The constituency of Longford/Westmeath made headlines before General Election 2016 for two reasons:  floods and the gender quota. 

A 4-seat constituency, predictions were that three of the seats were a certainty - for three male candidates. Two female candidates, Gabrielle McFadden (FG) and Connie Gerety-Quinn (FF), were competing for the final seat. 

In “Sandbags & Handbags”, the Documentary On One team follows Gabrielle and Connie throughout the first ever general election which has imposed a minimum 30% quota on female candidates being put forward by political parties. 

Whilst McFadden (FG) was a sitting TD (taking over for her sister Nicky), Connie Gerety-Quinn got on the Fianna Fail ticket in this constituency due to the gender quota. As a result two male FF candidates lost out, creating ructions at the FF selection convention. The row spilled onto the airwaves with one of the disappointed men telling RTE "If the stiletto was on the other foot there would be people coming down on buses from Dublin and marching on the streets of Longford."

As Gabrielle and Connie run in their first ever general election, we join them as they seek out votes door-to-door, work with their campaign teams and meet early morning commuters. These female candidates also receive abuse from angry voters, host their party leaders, participate in local debates - and all the time run their own lives and maintain contact with their husbands and children.

Ireland places 25th out of 28 countries in the EU for female representatives in parliament.  Neither Gabrielle McFadden nor Connie Gerety-Quinn initially agreed with the new gender quota, believing only the best candidates should face election, irrespective of gender. Connie believes that she could have been elected at the Fianna Fáil selection convention had the party allowed it to go to a vote. But now that she is running on the gender quota, she believes that it has purpose and that it will pave the way for more women to reach the Dáil in the future. 

So, what had General Election 2016 in store for these two women - and was the gender quota a negative or positive influence in their political fortunes?

First broadcast: 5th March 2016, 2pm. 

Produced by Ronan Kelly and Nicoline Greer. 

Additional recordings by Sarah Blake. 

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries.