In 2012, Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael TD for Longford-Westmeath, was diagnosed with Motor-Neurone disease and died on 25 March.
She was elected to the Dáil for the Longford-Westmeath constituency in the 2011 General Election.
Ms McFadden was the first female Fine Gael TD in Westmeath.
She was first elected to Athlone Town Council in 1999, when she topped the poll.
In the immediate aftermath of the death, it was not thought likely that the by-election would take place before the summer of this year.
However, in a move that surprised some observers, the Government decided instead to have the election - and the Dublin West by-election - on the same date as the local and European elections, 23 May.
Following the moving of the writ in the Dáil, the order was made on 1 May for both by-elections to be held.
Gabrielle McFadden - Fine Gael
The by-election was called due to the death of Fine Gael TD Nicky McFadden, the sister of Gabrielle McFadden. Nicky McFadden died in March 2014 at 51,from motor neuron disease. Gabrielle McFadden is a Westmeath County Councillor based in Athlone and was elected Mayor of Athlone in 2013. She was first elected in 2009, with 892 votes on the seventh count. She deputised for Nicky McFadden at many functions towards the end of the late TD's life.
Aengus O’Rourke - Fianna Fáil
In 2009, Mr O’Rourke was elected to Athlone Town Council with the highest ever vote for a first-time candidate to that body. He is also standing for the Athlone LEA of Westmeath County Council on election day in 2014. O’Rourke is attempting to win back a second Fianna Fáil seat in the constituency after his mother, Mary O’Rourke, lost her Dáil seat in the 2011 general election and retired from politics. As such he comes from one of the largest political dynasties in Ireland.
Dennis Leonard - Labour Party
Elected to Westmeath County council in 2009, he represents the Mullingar East LEA. Of the four major party candidates, he is the only one who is not from Athlone. Based in Kinnegad in Westmeath, he has been a Labour councillor for the LEA of Mullingar East on Westmeath County Council since 2009.
Paul Hogan - Sinn Féin
Elected to Athlone Town Council in 2004 at the age of 21, Hogan ran unsuccessfully for the Dáil in 2011, with a 7.5% vote share. Hogan is also running in the Athlone LEA of Westmeath County Council in the local elections on the same day. He also ran in the 2009 local elections (Athlone) and in the 2007 General Election, when he took a 3.9% vote share, but was not elected on either occasion
Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran - Independent
A member of Westmeath County Council for the Athlone LEA, he contested the 2011 general election as an Independent, having left Fianna Fáil in January 2011. Mr Moran performed fairly well in the 2011 General Election, taking 3,707 votes (6.5% of the total) and, as an Athlone-based candidate from the Fianna Fáil ‘gene pool,’ his candidature will very likely damage Aengus O’Rourke’s vote on this occasion.
Donal Jackson - Independent
An Athlone-based business consultant, Mr Jackson was a first-time candidate in the 2011 General Election. He received 101 votes, the lowest vote of the 15 nominated candidates, and was excluded after count 1.
John McNamara - Independent
An anti-austerity campaigner, Mr McNamara is also running in the Athlone LEA of Westmeath County Council in the local elections. A retired Army Officer and Chartered Engineer, he is a former member of Sinn Féin but left the party in Jan 2013. His campaign literature claims he was expelled from the party.
Brian Fagan - Independent
He stood in the 2009 local elections in the Mullingar East LEA of Westmeath County Council, receiving 251 votes, which was just under 4% of the first preferences. Mr Fagan has been involved in a number of charities and currently runs a charity shop called Brian’s Treasure Chest.
James Morgan - Independent
The only Longford-based candidate, this is Mr Morgan’s first election campaign of any kind. He is a Longford-based accountant, financial consultant and business man, who was involved in the development of Longford’s N4 Axis Retail Centre.
