Election season gets underway as first posters go up in Athlone

Whether you like them or loathe them, election posters will be hard to avoid in the coming weeks.

Today (Wednesday, May 8) was the day from which posters were legally allowed to go on display in advance of the local and European elections on June 7.

A quick stroll through parts of Athlone this afternoon indicated that Aengus O'Rourke and Louise Heavin were the sitting councillors who were first out of the blocks with election posters in the centre of town.

Sinn Féin's Conor Dowling Linehan also had posters in place in the centre of Athlone, as did his party's European election candidate, Michelle Gildernew from Tyrone.

According to legislation, election posters are permitted "on suitable lamp standards", but they must all be removed by midnight on Friday, June 14.

More posters will be popping up in the not-too-distant future, however, as the next general election will be taking place sometime before March of next year.

Candidates interested in running in the local elections have until noon on Saturday week, May 18, to submit their nominations.