Hot contest on cards as two big players move to Kilmuckridge
THE Enniscorthy Municipal District area could prove to be one of the more interesting regions in this year’s local elections as the local authority will lose two of its seats - reducing from eight to six - with 12 candidates seeking election.
The electoral divisions announced earlier this year mean two prominent current sitting members of the Enniscorthy MDC, Cllrs Willie Kavanagh and Oliver Walsh, will not be running in this area and instead will be contesting the Kilmuckridge electoral area in the hope of winning a seat on Gorey MDC.
Cllr Johnny Mythen and former councillor, James Browne, were elected on the first count in 2014, with both surpassing the quota by 332 and 489, respectively and while Cllr Mythen will be hoping to repeat his 2014 success, in the interim, James Browne became a TD and his cousin, Aidan Browne, will be hoping to continue the family political dynasty on the Enniscorthy local authority.
Whether the addition of the Browne name to the Fianna Fail ticket will have a positive or negative affect on his party colleague, Cllr Keith Doyle’s plans to retain his seat will be another significant focal point of this year’s election.
With Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy having a traditionally strong hold in the Bunclody area - she was just 68 votes short of getting through on the first count last time around - it’s possible that Fianna Fail could get three councillors elected if they get their vote transfer strategies correct.
Fine Gael have two very strong candidates in Cllrs Paddy Kavanagh and Kathleen Codd-Nolan who received 1,316 and 1,298 first preference votes, respectively, in 2014.
Cllr Cathal Byrne is another Fine Gael candidate in the running this time around and careful vote management between the candidates has the potential to lead to a blue shirt hat-trick of seats.
However, independent councillor, John O’Rourke, is highly regarded in the town and district and having secured 848 first preference votes in 2014 he is someone who is likely to be in the running to retain his seat. If that happens then for the two big parties it will be case of six into five won’t go and if, as expected, Cllr Mythen retains his Sinn Fein seat then that will put further pressure on the big party candidates.
Gerald O’Donoghue is hoping to change the political landscape by winning a seat for Renua and local businesswoman, Annette Byrne-Moran, will be hoping to build on her performance last time around when she secured 530 first preference votes as an independent candidate.
Former independent councillor Jackser Owens is hoping to regain his seat in Enniscorthy and having secured 803 first preference votes last time around it’s likely he will be among the candidates to poll well.
John ‘ Texas’ Byrne is an independent candidate for 2019 who is hoping that people in rural areas feeling they are being overlooked by mainstream politicians will provide him with the basis to cause an upset.
In 2014 the total electorate in the Enniscorthy MD area was 27,392 with the final valid poll being 13,319, however, due to the divisional changes this time around it will be in the region of 21,600 with the area being comprised of: Bree; Kiltealy; Ballroebuck; Ballindaggin; Clohamon; Castledockrell; Marshalstown; Caim; Clonegal; Ferns; Tombrack; Davidstown; Brownswood; Cherryorchard; Enniscorthy Urban (east and west); Bunclody; Galbally; Kilmyshall and Glynn.