Local election countdown

Dermot Keyes looks at the prospects of this summer’s likely candidates

Electoral boundary changes in the south inner-city could lead to only two sitting councillors seeking re-election in the Liberties in this summer’s local election.

The south inner-city has been divided into two wards, east and west, each of which will elect three councillors. Both wards will be keenly contested in the scramble for council seats. Green Councillor Ciarán Cuffe is seeking re-election in the first local government elections for eight years. Cllr Cuffe is optimistic about his chances of winning a seat but added, "it ain’t over till the fat lady sings". The only other councillor who will definitely run is Fianna Fáil’s Mary Mooney, a former TD for the area.

Local Fine Gael hopeful, Mark Henry

Sitting Councillor and former Lord Mayor Brendan Lynch is undecided about his political future. A forthcoming trip to Lourdes is top of Lynch’s current agenda, but he confirmed to the Liberty that he is not looking for divine intervention to decide whether he will seek re-election after 25 years of service. He could decide to take up the ‘scrappage scheme’ payment available to long serving councillors, but Lynch insists, "the money would not interest me".

Fianna Fáil’s Tom Brunkard is a founder member and treasurer of SWICN and has been heavily involved in the areas of enterprise, youth work and education. Brunkard is "deeply concerned about the lack of resources and facilities available to the people of the south west inner-city" and is firmly opposed to a proposed Drugs Advice Clinic for Inchicore, as he believes that the site is "totally unsuitable". Daithí Doolan of Sinn Féin told the Liberty that he was campaigning for inner city development "when there wasn’t a hint of an election". As the only candidate that lives in a corporation flat, (in Pearse House), Doolan said that his experience of living in the area gave him a greater knowledge than most of local affairs. He spoke of the "positive results" of his election campaign which kicked off in October, concluding that "the feedback has been good".

Karl Rock, a 25-year-old newcomer to local politics, has earned his political spurs working with Jim and Gay Mitchell over the past five years. A native of Rialto, Rock and his family have long-established family links in the area. "The south west inner-city has no representation as part of the old south inner-city ward, but if I’m elected, I’ll do the job," he said. Rock described the living conditions at Fatima Mansions as "absolutely disgraceful" and if elected he has pledged to fight for the redevelopment of the area.

Fine Gael will be desperate to win a seat in an area in which they have traditionally struggled. Mark Henry believes that winning a seat is a realistic target for the party, unlike the 1991 election. "The last time round we weren’t particularly strong in the polls, but we’ve worked well in the south inner-city over the past two years." Henry added that his involvement in the campaign to reopen the Meath Hospital showed his active participation in local affairs.

Labour will hope to hold onto the seat vacated by Dermot Lacey, with Audrey Goggins and Kevin Humphries both contesting for the party in the south inner- city. The Local Government elections take place on June 11.