Fianna Fáil's mainstay in the northern end of Cork North West since he was first elected to the Dáil in 1997, Moynihan is a dairy farmer by profession and exudes a shy, almost diffident manner in crowds, although entertaining on a one-to-one basis. In 1997, he pulled off a shock entry to politics by unseating sitting Fine Gael TD Frank Crowley, and returned to top the poll in 2002. He was party spokesman on agriculture for a year until July 2012, when he was appointed party spokesman for communications, energy and natural resources. He was chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science from 2004-2007. Now 48, he remained as chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil, the youth wing of the party until 2005. His support base is mainly in the northern side of the constituency around Kanturk and Kiskeam. – DARRAGH MURPHY