AS POLLS open today for the Donegal South West byelection, voter turnout is expected to be considerably lower than for the last general election.
Polling stations throughout the sprawling coastal constituency are open today from 7am to 10pm.Island voters went to the polls on Monday on Arranmore, Tory and other, smaller islands.
Counting begins at 9am tomorrow in the Finn Valley Athletic Club, Stranorlar, and the final result is not expected until the evening.
Although Independent Ann Sweeney has announced her withdrawal from the race, her name remains on the ballot-paper along with the other five candidates.
More than 66 per cent of the electorate in this constituency voted in 2007, but today’s figure is likely be much smaller, particularly given the imminence of a general election in the new year.
Traditionally one of Fianna Fáil’s greatest strongholds, the party got two TDs elected here in 2007, Deputies Mary Coughlan, now Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, and Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher.
The election of Mr Gallagher to the European Parliament last year created the current vacancy and Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill from Gortahork is the Fianna Fáil candidate.
The seat remained vacant for 17 months until the successful High Court challenge by Sinn Féin candidate Senator Pearse Doherty forced the Government to move the writ.
A local newspaper, the Donegal Times, this week published figures based on its own estimates showing that Mr Doherty would win the seat, aided by transfers from other candidates. This is now a fairly general expectation, despite an energetic campaign by Fianna Fáil’s Ó Domhnaill.
There is some scepticism about the same paper’s prediction that Fine Gael’s Cllr Barry O’Neill will get the highest number of first preferences. An opinion poll published last week showed him in third place and only one point ahead of the high-profile Labour contender, Cllr Frank McBrearty.
Labour secured less than 3 per cent in the last general election, compared to 23 per cent for Fine Gael, but the Paddy Power/RedC poll suggested McBrearty could even end up in front this time.
The poll also gave figures for the coming general election: Doherty (SF) 31%; McBrearty (Lab) 18%; Dinny McGinley (sitting FG TD) 13%; O’Neill (FG) 12%; Coughlan (FF) 10%; O Domhnaill (FF) 9%; Thomas Pringle (Ind.) 6%.
If reflected in the ballot box early next year, this would have the Tánaiste fighting for her political life. She had to pull out of an official function in the constituency last Monday to attend the meeting of Fianna Fáil Ministers arranged in the wake of the Green Party’s announcement of its impending withdrawal from Government.
Ms Coughlan was due to launch the new Emergency Call Answering Service in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, but the political emergency in Dublin claimed her attention instead.
