
But it is expected there will be a dogfight for the last seat involving the remaining six candidates, two of them Fianna Fáil. The party is fielding only two candidates in this seven-seater, which seems odd as Fine Gael is fielding five, and four Independents are standing.
In the Roscommon electoral area it likely that Fine Gael’s Larry Fallon may take a seat, while no change is anticipated in Strokestown.
Labour is not fielding a single candidate in what the party has found to be a hostile county.
HOW THE PARTIES STAND
(Outgoing)
FF9
FG10
SF1
Others6
