Macroom goes it alone as Blarney moves on

THE-newly redrawn Macroom electoral area sees four sitting councillors hoping to retain their seats in this six-seater constituency. 

They include Fianna Fáil’s Gobnait Moynihan, Fine Gael’s Michael Creed and Ted Lucey and Sinn Féin’s Ronnie Morley, who was co-opted into the seat after Des O’Grady stepped down earlier this year. 

However, sitting independent councillor Kevin Conway  from Blarney will now be seeking a seat in Cork City Council following the city boundary extension, while Fianna Fáil’s Bob Ryan has decided not to run as a candidate.

A total of 13 candidates have put their name forward for this month’s local elections, including some new candidates like Síle Ní Dhubhghaill from the Social Democrats and PJ Feeney from Peadar Tóibín’s new political party, Aontú.

Macroom is now a separate local electoral area, where previously it was attached to Blarney. 

This now means that Macroom is taking in areas such as Millstreet, Kiskeam, Banteer, Knocknagree and Kilmichael but is losing other areas such as Newcestown and Crossbarry to the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District. 

Because this is a new local electoral area, it is hard to compare like-with-like, and 2014, when Fianna Fáil’s Aindrias Moynihan topped the poll in what was then the Macroom Blarney District. 

His sister Gobnait – who was co-opted into his seat in 2016 – is hoping to retain her seat but pundits are saying that both Fine Gael’s Eileen Lynch and Michael Creed will poll well. But there could well be a scramble for the last three seats between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

However, another one to watch is independent candidate Martin Coughlan who could be in contention to secure one of the last seats. 

Sinn Féin may struggle to retain their seat, following the departure of Des O’Grady.

THE CANDIDATES:

Gobnait Moynihan (Fianna Fáil)

Síle Ní Dhubhghaill 

(Social Democrats)

Ronnie Morley (Sinn Féin)

Michael Looney (Fianna Fáil)

Ted Lucey (Fine Gael)

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)

Michael Creed (Fine Gael)

Áine Collins (Fine Gael)

Mary O’Callaghan Hallissey 

(Independent)

PJ Feeney (Aontú)

Martin Coughlan (Independent)

Jason Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil)

Nigel Dennehy (Independent)