Adrian Kavanagh, 11th February 2011

This post contains details on all of the candidates who will be contesting their first ever Dail (general) election in 2011. This list will include candidates who may have previously contested in local, European, Assembly and Westminister elections, but will not include candidates who may have previously contested in Dail by-elections.

According to my estimations, 285 first time candidates will contest the upcoming general election, amounting to 50.4% of all candidates; 48 are female (16.8%). Of these, 17 have been selected for Fianna Fail (22.7% of all FF candidates), 38 have been selected for Fine Gael (36.5% of all FG candidates), 31 have been selected for Labour (45.6% of all LAB candidates), 17 have been selected for Sinn Fein (41.5% of all SF candidates), 21 have been selected for the Green Party (52.5% of all GP candidates), 11 have been selected for the United Left Alliance (57.9% of all ULA candidates) and 163 fall within the Independents/Other Small Parties grouping (75.5%). The Independents/Other Small Parties grouping accounts for 57.0% of all the first time candidates. 

87 (57.6%) of currently selected/declared candidates in Leinster will be contesting their first ever Dail election, as against 82 (51.9% of total) candidates in Munster, 63 (40.6% of total) candidates in Dublin and 53 (52.5% of total) candidates in Connacht-Ulster.

A significant number of these first-time candidates have significant levels of electoral experience – some dating back even to the 1980s! – having contested a number of other types of elections beforehand (mainly local, or Council, elections) before taking their first experience of contesting a Dail election in 2011. However, roughly half of this group are new, or relatively new, to electoral politics, either having contested their first in 2009 (local or European elections) or else are contesting their first ever election of any type at the coming general election – there are 220 (38.9% of current list of candidates) such candidates in the field.

These “absolute beginner” candidates (candidates whose first experience of an election only dates back to 2009, at the earliest) will be highlighted by an * 

Carlow-Kilkenny: Cllr. Jennifer Murnane FF, Cllr. Pat Deering FG*, Cllr. Anne Phelan LB, Des Hurley LB, John Cassin TC SF*, Conor MacLiam ULA*, Noel G Walsh IND*, David Murphy IND*, Johnny Couchman IND*, John O’Hara IND*, Stephen Kelly IND*, Ramie Leahy IND*, John Dalton IND*. (13 out of a current total of 19 candidates)

Cavan-Monaghan: Cllr. Heather Humphries FG, Cllr. Peter McVitty, Sean Conlan TC*, Liam Hogan LB*, Darcy Lonergan GP*, Kathryn Reilly SF*, Cllr. Seamus Treanor IND*, John McGuirk NV*, Caroline Forde IND* (9 out of a current total of 14 candidates)

Clare: John Hillery FF, Michael McNamara LB*, Jim Connolly IND*, Brian Markham IND*, JJ McCabe IND, Gerry Walshe IND*, Ann Cronin IND*, Sarah Ferrigan IND*, Madeline McAleer IND*, Patrick Brassil IND* (10 out of a current total of 16 candidates)

Cork East: Cllr. Kevin O’Keeffe FF, Cllr. Tom Barry FG*, Cllr. Pa O’Driscoll FG*, Malachy Harty GP*, Claire Cullinane CPPC*, Patrick Bullman CPPC*, Paul O’Neill IND*, Paul Burke IND* (7 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Cork North Central: Cllr. Pat Burton FG*, Cllr. Dara Murphy FG, Cllr. John Gilroy LB, Ken Walsh GP*, Padraig O’Sullivan NV*, John Adams (TPC), Fergus O’Rourke IND*,  Benjamin Ashu-Arrah IND*, Kevin Conway IND*, Harry Rea CSP* (10 out of a current total of 15 candidates)

Cork North-West: Daithí Ó Donnabháin FF*, Aine Collins FG*, Des O’Grady SF*, Martin Collins GP*, Anne Foley ULA* (5 out of a current total of 9 candidates)

Cork South-Central: Cllr. Paula Desmond LB, Cllr. Mick Finn IND*, David McCarthy NV*, Diarmaid O’Cadhla CPPC*, Eric Isherwood IND*, Sean JB Dunphy IND*, Finbar O’Driscoll IND* (7 out of a current total of 17 candidates)

Cork South-West: Cllr. Jim Daly FG, Cllr. Noel Harrington FG, Cllr. Kevin Murphy FG, Kevin McCaughey GP*, Paul Hayes SF*, Dave McInerney*, Paul Doonan NV*, John Kearney IND*, Michael “Miney” O’Sullivan IND*, Donal O’Riordain FN* (10 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Donegal North-East: Cllr. Charlie McConalogue FF*, Cllr. John Ryan FG*, Humphrey Murphy GP*, Cllr. Ian McGarvey IND*, Ryan Stewart NV*, Betty Holmes IND*, Dessie Shiels IND*, Dara Blaney NV* (8 out of a current total of 11 candidates)

