15 candidates running in Laois Offaly

A total of 15 candidates have put their names forward to contest the upcoming general election for the constituency of Laois-Offaly.

The final line-up for the constituency was revealed on Wednesday this week, which was the closing day for nominations.

Of the 15 people who have thrown their hats into the ring, six are sitting TDs. They are Offaly's Barry Cowen (FF), Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (FG), Carol Nolan (Ind), and from Laois, Seán Fleming (FF), Charlie Flanagan (FG) and Brian Stanley (SF).

The coming election, on February 8, is expected to be the most fiercely contested in several years, due to the fact that at least one of the above sitting TDs is guaranteed to lose their seat.

This is because the constituency is reverting to a five-seater as opposed to the two previous three-seaters of Offaly and Laois.
Seven of the final list of candidates hail from Offaly – in addition to the three incumbents above, Cllr John Leahy (Ind), Cllr Ken Smollen (Irish Democratic Party), Cllr Peter Ormond (FF) and Senator Pippa Hackett (Green) have all declared as candidates.

The remaining eight have Laois addresses; Pauline Flanagan (FF), Sean Tynan (People Before Profit), Noel O'Rourke (Renua), Ken Smollen (Irish Democratic Party) and Noel Tuohy (Lab) and John Daly (The National Party) join the county's three sitting TDs on the ballot sheet.

While it is widely believed that sitting TDs, Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen and Sean Fleming, as we well as Fine Gael Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, will retain their seats, the remaining two seats are to play for.

Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley is thought to be a contender, and the Green Party's Pippa Hackett, who was the first Green candidate to be elected to Offaly Council last May, is expected to poll well also.

It may come down to a battle between Fine Gael's Marcella Corcoran Kennedy and Independent TD Carol Nolan for the final seat.

However, at this stage it is all to play for as the candidates continue on the campaign trail.
 

The candidates, in alphabetical order, are:

Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella (Fine Gael) of Oakley Park, Clareen, Birr, Co Offaly
Cowen, Barry (Fianna Fáil) of Lahinch, Clara, Co Offaly
Daly, John (The National Party) of Pallas, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Flanagan, Charlie (Fine Gael) of Glenlahan, Stradbally Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Flanagan Pauline (Fianna Fáil) of 76 Hawthorn Way, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Fleming, Sean (Fianna Fáil) of Castletown, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Hackett, Pippa (Green) of Geashill, Co Offaly
Leahy, John (Non-party) of 19 Glendine, Kilcormac, Co Offaly
Nolan, Carol (Non-party) of The Curragh, Cadamstown, Birr, Co Offaly
Ormond, Peter (Fianna Fáil) of Kyleogue, Shinrone, Birr, Co Offaly
O'Rourke, Noel (Renua) of 65 Lakeside Gardens, Kilminchy, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Smollen, Ken (Irish Democratic Party) of New Road, Clara, Co Offaly
Stanley, Brian (Sinn Féin) of 40 Clonrooske Abbey, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Tuohy, Noel (Labour) of Summerhill Lane, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Tynan, Stephen (Solidarity – People Before Profit) of Portarlington Road, Ballydavis, Portlaoise, Co Laois.