The big talking point in the South Tipperary by-election is the Saturday polling day. This means the count will take place on Sunday, when Tipperary will be taking on either Limerick or Waterford in the Munster Final. This gravely discommodes the candidates and everybody else involved in the count, since the Munster is to Tipperary what the Holy Grail was to the knights of Camelot. Nominations will close next Tuesday. The other talking point is: will there be a single-issue candidate on the proposed Cashel to Mitchelstown section of the Dublin-Cork motorway. This would cut through some prime Golden Vale land and has aroused bitter local opposition. The group campaigning against is fronted by former IFA president - and Tipperary farmer - Joe Rea. He has told the county registrar they will make a final decision on whether to run a candidate after a Monday night meeting.
Meanwhile, the group is sounding out the other candidates on their stance on the motorway. The Fine Gael candidate, Senator Tom Hayes, is a farmer and could be expected to be sympathetic. Fianna Fβil and Labour have yet to launch their campaigns, though Fianna Fβil's director of elections, Brian Lenihan, has been to the constituency. So has the Labour leader, Ruair∅ Quinn. Last time out, the Fianna Fβil director of elections was local TD Noel Davern. When the party candidate trailed in third place, Mount Street harboured a suspicion that Davern had not been entirely enthusiastic about having a second Fianna Fβil TD in South Tipp.