The race for the council chamber in Athlone (Roscommon)

Electoral Divisions:

Athleague East, Athleague West, Athlone West Rural, Ballydangan, Ballynamona, Caltragh, Carnagh, Carrowreagh, Castlesampson, Cloonburren, Cloonown, Crannagh, Creagh, Culliagh, Drumlosh, Dunamon, Dysart, Fuerty, Kilcar, Kiltoom, Lackan, Lecarrow, Lismaha, Moore, Rockhill, Rosmoylan, Scregg, Taghboy, Taghmaconnell, Thomastown and Turrock.

Seats: 6

Sitting Councillors: Fianna Fáil (1), Fine Gael (1), Non-Party (4): John Keogh (Fianna Fáil), John Naughten (Fine Gael), Laurence Fallon (Non-Party), Emer Kelly (Non-Party), Donal Kilduff (Non-Party), Tony Ward (Non-Party).

Candidates (10):

Brooks, Sam (Sinn Féin)

Connolly, Domnick (Fine Gael)

Fallon, Laurence (Non-Party)

Harney, Joe (Sinn Féin)

Kelly, Emer (Non-Party)

Keogh, John (Fianna Fáil)

Murray, James (Fianna Fáil)

Naughten, John (Fine Gael)

Naughton, Dominic (Non-Party)

Ward, Tony (Non-Party)

Analysis:

A Sunday Independent poll last weekend indicated that the support for Independent candidates, as a grouping, was starting to edge ahead of the support pledged to any of Ireland’s largest political parties.

In this respect, it might be argued that the Athlone electoral area of Roscommon was ahead of a looming national trend when voters returned four Independent candidates among the six councillors for the district in 2019.

And the strength of the local Independents is also evident in the fact that - as in 2019 - Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin are the only political parties opting to run candidates in South Roscommon.

The field as a whole is relatively small, with just ten candidates contesting the six seats on offer.

Last time out, Cllr Tony Ward topped the poll for the third successive local election, receiving a whopping 1,800 first preferences. The Curraghboy man has served as a full-time councillor for the last twenty years, and has opted to again stand for re-election.

Athleague's Ivan Connaghton was the second best performer five years ago, with just under 1,600 votes, and his decision to resign as a councillor in 2021 adds a sense of intrigue to the outcome on this occasion.

Candidates in the north-west and north of the electoral area, including Cllr Emer Kelly who is the only female candidate and was co-opted onto the council to replace Mr Connaughton, will be eager to sweep up as many of his votes as possible.

Fianna Fáil ran three candidates in South Roscommon five years ago, but the splitting of the party's vote failed to pay dividends with only sitting councillor John Keogh returned to the chamber.

Cllr Keogh is seeking to retain the council seat which he has held since 2009, and Athleague's James Murray will also be hoping to benefit from Ivan Connaughton's departure by winning a seat for Fianna Fáil.

Laurence Fallon has also been serving on the council since 2009, and the Ballagh, Rahara, resident has been prominent in recent months in campaigning for a resolution to the flooding crisis at Lough Funshinagh.

Fuerty's Domnick Connolly, a former councillor who quit Fine Gael over the closure of the Emergency Department at Roscommon Hospital, has returned to the party’s fold and will be hoping for a strong showing in the northern end of the electoral area.

He is joined on the Fine Gael ticket by experienced councillor John Naughten, who will seek to maintain his family’s long involvement in electoral politics, with his brother Denis set to step down as a TD come the next general election.

Sinn Féin is running two candidates in the hope of claiming a seat, with Monskland’s Joe Harney hoping to build on his performance in 2019, when he received 379 first preferences.

He is joined on the party’s ticket by one of the youngest local election candidates in Ireland, 18-year-old Sam Brooks from Taughmaconnell.

Another first-time candidate is Independent Dominic Naughton, from Ballydangan, who is campaigning on issues such as health services and support for carers.

A change from recent local elections in South Roscommon is that there will be no Kilduff on the ballot paper this time.

Cllr Donal Kilduff of Glanduff, Kiltoom, was elected last time out, following in his father Paddy’s footsteps as a local councillor, but decided that one term on the local authority was enough.

* See our Q&A profiles with each of the candidates here.