A formidable election candidate in her own right, businesswoman Kate O'Connell benefited hugely from a massive investment of funding and support from Fine Gael party headquarters and the co-operation of her successful running mate, Eoghan Murphy. Running a high-profile campaign, she said that she loved "every minute" of the battle with rival Renua Ireland leader Lucinda Creighton, a former rising star in Fine Gael. A councillor since 2014, she runs two pharmacies with her husband, Morgan O'Connell, and has three children. She lives in Rathgar.