Here's what you need to know about the constituency of Galway West
Takes in: Galway city, Clifden, Conamara, Oileáin Árann, Inishbofin, Oranmore and Baile Chláir
Total Seats: Five
Sitting TDs: Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin), John Connolly (Fianna Fáil), Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael), Noel Grealish (Independent)
Vacancy: Due to election of Catherine Connolly to the office of President.
Interesting because: Any mid-term bye-election gives a snapshot of public political sentiment. This one will be keenly watched.
Will the 'united left' vote that swept Catherine Connolly to the presidency be a factor in this bye-election? Will recent protests impact on the fate of government parties and can Independent Ireland build on a strong showing here in the last General Election to take a seat this time round?
Lie of the land: The same constants apply since voters last went to the polls in November 2024.
Recent approval of plans for a ring road in Galway city might take some of the focus from the manner in which traffic can be eased, but the problem of gridlock is a huge one for thousands of people across this vast constituency.
Housing also looms large. A glut of short-term rentals means a diminished stock of available spaces for city residents in particular, but planning concerns extend into Conamara and elsewhere.
And there is no escaping the pressure being felt when it comes to the increasing cost of everyday goods and services.
Candidates so far: 13 (Nominations expected to close at midday on Friday 1 May)
Mike Cubbard (Independent)
AJ Cahill (The Irish People)
Sheila Garrity (Independent)
Cillian Keane (Fianna Fáil)
Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
Mark Lohan (Sinn Féin)
Niall Murphy (Green Party)
Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich (Social Democrats)
Orla Nugent (Aontú)
Helen Ogbu (The Labour Party)
Denman Rooke (People Before Profit)
Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland)
Thomas Welby (Independent)
In the running: The euphoria felt by supporters of Catherine Connolly in her Galway West base after last October’s presidential election soon gave way to realpolitik, Irish style.
A combined effort by left leaning parties to elect the Head of State was never going to hold for a Dáil contest.
So, it is business as usual for the bye-election, with a 'vote left, transfer left' pact a distant second to the utopian ideal of a single candidate to take on the government parties and perhaps set in place a wider movement for the next general election.
The shadow of Catherine Connolly’s vote-getting ability locally will be a significant factor in this contest.
Having steadily increased her support over several elections, she took over 6,700 first preferences in 2024.
Where those votes go on polling day will play a big part in determining the likely outcome.
Her former campaign manager, Sheila Garrity (Independent), was one of the first candidates to declare.
Emphasising "fairness, dignity and an awareness of the lived realities" of people, she is hoping to draw supporters of President Connolly to her cause in the bye-election.
City Councillor Helen Ogbu (The Labour Party) was elected to the local authority in 2024 and contested the last General Election here too.
She has been working to build her profile through a series of public meetings and political statements in recent months.
Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich is the standard bearer for the Social Democrats.
She's seeking to build on her party's showing in national opinion polls, to be in with a shout.
Her fluency in Irish could play in her favour, as could her Conamara base, given the absence of a resident from the Galway Gaeltacht in the current Dáil.
Niall Murphy will contest for the Green Party.
He was co-opted to the city council in 2020, but failed to hold his seat four years later.
He is focusing on the issue of traffic and sustainability, arguing that improved public transport, light rail and active travel measures are the most effective ways to counter gridlock on a long-term basis.
Denman Rooke (People Before Profit) is aiming to galvanise opposition to the Government’s housing record, by campaigning for rent controls, eviction bans and a State-owned construction company.
His party's calls for price controls on energy and food, along with the safeguarding of Irish neutrality, may resonate with many voters.
Mark Lohan (Sinn Féin) could be best placed among the six candidates of the left, given the steady progress his party has been making in the constituency over the last decade and a half.
A former councillor, he is aiming to take a second seat for the main opposition party in the constituency, with a campaign critical of the Government’s actions across a range of headings.
The above six candidates have signed up to Tonn Na Clé, described as a "grassroots movement on social justice and inclusion", in an effort to highlight their shared values and to promote that 'vote left, transfer left' ideal.
Former TD Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) is a Galway West veteran, having contested the last four general elections, with varying success.
He is stressing his long-term involvement in politics and his work on a number of major infrastructural projects in the constituency, as he tries to recapture the seat he lost here in 2020.
Cillian Keane (Fianna Fáil) is the youngest candidate to declare, having seen off the challenge of two other party councillors to secure his place on the ticket.
The 25-year-old was elected to Galway County Council in 2024 and is based on the eastern edge of the constituency.
He is advocating for business supports, healthcare infrastructure and inward investment.
Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland) performed very strongly here in 2024, missing out on the fifth seat by 900 votes on the 16th and final count.
A former Fianna Fáil councillor, he came to prominence for his opposition to opening an asylum centre in Rosscahill in the constituency in December 2023.
He was to the fore at the recent blockade of Galway Harbour and will be aiming to build on a growing profile this time round, to put him in contention.
Thomas Welby is running as an Independent candidate, stressing more than two decades experience on Galway County Council.
A former member of the Progressive Democrats, he has the backing of a number of city and county councillors linked to Minister of State Noel Grealish.
The availability of this established electoral machine gives him a good geographical spread of support across the constituency.
Galway Mayor Mike Cubbard (Independent) has established himself on the city’s political stage, having first been elected to the council in 2014, and retaining his seat in two subsequent contests.
He is running on what he terms a "Galway First" platform, saying he would ensure any national initiatives were of benefit to the constituency, were he elected.
Aontú is fielding Orla Nugent - a first-time candidate who has put the issues of housing and rising costs to the fore of her campaign.
The city-based teacher is also calling for greater levels of investment in the region’s healthcare infrastructure, better supports for Gaeltacht communities and the expansion of the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme, to assist those involved in the creative sector.
AJ Cahill will be the candidate for The Irish People.
It is his second time to run for the Dáil, having previously contested the 2024 General Election here.
The Salthill resident says he wants voters to have a "nationalist alternative" in the bye-election, and that his priorities are "housing for the Irish and implementing a firm policy of remigration".
This will be a fascinating contest for political anoraks, who will be watching for any number of possible straws in the wind in relation to the wider national picture.
Government parties traditionally face an uphill battle in bye-elections.
The two coalition parties took 35.6% of first preferences between them here in November 2024, with Fine Gael shading Fianna Fáil.
Will that combined vote share hold, will it increase or will it slide?
Even without a formal pact, there was a strong transfer pattern among parties and candidates of the left in the last election.
Will the 2026 effort to encourage this hold as the campaign intensifies, and will voters assiduously observe the request made of them?
And what of the prospects of well-known non-party candidates, newcomers and Independent Ireland?
Will recent unease around fuel prices galvanise around one particular candidate, or will it disperse or diminish?
The collective snapshot will be formed from the marks made on thousands of ballot papers, at 196 different polling booths around Galway West in a couple of weeks' time.
The final picture is expected to develop on 23 May at the count centre in Salthill.
