Fianna Fáil’s Jennifer Murnane O’Connor has retained her seat in the Dáil, securing an impressive three seats for Fianna Fáil in the Carlow Kilkenny constituency.

The Carlow-based candidate is a former councillor taking over the seat held by her late father, Jimmy Murnane. She first ran for the Dáil in 2011 but was unsuccessful, polling 6 per cent of the first preference vote. Murnane O’Connor subsequently contested the 2016 General Election, doubling her first preference to 12% of the first preference vote. Her 8,373 votes was the highest number of votes for a non-elected candidate at that election.

Murnane O’Connor was elected a senator on the Labour Panel in April 2016.

On her third attempt at the Dáil in 2020, Murnane O’Connor was successfully elected. A mother of four, Murnane O’Connor worked in retail prior to her political career.