1997: FF 45.67%; FG 25.88%; Labour 24.51%; Others 3.94%.Outgoing TDs: Mary O'Rourke (FF), Paul McGrath (FG) and Willie Penrose (Lab).
Fianna Fáil's Senator Donie Cassidy has hungered for a Dáil seat for years. If he wins now, an FF majority is a certainty. Fine Gael's Paul McGrath will be vulnerable to challenge if his own first preferences fall below the 5,200 he got in 1997, so the transfer pattern from his running-mate, Nicky McFadden, will be crucial. Can Labour's Willie Penrose add to his poll-topping tally of 8,000 votes five years ago? He should, given that the public mood towards the party will be more benign this time around.