1977: FF 47.02%; FG 36.91%; Lab 1.48%; PDs 4.84%; Others 9.75%. Outgoing TDs: Albert Reynolds and Seán Doherty (FF), Denis Naughten and Louis Belton (FG).
Will the recent local opinion poll which predicted the end of the line for Fine Gael's Louis Belton and three seats here for FF be proved accurate?
Such a victory will be difficult, given that the former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, and former Justice Minister, Seán Doherty, have retired. However, the party faces a difficult task to spread its vote evenly between Longford-based Peter Kelly and its Roscommon standard-bearers, Senator Michael Finneran and Dr Greg Kelly. Pay close attention to tally evidence to see if voters are staying within their county boundaries in a constituency which has been defined by geography as much as by political allegiance. Certainly Belton will hope that this tradition of voting locally will continue.