No sign of the Russians here yet...
The Cúil Aodha man holds degrees in engineering and marketing and management and was first elected to the Dáil in 2016 after being on Cork County Council since 2003.
“As a married father of four children, I understand firsthand the challenges facing young families and the importance of creating a strong and vibrant community that can provide a first class education and health system, affordable childcare, jobs for our young people, independent and secure living for senior citizens and protect the vulnerable members of our communities.
MichaeL Moynihan was educated at Boherbue Comprehensive School and was a full time farmer in Kiskeam prior to his election to Dáil Éireann in 1997.
“My priority for this constituency would be to reverse the constant attacks on rural Ireland that we have seen in recent years – the vital services that all communities need to develop and grow have been in decline, and there needs to be an urgent change in the approach of Government across all departments. We must maintain and protect our Post Offices, Schools, Garda Stations and Health services.”
Tara Nic Domhnaill, Irish Freedom Party, is a secondary school teacher from Ballincollig.
She wants to reopen rural Garda stations and post offices to improve the lives of people in her community. She says she will fight for more investment in rural infrastructure and services. She believes in Irish neutrality and wants Ireland to withdraw from the PESCO agreement (The ‘Permanent Structured Cooperation’ is part of the EU’s security and defence policy).
A principal of IFP is to restore national democracy by leaving the European Union.
In the declaration of candidates, Sean O’Leary is describe d as a businessman from Kerry Pike, Cork ... but little is known of his electoral intentions other than he is reported to be running in 11 constituencies.
No known election material has been forthcoming, and efforts to find contact details, and make contact, have come to nought.
Interestingly, his daughter Tara - the youngest of six children - was Miss Cork in 2017.
And notably, Mr O’Leary entered, then withdrew, from November’s Cork North Central by-election.
First introduced to politics through his involvement in a campaign to save Lombardstown Post Office, John Paul O’Shea has been a councillor since 2009 when he was elected as an independent before joining Fine Gael in 2016.
“I believe that large parts of the Cork North West constituency have been under-represented by its TDs for far too long. I believe it is time for a fresh voice to represent you at a national level.
“If elected as your TD, I will bring my determination to improve the area which I represent to the Dáil.”
MOST recent elections in Ireland have been predicted as the elections during which social media will play a dominant role.
Whatever can be said about Donald Trump’s election in 2016 and the alleged role of shadowy Russian fake news targeted at voters in certain swing states, this doesn’t appear to have happened yet in this campaign in the crucial bellwether constituency of Cork North West.
While candidates have social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook, there appears to very little, if any, online advertising by the candidates.
Mostly what is appearing online from the candidates amounts to updates from the canvass. For instance, Simon Coveney was on the canvass in Kanturk with local candidate John Paul O’Shea on Tuesday and Michael Moynihan was out early that day also, looking forward to a day seeking votes in the snow. Becky Kealy, the Aontú candidate, has a video on her Facebook page in which she introduces herself at the outset of the campaign and appeals for help putting up posters. Aindrias Moynihan appears very busy on the canvass from his facebook page while Michael Creed is also on the move.
Social Democrat candidate Ciaran McCarthy has been busy also on the canvass and appears to be focusing on the estates around Ballincollig. According to a recent post, he got a great reception in Westcourt and Westgrove on Monday.
Irish Freedom Party candidate Tara Nic Domhnaill, a maths teacher in Coláiste Daibhéid, appeared on a nationalist Youtube video channel, Grand Torino, and expressed her support for anti immigration policies and advocates for Ireland’s exit from the European Union.