Donegal South-West: John Duffy GP*, Stephen McCahill IND* (2 out of a current total of 9 candidates)

Dublin Central: Cllr. Aine Clancy LB*, Phil Kearney GP, Liam Johnston FN*, Michael Loftus NV*, John Anthony Hyland IND*, Benny Cooney IND*, Thomas Hollywood IND* (7 out of a current total of 16 candidates)

Dublin Mid-West: Robert Dowds LB, Robert Connelly ULA*,  Michael Anthony Ryan IND*, Niall Smith IND* (4 out of a current total of 14 candidates)

Dublin North: Cllr. Alan Farrell FG, Cllr. Tom Kelleher LB, Marcus de Brun IND* (3 out of a current total of 10 candidates)

Dublin North-Central: Cllr. Naoise O Muiri FG, Cllr. Aodhan O’Riordain LB, Helen McCormack SF*, John Lyons ULA*, Paul Clarke IND* (5 out of a current total of 9 candidates)

Dublin North-East: Averil Power FF*, Brian Greene ULA, Eamonn Blaney NV*, Robert Eastwood IND*, Jimmy Guerin IND*, Raymond Sexton IND* (6 out of a current total of 11 candidates)

Dublin North-West: Cllr. John Lyons LB*, Ruari Houlohan GP*, Andrew Keegan (PBP-ULA),  Michael J Loftus IND*, Sean Mooney IND* (5 out of a current total of 12 candidates)

Dublin South: Peter Matthews FG*, Nicola Curry ULA*,  Buhidma Hussein Hamed IND*, Gerard P. Dolan IND*, Raymond Patrick Whitehead IND*, Éamonn Zaidan IND*, John Anthony Doyle IND* (7 out of a current total of 15 candidates)

Dublin South Central: Cllr. Colm Brophy FG, Cllr. Henry Upton LB*, Oisín Ó hAlmhain GP*, Gerry Kelly IND*, Sean Connolly Farrell IND*, Peter O’Neill IND, Noel Francis Bennett IND*, Neville Bradley IND*, Paul King IND* (8 out of a current total of 16 candidates)

Dublin South-East: Cllr. Eoghan Murphy FG*, Cllr. Kevin Humphries LB, Ruadhán Mac Aodháin SF*, Cllr. Mannix Flynn IND*, Paul Sommerville IND*, Dylan Haskins IND*, Annette Mooney ULA*, Peadar Ó Ceallaigh IND*, Hugh Sheehy IND*, James Coyle IND*, John Dominic Keigher IND*, Noel Watson IND* (12 out of a current total of 16 candidates)

Dublin South-West: Francis Noel Duffy GP* (1 out of a current total of 9 candidates)

Dublin West: Cllr. David McGuinness FF*, Cllr. Kieran Dennison FG*, Cllr. Patrick Nulty LB*,  Clement Esebamen IND* (4 out of a current total of 10 candidates)

Dun Laoghaire: Cllr. Mary Mitchell-O’Connor FG, Cllr. Victor Boyhan IND, Nick Crawford NV*, Carl Haughton IND*, Daire Fitzgerald CSP*, Trevor Frederick Patton IND* (6 out of a current total of 14 candidates)

Galway East: Michael F. Dolan FF*, Cllr. Paul Connaughton FG*, Cllr. Jimmy McClearn FG, Lorraine Higgins LB*, Ciaran Kennedy GP*, Cllr. Sean Canney IND, Cllr. Tim Broderick IND*, Emer O’Donnell IND* (8 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Galway West: Cllr. Brian Walsh FG, Cllr. Hildegarde Naughten FG*, Cllr. Derek Nolan LB, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh SF, Eoin Uinseann Holmes IND*, Eamon Walsh IND*, Mike Cubbard IND* (7 out of a current total of 17 candidates)

Kerry North-West Limerick: Cllr. John Sheahan FG, Cllr. Arthur Spring LB*, Mick Reidy NV*, Mary Fitzgibbon IND*, Bridget O’Brien IND*, John McKenna IND* (6 out of a current total of 11 candidates)

Kerry South: Cllr. Brendan Griffin FG, Cllr. Marie Moloney LB*, Oonagh Comerford GP*, Cllr. Michael Healy-Rae IND, Dermot Finn IND*, Richard Behal IND (6 out of a current total of 10 candidates)

Kildare North: Cllr. Anthony Lawlor FG, Cllr. John McGinley LB, Martin Kelly SF*, Eric Doyle-Higgins IND*, Bart Murphy IND*, Michael Beirne IND* (6 out of a current total of 12 candidates)

