Familiar faces return, but flying different flags

COUNTY COUNCIL PROFILE: LONGFORD:FINE GAEL was in the unusual position of having all of its 11 candidates elected in the Longford County Council elections in 2004.

In contrast the Labour Party stood just two candidates but failed, not for the first time, to take a single county council seat. Fianna Fáil stood 15 candidates and took eight seats. Independents filled the remaining two of the 21 seats available.

This election Fianna Fáil is running just 12 candidates but stress the participation of a large number of Independent or non-party candidates, a total of 10, this time round.

The number includes the two Independents elected in 2004, Peter Murphy and Michael Nevin.

This election also sees the return of some familiar faces, if from opposite ends of the spectrum. Former PD TD and councillor Mae Sexton will be attempting a political comeback as an Independent, also in the Longford electoral area. Ms Sexton was first elected to Longford County Council in 1991, when she topped the poll in the area. She was elected to the Dáil in 2002 but lost her Dáil seat in 2007.

Also attempting a comeback will be former Sinn Féin councillor Seán Lynch, now described as “non-party”, who is contesting one of four seats in the Drumlish area. Mr Lynch was a councillor from 1974 and members of his family had served on the council for about 70 years until 2004, when he missed out on the third seat, then the last, in Drumlish. This time, however, Drumlish is a four seater and the former council chairman is seen as having a good chance – a recently broken hip notwithstanding.

In the Ballymahon electoral area all outgoing councillors – four Fine Gael and two Fianna Fáil – are standing again. Michael Brennan a farmer from Kenagh who was a councillor in the 1990s will be seeking a seat as an independent. Sinn Féin’s Conor Nolan is also contesting a seat. Fianna Fáil may lose out here as some dissent followed the selection convention, and Mark Casey and John Nolan have decided to stand as independents in Ballymahon.

It is in Ballymahon too that James Feeney of Labour will be hoping to take a seat for the party. He is the only Labour candidate declared for the county council.

Granard is down from five to four seats and Sinn Féin is running retired teacher Jack Mulvey. A total of nine candidates, three Fianna Fáil, three Fine Gael, two Independents and one Sinn Féin candidate are contesting.

In the Longford Town electoral area 12 candidates are chasing seven seats.

In the last local elections these broke down three Fine Gael, two Fianna Fáil and two independents. This time Independent Peter Murphy won’t be pleased to see much of Newtownforbes where he could count on support, being transferred to the Drumlish electoral area.

The contest is also likely to be enlivened by the neighbours Mae Sexton (Ind) and Peggy Nolan of FG who live some three houses apart and who will each be vying with Michael Nevin (Ind) who lives in the same estate.

Share of vote 2004:

FF35.28%

FG38.92%

Lab1.77%

GP0.51%

PD6.91%

Others16.61%

How they stand (Outgoing)

FF8

FG11

Others3