CONSTITUENCY PROFILE:IN THE outgoing Assembly Sinn Féin held three seats here, with the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Democratic Unionist Party having one each.
The same balance of forces obtained after the 2007 vote, whereas in the first Assembly elections in 2003 Sinn Féin and the SDLP had two seats each, one of the latter being Séamus Mallon, who was Deputy First Minister from 1999-2001.
The DUP has had its share of internal difficulty over recent years following allegations in a Sunday newspaper in 2005 about the private life of Paul Berry MLA who resigned from the party and failed to win a seat as an Independent candidate in the last Assembly poll in 2007.
This is seen as one of the less-volatile constituencies, and little by way of change is expected on polling day.
It is unique in that all six of the outgoing MLAs are seeking re-election and there are no women candidates.
Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy was also elected to Westminster on an abstentionist ticket in 2005. A highly-proactive politician, he held that seat in last year’s general election.
A former republican prisoner he has served as Minister for Regional Development at Stormont since 2007.
His responsibilities include water and sewerage services, and he successfully resisted pressure to resign over the crisis caused by the Christmas holiday freeze and subsequent thaw that left more than 40,000 householders without water.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Davy Hyland split from the party over its endorsement of the revamped police service in the North and ran unsuccessfully as an Independent in the 2007 election.
Mr Murphy has a rock-solid political base in south Armagh, whereas party colleague Cathal Boylan draws his support from the Armagh City/mid-county area and Mickey Brady relies mainly on the town of Newry and environs.
The SDLP’s Dominic Bradley, who succeeded Mr Mallon when the latter stepped down, is expected to hold on to his Assembly seat.
The Ulster Unionist candidate and sitting MLA Danny Kennedy is a former deputy leader of the party and current Minister for Employment and Learning in the powersharing Executive.
Newry and Armagh it is not so much a case of “six characters in search of an author” but, as one observer put it, “six stalwarts looking to be returned to Stormont”.
And it looks as if they will.
OUTGOING:
Cathal Boylan (SF),
Dominic Bradley (SDLP),
Mickey Brady (SF),
William Irwin (DUP),
Danny Kennedy (UUP),
Conor Murphy (SF).
CANDIDATES:
Cathal Boylan (SF),
Dominic Bradley (SDLP),
Mickey Brady (SF),
Barrie Halliday (TUV),
William Irwin (DUP),
Danny Kennedy (UUP),
James Malone (Non-party),
Conor Murphy (SF),
David Murphy (Alliance),
Thomas O'Hanlon (SDLP),
Robert Woods (UKIP).
LOCAL ISSUES:
Unemployment caused by decimation of construction industry; loss of income due to decline in number of shoppers coming from the Republic.
