DIARY Paddy makes Brendan strong favourite
BRENDAN Howlin will comfortably top the polls in next month’s General Election according to a leading Irish bookmaker.
Offering odds of 1/25 on the Labour leader regaining his seat, Paddy Power makes Deputy Howlin a strong favourite to be the first one elected in the 15-strong field.
Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne, who only assumed his place in Dáil Éireann in last November’s by-election, is expected to retain that place, with the bookie putting him joint second favourite at 1/14 with fellow Fianna Fáil TD, James Browne.
However, according to the bookmakers, the last two seats are set to be hotly contested with two Fine Gael candidates fighting it out with a former member of the party.
Deputies Michael D’Arcy and Paul Kehoe are both listed at 4/7 with the now Independent candidate Verona Murphy at even money.
Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen appears to be an outside bet at 13/8 but, from there, the odds lengthen considerably.
Fianna Fáil’s Michael Sheehan is at 5/1, Independent Ger Carthy at 8/1 and Seanie O’Shea, of Independents 4 Change, at 12/1.
Lisa McDonald, also of Fianna Fáil, is at 14/1, while you can get odds of 25/1 on Jim Codd of Aontú being elected to the Dáil.
People Before Profit’s Deirdre Wadding is the rank outsider at 100/1.
The bookmaker has not listed any odds for Bart Murphy (Independent) nor Paula Roseingrave (Green Party).
Paddy Power also has odds on the who the next Taoiseach of the country will be with Micheál Martin a strong favourite at 1/6 ahead of current encumbent Leo Varadkar at 7/2. Wexford’s Brendan Howlin is 300/1 to be Ireland’s next leader according to the bookmaker.
Fianna Fail are expected to take the most seats (1/8) ahead of Fine Gael (9/2) and Sinn Féin (16/1).