Local area profile - Kilkenny: Kilkenny is a heartland of the traditional parties. Fianna Fáil has controlled the county council for the past five years with the help of two independents, but Fine Gael and Labour were in charge for the previous 25 years.
The Opposition is convinced "there is a mood out there that is going to translate into support for Fine Gael and Labour".
Fianna Fáil candidates have been getting a "quiet and courteous" reception on the doorsteps, but are not getting the "comfort factor" that they would have got previously from supporters. One Fianna Fáil activist points out, however, that "in a local election, the guy who fixes the pothole, gets the medical card, who interacts with the community will get elected, no matter what the party."
In the five-seater Ballyraggett electoral area, all three Fine Gael and two Fianna Fáil sitting councillors are up for re-election. Maurice Shortall is Labour's candidate and is a contender for the last seat.
In the three-seater Callan area, the money is on Fine Gael gaining a seat at Fianna Fáil's expense. There are just four candidates for three seats, two held by Fianna Fáil and one by Fine Gael. This is the home area of poll-topper Minister of State Liam Aylward, who is out of contention because of the ban on the dual mandate, while his colleague Jimmy Brett is retiring. Mr Aylward's brother Bobby is running in another area - Pilltown. Fine Gael's Tom Maher is likely to retain his seat and running mate Billy Ireland will also be elected.
Matt Doran (FF) is expected to take the third seat.
In Kilkenny city and environs there are 17 candidates for seven seats, where there are currently three Fianna Fáil, two Fine Gael, one Labour and one Independent councillors.
Fianna Fáil is expected to keep its three seats here, with two definite Fine Gael seats and one Labour seat. The real battle is for the seventh seat and is likely to be between Fine Gael, the Green Party and PD Coleman Loughnane. The sitting Independent, Teresa Mullen, is very vulnerable.
The loss of Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness and Fine Gael's deputy Phil Hogan will spread the competition for their seats. Mr McGuinness is replaced by Mr Pat Fitzpatrick, who works in his office, while Mr Hogan's brother Paddy has been co-opted.
For Fine Gael it is a question of which personnel will hold the seats. Mr Pat Crotty, who lost to Mr Mullen by 99 votes for the final seat last time around, is one of the likely winners.
In the six-seater Piltown electoral area, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael hold three each. The expectation is three Fine Gael, two Fianna Fáil and a battle for the last seat. Fianna Fáil is likely to lose its third seat. Sinn Féin's candidate Kevin Dunphy is seen as a major contender, with a traditional Sinn Féin vote in parts of the Piltown area. Labour candidate Tomás Breathnach , who lost out by 38 votes in 1999, is also in the shake-out for that seat.
In Thomastown, where there are two Fianna Fáil, two Fine Gael and an Independent, the non-party candidate Dixie Doyle has a fight on his hand. A colourful councillor who became embroiled in a local planning row with Green Party candidate, Judith Ashton, he faces competition from Labour candidate, Mr Michael O'Brien.
The 12-seat Kilkenny Borough council is divided up into five Fianna Fáil, four Fine Gael and three Labour seats and all three parties are vulnerable to Sinn Féin's Tom Kiernan and the Green Party's Malcolm Noonan. Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness's son Andrew is running in the borough where a McGuinness has held a seat since 1914.
