Constituency Profile:
The constituency of Cork South-West covers a large area, taking in most of the coastal area of Co Cork, from the borders of Cork City in the east to the Beara peninsula in the west.
The population of the constituency stood at 76,949 in 2006, having grown by 8% since 2001.
Although predominantly rural in character, there are several major towns in this constituency, with around a quarter of the population living in the towns of Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Kinsale and Skibbereen.
Agriculture is important to the local economy: by 2006, the state of the last census, about one in every eight (11.8%) workers employed in the sector, about two and a half times the national average.
In 2006, 27% of the workforce in Cork South-West was self-employed, while the constituency also had a higher than average proportion of workers in the construction sector. Unsurprisingly, unemployment has become a major issue in the area.
Constituency Boundaries: There have been no changes since the 2007 election.
Seats: Three
2007 Quota: 10,625
2011 Candidates
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Edmund Butler - Independent
Self-employed and Bandon-based, Edmund Butler previously stood as a candidate doe Cork South West in 2002 when he polled 621 votes.
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Jim Daly - Fine Gael
A Councillor since 2004 and current Mayor of Cork County, Jim Daly is a first-time general election candidate.
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Paul Doonan - Independent
The founder of the Apache Pizza group, Paul Doonan was last seen running on an anti-smoking ban platform in 2004's European election, Doonan is contesting his first general election.
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Noel Harrington - Fine Gael
A Castletownbere-based Councillor since 1999 and a former Mayor of Cork County, this is Noel Harrington's first-time to contest a general election.
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Paul Hayes - Sinn Féin
Clonakility-based, Paul Hayes is a first-time general election candidate. He has been a member of Sinn Féin since the age of 19.
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John Kearney - Independent
Baltimore-based John Kearney ran unsuccessfully as an Independent candidate in the June 2009 local elections.
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Michael McCarthy - Labour Party
Dunmanway-based Senator Michael McCarthy ran unsuccessfully in the general elections of 2002 and 2007. Labour last held a seat in Cork-West in 1981.
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Kevin McCaughey - Green Party
Dublin-born but Clonakilty-based, Kevin McCaughey is a first-time Dáil candidate. He is a father of four, including triplet girls.
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Dave McInerney -
Ballinhassig-based IT consultant Dave McInerney is a first time general election candidate.
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Kevin Murphy - Fine Gael
A Councillor for Bandon since 1991, this is Kevin Murphy's first time to contest a Dáil election. He is one of three Fine Gael candidates standing in the Cork South West constituency.
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Denis O'Donovan - Fianna Fáil
After winning a seat for Cork South West in 2002, Denis O'Donovan lost it in 2007. He was subsequently elected to the Seanad. He lost the party whip in July 2010 after failing to support the Dog Breeding Establishment Bill.
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Christy O'Sullivan - Fianna Fáil
A former Independent Councillor, Christy O'Sullivan topped the poll for Fianna Fáil in Cork South West in 2007. He is the only Fianna Fáil candidate contesting the constituency on this occasion.
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Michael O'Sullivan - Independent
Known as 'the Miney', Michael O'Sullivan stood in the 2002 general election as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He has also contested local election for the Labour Party and as an Independent.
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Sitting TDs: Jim O'Keeffe (FG), Christy O'Sullivan (FF), PJ Sheehan (FG)
TDs not seeking re-election: PJ Sheehan (FG) and Jim O’Keeffe (FG)
Sean Donnelly's analysis:
This three seater returned two Fianna Fáil and one Fine Gael from 1981 until the positions were reversed in 2002. But in 2007 Jim O’Keeffe and PJ Sheehan were both returned. The veteran deputies have now retired and three local councillors Jim Daly, Noel Harrington and Kevin Murphy will fight it out for the two traditional Fine Gael seats. Fianna Fáil has decided to go with two candidates, outgoing deputy Christy O’Sullivan and former deputy Denis O’Donovan. This is a high risk strategy with the division of a badly depleted vote likely to leave both candidates too far off the pace. Labour Senator Michael McCarthy was well beaten for a seat in 2007 but the likely improvement in the Labour vote should put him in contention with Fianna Fáil for the final seat.
Sean Donnelly's prediction:
2FG, 1LB (Jim Daly FG, Noel Harington FG, Michael McCarthy LB.) LB Gain from FF.
2007 General Election
Despite improving its first preference vote, Fianna Fáil managed to hold onto only one of their two outgoing seats. Christy O’Sullivan topped the poll for the party and gained election on the second count.
It was something of a surprise that Mr O'Sullivan outpolled outgoing Fianna Fáil TD, Denis O’Donovan, by more than 2,500 votes.
Mr O’Donovan was ahead of both Fine Gael candidates on the first count, but on the fourth count the transfers of the excluded Labour Party candidate went decisively against him, and he was overtaken by outgoing Fine Gael TD, Jim O’Keeffe, and his running-mate, PJ Sheehan.
The Labour Party had high hopes for their candidate, Michael McCarthy, but he failed to get elected.
Green Party candidate Quentin Gargan took 6.7% of the first preference vote, ahead of Sinn Féin's Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, who took 5.1% and was excluded on the first count.
2002 Turnout: 70.3%
2007 Turnout: 69.7%
Oireachtas Constituency Information
Twitter hashtag: #csw
