COUNTY COUNCIL PROFILE: CORK:THE FOCUS on the local elections to Cork County Council will be on whether Fine Gael will improve on its performance in 2004 to move even further clear of Fianna Fáil.
The party saw its vote in 2004 drop by over 1 per cent to 37.19 per cent, but with excellent vote management it increased its seats from 21 to 24 seats and with the defection of Fianna Fáil’s councillor Deirdre Forde earlier this year, it now holds a majority on the 48-seat council. Already holding the majority of seats in six of the nine electoral areas, Fine Gael will be hard pressed to add to its tally, with possibly just one or two gains despite the likely drop in support for Fianna Fáil which won 16 seats in 2004.
In Bandon, Fine Gael will hold its two seats through sitting councillors Kevin Murphy and Veronica Neville, with Fianna Fáil leader on the council, Cllr Alan Coleman also likely to hold his seat against challenges from Sinn Féin and Labour.
In five-seat Bantry where there has been a lot of concern over planning matters, Fine Gael will hold its three seats, Fianna Fáil will hold at least one, with the final seat looking as it will be between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and former Sinn Féin and now Independent, Anne O’Leary.
In four-seat Blarney, Fine Gael veteran Tomas Ryan is retiring, but the party will hold its two seats through Cllr Gerry Kelly and newcomer Pat Burton, as will Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Dan Fleming, leaving Labour’s Cllr John Gilroy battling to hold off Fianna Fáil’s Michael Burns.
In Carrigaline, new Fine Gael recruit Cllr Deirdre Forde should hold her seat as should her colleagues, Tim Lombard and John A Collins, with Micheál Martin’s brother, Pádraig and Michael McGrath’s brother, Séamus also likely to win along with Labour’s Paula Desmond.
Fermoy should see no great change with sitting Fianna Fáilers, Kevin O’Keeffe and the colourful Cllr Frank O’Flynn likely to be joined by sitting Fine Gael Cllr Aileen Pyne and either Kay Dawson from Mitchelstown or Pat O’Driscoll from Fermoy.
Kanturk has dropped from five to four seats and former Fine Gael TD, Gerard Murphy will be joined by at least one party colleague, while FF will be under pressure to hold its second seat under challenges from Fine Gael and Independent Tim Collins.
Macroom has changed with the addition of Ballincollig, but with five sitting councillors vying for four seats it promises a right scrap with Fine Gael likely to hold its two seats and Fianna Fáil’s Mark O’Keeffe and Aindrias Moynihan battling with Labour’s Cllr Martin Coughlan for the last two seats.
Mallow should see Fine Gael hold its two seats and FF’s Dan Joe Fitzgerald will hold his seat while Labour will also hold its seat, leaving Fine Gael well positioned in the fight for the last seat with, Labour, FF and possibly independent John Paul O’Shea. In the Midleton electoral area which includes Youghal and Cobh, Fine Gael will hold its two seats as will FF’s Maurice Ahern, Independent Noel Collins and Labour’s John Mulvihill.