General Election candidates on the fence at the busy Lavey Inn Junction on the N3. Are you still on the fence in terms of who’s getting your number one vote? PHOTO: Sean McMahon

Twenty to contest election in Cavan Monaghan Constituency

The final line-up of candidates for election in Cavan-Monaghan has been confirmed, with a record number set to contest for one of five seats when voting takes place at the end of this month.

A total of 20 names have declared, the largest number ever in the history of the constituency - 14 men (70%) and six women (30%).

Nominations closed at 12 noon on Saturday (November 16), capping a hectic few days at Cavan Courthouse with candidates arriving to hand in their official nomination papers.

Cavan-Monaghan is reunited as one constituency for 2024, having previously included a portion of North Meath. There are 10 candidates based in County Cavan, nine in County Monaghan and one outside of the constituency.

The main parties are each running three candidates in Cavan-Monaghan in 2024 in a bid to hold or gain seats.

Locally the 33rd Dáil returned two Fianna Fáil, two Sinn Féin and one Fine Gael TD last time out in 2020.

In this General Election Fianna Fáil are standing sitting TDs Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth in Cavan, along with Senator Robbie Gallagher in Monaghan.

All stood in the 2020 election, with deputies Smith and Smyth elected without reaching the quota. For Sen Gallagher this will be his third election challenge.

After Minister Heather Humphreys announced her shock retirement, Fine Gael selected Cllrs T.P. O’Reilly in Cavan and Monaghan’s David Maxwell at convention, before party HQ added Tullyvin’s Carmel Brady 48 hours later.

Out of those, only T.P. O’Reilly has contested a General Election. Four-and-a-half years ago he earned over 5,000 first preference votes before being eliminated in the eleventh and final round.

But in the local elections in June, Cllr Carmel Brady got the largest vote out of any Fine Gael candidate in the county, after colleague Trevor Smith in the Ballyjamesduff area.

Sinn Féin meanwhile nominated 2020 poll topper Matt Carthy in Monaghan and Cavan’s Pauline Tully at convention. However, eager to make every vote count and following the exit of Minister Humphreys, the party subsequently added current Cathaoirleach of Monaghan Municipal District and Chairperson of Co. Monaghan Women’s Assembly, Cathy Bennett, to their ticket.

The Green Party has put forward Monaghan Town native and landscape architect with Dublin City Council, Eddie O’Gara; while the Labour party has no candidate on the ticket in Cavan Monaghan following the decision of Liam van der Spek not to run.

Independent Ireland founding member Shane P. O’Reilly was the highest polling local candidate in Cavan five months ago. He quit Fianna Fáil in 2020 and this will be his first General Election contest, failing on previous attempts to seek nomination to the Seanad.

In the local election earlier this year, he polled slightly higher than Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly, who’s contesting her second General Election.

Her star has risen within her party since, and was Chair of Cavan County Council 2020-2021. She too was previously of the Fianna Fáil stable, quitting the party in late 2018 citing a “serious disconnect” between grassroot members and the leadership.

Another returner from 2020 is Independent Joseph Duffy, a farmer from Stranooden, Co Monaghan, who previously ran for General Election without success in 1989, 1997, 2011; and in the local elections in Ballybay-Clones Municipal District area in 2014.

In 2020, when he attracted 159 first preferences, top of Mr Duffy’s list of campaign issues was the then Referendum result, which saw a repeal of the Eighth Amendment. He also stood for “zero tolerance” and minimum sentences for crimes such as domestic violence, rape and murder.

Another Independent Jimmy Stavrous Mee, also from Monaghan, last stood for election in Cavan-Monaghan in 2016 when the then security worker, charity activist and former member of the defence forces, got 88 first preference votes.

His last campaign saw him promise to commit half his elected wage to support mental health advocacy across the two counties.

Of the remainder, only Independent Lester Gordon, a dark horse to emerge from the 2024 locals, has any prior election experience.

He finished ahead of many more established party candidates in the Ballyjamesduff electoral area, including those put up by Fianna Fáil, Aontú, Sinn Féin and the Irish Freedom Party.

Kieran Goggins has since stepped away from the IFP, which this time out is running Kingscourt farmer and former Garda Detective Sergeant, Val Martin, who is in favour of tighter immigration controls.

That particular platform he shares with The National Party’s Mark Moore from Cavan, a former People Before Profit-Solidarity aligned campaigner who now finds himself in an electoral alliance with far-right and nationalist political parties - Ireland First and The Irish People.

A third to that grouping is Shane Mulligan from Castleblayney of the ethno-nationalist Liberty Republic - formerly Direct Democracy Ireland before it was relaunched earlier this year by leader Ben Gilroy.

Sligo-dwelling Emma Hendrick, a former representative on South Dublin County Council, has been nominated to stand for People Before Profit-Solidarity in this constituency.

Lastly, businessman Feargal Joseph Deery from Monaghan will stand as an Independent.

Candidates had until 12 noon on Monday, November 19, to withdraw their intention, with just one name exiting - Independent candidate and mental health campaigner, Fergal Brides, citing “personal reasons”.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, has appointed Friday, November 29, 2024, as polling day.

Voting takes place between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

Every person who is an Irish or British citizen and is included in the register of electors is entitled to vote at the General Election.

As the campaign passes the mid-way point and following the leaders’ debate on TV on Monday night, it’s clear that housing, cost of living and supports for children with disabilities remain top of the agenda.

* Check out next week’s Celt for profiles of all 20 candidates and their key campaigning issues ahead of polling day.