Kildare South: Cllr. Martin Heydon FG*, Vivian Cummins GP*, Jason Turner SF*, Cllr. Paddy Kennedy IND, Clifford Reid IND (5 out of a current total of 8 candidates)

Laois-Offaly: Cllr. Barry Cowen FF, Cllr. Liam Quinn FG*, Cllr. John Moran FG, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy FG, John Whelan LB*, Cllr. Rotimi Adebari, Cllr. John Leahy IND*, Cllr. Eddie Fizpatrick IND, Fergus McDonnell TC IND, James Fanning IND*, Liam Dumpleton IND*, Ray Fitzpatrick (ULA)*, John Boland IND*, Michael Patrick Cox IND* (14 out of a current total of 21 candidates)

Limerick City: Cllr. Joe Leddin LB, Sheila Cahill GP*, Cian Prendiville ULA*, Cllr. Kevin Kiely IND,  Matt Larkin IND* (5 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Limerick: Cllr. Patrick O’Donovan FG, Cllr. Bill O’Donnell FG*, Stephen Wall GP*, John Dillon IND*, Seamus Sherlock IND*, Patrick O’Doherty IND, Con Cremin IND* (7 out of a current total of 10 candidates)

Longford-Westmeath: Cllr. Robert Troy FF, Siobhan Kinahan GP*, Cllr. Kevin “Boxer” Moran IND, David D’Arcy NV*, John Boland IND*, Benny Cooney IND*, Donal Jackson IND* (7 out of a current total of 15 candidates)

Louth: Sen. James Carroll FF*, Peter Fitzpatrick FG*, Cllr. Declan Breathnach FF, Mary Moran LB*, Gerry Adams MLA MP SF, Thomas Clare NV, Gerry Crilly IND, David Bradley IND*, Robert Glynn IND*, Fred Matthews IND*, Robin Wilson IND* (11 out of a current total of 16 candidates)

Mayo: Lisa Chambers FF*, Cllr. Rose Conway-Walsh SF, Thérèse Ruane TC SF, John Carey GP*, Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne IND, Martin Daly NV*, Loretta Clarke IND*, Sean Forkin IND*, Dermot McDonnell IND* (9 out of a current total of 15 candidates)

Meath-East: Cllr. Nick Killian FF, Michael Gallagher SF*, Sharon Keogan NV* (3 out of a current total of 9 candidates)

Meath-West: Cllr. Catherine Yore FG*, Cllr. Ray Butler FG, Cllr. Jenny McHugh LB*, Fiona Irwin GP*, Cllr. Peadar Toibin SF, Stephen Ball IND*, Ronan Carolan IND*, Daithi Stephens IND* (8 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Roscommon-South Leitrim: Cllr. Gerry Kilraine FF*, Ivan Connaughton FF*, John McDermott (HAC)*, Sean Kearns IND* (4 out of a current total of 10 candidates)

Sligo-North Leitrim: Sen. Marc McSharry FF, Susan O’Keeffe LB*, Johnny Gogan GP, Cllr. Michael Colreavy SF, Cllr. Michael Clarke IND, Cllr. Veronica Cawley, Alwyn Love IND*, Dick Cahill IND* (8 out of a current total of 13 candidates)

Tipperary North: Alan Kelly MEP, Olwyn O’Malley GP*, Billy Clancy NV*, Kate Bopp IND* (3 out of a current total of 8 candidates)

Tipperary South: Cllr. Michael Murphy FG*, Michael Brown TC SF (2 out of a current total of 8 candidates)

Waterford: Cllr. Seamus Ryan LB, Ciara Conway LB TC*, Jody Power GP*, Cllr. Joe Conway IND, Cllr. Tom Higgins IND, Joe Tobin WP*, Ben Nutty FN, Justin Collery IND*, Gerard Kiersey IND* (9 out of a current total of 15 candidates)

Wexford: Cllr. Pat Cody LB*, Danny Forde GP, Anthony Kelly TC SF, Seamus O’Brien ULA*, Mick Wallace IND*, Ruairi De Valera IND*, Siobhain Roseingrave IND* (7 out of a current total of 14 candidates)

Wicklow: Cllr. Simon Harris FG*, Anne Ferris LB, Cllr. Conall Kavanagh LB, Cllr. Tom Fortune LB, Niall Byrne GP, Peter Dempsey IND TC, Gerry Kinsella (FN)*, Pat Kavanagh TC (FN)*, Eugene Finnegan IND, Michael Mulvihill IND*, Stephen Donnelly IND*, Thomas Clarke IND*, Kevin Carroll IND*, Anthony Fitzgerald IND*, Donal Kiernan IND* (15 out of a current total of 24 candidates)