Fianna Fáil face battle in Donegal

Updates resume!

First of all sincere apologies to anyone regulalrly checking in for news of the election in Donegal for the lack of posts over the past two days. I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday in Dublin and despite trying to keep up to date with the happenings in Donegal, I didn’t manage to get online to update the blog – after discovering that even in the capital sometimes wi-fi access can be far from perfect. Anyway there has been loads of stuff going on..here’s a wee synopsis with a promise of more regular updates over the course of the final week.

Poll has Harte and McConalogue in battle

A poll in Thursday’s Tirconaill Tribune news paper has suggested that Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue may have to battle it out with Labour’s Jimmy Harte for the last seat in Donegal North East.

The poll has Sinn Féın’s Padraig MacLochlainn ahead with 28% of the vote, ahead of Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh in second place on 20% leaving councillor Harte and councillor McConalogue in a dead heat on 15%

Carried out by telephone last week, the poll surveyed 800 voters in Donegal North East and indicates that of the independent candidates in the field only health candidate Betty Holmes – on 7% is polling reasonably well.

The poll is the first to be carried out in Donegal for this election and no doubt will be carefully examined by the respective candidates and their supporters over the coming days.

While the figures may not prove exactly correct come polling day, the Tribune poll reinforces the local opinion that in reality only four candidates – MacLochlainn, McHugh, McConalogue and Harte will be in the race for the seats in Donegal North East.

Friday's Donegal News front pages suggests that Jimmy Harte and Thomas Pringle are both making a late charge for Fianna Fáil seats. If they were to win it could leave Donegal without a Fianna Fáil TD at all in the Dáil. Who would have thought that possible a few years ago when five of the six TDs were effectively FF (Niall Blaney was Independent FF).

Tánaiste’s seat in jeopardy?

Having had the spotlight to itself for the bye-election before Christmas, things seem relatively quiet in Donegal South West this time around compared to the drama unfolding in Donegal North East. But it doesn’t mean that there won’t be drama there and there has been growing speculation over the past week that Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan, could be in danger of losing her seat.

Some analysts have suggested that the Tánaiste’s Fianna Fáil running mate Brian O’Domhnaill is running her close for first preferences in Donegal South West while it has also been suggested that independent candidate Thomas Pringle could be well-placed to sneak in and make ground if a split Fianna Fáil vote endangers both candidates.

Labour’s Frank McBrearty meanwhile is likely to benefit from additional areas like St Johnston included from the Stranorlar Electoral area in Donegal South West but it is believed his strong showing in the Finn Valley may not be replicated further west in the county.

Most analysts predict that Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty will once again top the poll in Donegal South West with Fine Gael’s Dinny McGinley also set to take a seat.