Fianna Fáil’s Mr Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher will top the Donegal South West poll in the forthcoming general election, according to a TG4/MRBI opinion poll released tonight.
Mr Gallagher, with 31 per cent of the 400 poll respondents intending to give him their first preference, will win the seat at the expense of Independent TD, Mr Tom Gildea, with a mere five per cent, the results show.
His Fianna Fáil colleague Ms Mary Coughlan, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, and Fine Gael’s Mr Dinny McGinley are predicted to hold their seats.
The poll gives Fianna Fáil 55 per cent of the total vote, followed by Fine Gael at 21 per cent.
Mr Gildea was elected as an Independent in 1997, campaigning on the TV deflector issue.
The poll puts Sinn Féin support at nine per cent, other Independents also on nine per cent, with the Labour Party and Mr Sean O'Baoill, of Independent Fianna Fáil trailing with a mere three per cent of support.
