| The Cavan / Monaghan constituency had a population of 120,000 in 2006, a 9.7% increase on 2002 is a predominantly rural constituency with approximately 75% of the population living outside the major towns of Cavan, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickmacross, Clones, Bailieborough and Cootehill.
The local economy reflects this rural composition with a strong agricultural focus. The construction industry has also been crucial to the region.
The food processing industry employs a large immigrant workforce, with Ballyjamesduff, a good example of the changing demographics of the region.
The Department of Agriculture & Food has part of its headquarters in Cavan.
Constituency Boundaries: There has been no change since 2007.
Seats: Five
2007 Quota: 13,158
2011 Candidates
 Sean Conlan - Fine Gael
A son of John F. Conlan, TD for this constituency from 1969 to 1987, Sean Conlan is a member of Ballybay Town Council since June 2009.
 Margaret Conlon - Fianna Fáil
Elected to the Dáil at her first attempt in 2007, Margaret Conlon is the first ever female TD to have been returned for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Joseph Duffy - Independent
Joseph Duffy is running as an Independent candidate.
TJ Fay - Independent
TJ Fay is running as an Independent candidate.
 Caroline Forde - Independent
Caroline Forde is a 41-year-old employee of Quinn Insurance. Forde is standing to promote the retention of jobs in Cavan-Monaghan.
 Liam Hogan - Labour Party
Based in Butlersbridge, Liam Hogan is a first-time general election candidate. He ran unsuccessfully in the 2009 local elections for Cavan County Council.
 Heather Humphreys - Fine Gael
From Newbliss in Co. Monaghan, Heather Humphreys is a first-time general election candidate. She is a former Mayor of County Monaghan.
 Darcy Lonergan - Green Party
In 2009, as a 19-year-old politics student at Maynooth, Darcy Lonergan stood as a candidate for the Carrickmacross Town Council.
 John McGuirk - Independent
A 27-year-old PR Consultant from Ballybay, John McGuirk is a first-time election candidate. McGuirk was a campaign manager for Declan Ganley of Libertas in the 2009 European election.
 Peter McVitty - Fine Gael
A County Councillor for the Belturbet area since 1999, Peter McVitty served as Chairperson of Cavan County Council in 2006-2007. This is his first time to contest a general election.
 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin - Sinn Féin
Elected on the first count in the last three general elections, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin first stood for the Dáil in 1987.
 Joe O'Reilly - Fine Gael
Joe O'Reilly became a Senator for the second time in 2007 after narrowly missing out on a Dáil seat. O'Reilly backed Enda Kenny during Fine Gael's leadership contest in June 2010.
 Kathryn Reilly - Sinn Féin
From Ballyjamesduff, Kathryn Reilly is contesting her first general election. She has previously worked as a Dáil Assistant for the outgoing TD for Louth, Arthur Morgan
 Brendan Smith - Fianna Fáil
A TD since 1992, Cavan-based Brendan Smith is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 Seamus Treanor - Independent
An Independent member of Monaghan County Council, this is Seamus Treanor's first-time to contest a general election.
Sitting TDs: Margaret Conlon (FF), Seymour Crawford (FG), Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF), Rory O'Hanlon (FF), Brendan Smith (FF)
Note: Outgoing Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon (FF) was automatically returned for this constituency so this quota was calculated on a four-seat basis.
TDs not seeking re-election: Seymour Crawford FG, Rory O’Hanlon FF
Fianna Fáil had three seats here in 2007 including outgoing Ceann Comhairle Rory O’Hanlon. It is expected that it will not retain all three seats and has not replaced the retiring O’Hanlon on the party ticket. The party will still be under pressure to win two seats and is more likely to take just a single seat with outgoing Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith more likely to survive at the expense of Monaghan based Margaret Conlan. Fine Gael will be hoping to get at least two new TDs elected following the retirement of Seymour Crawford, who was first elected in 1992. Senator Joe O’Reilly is likely to be one of Fine Gael’s new deputies and could be joined by two others from Heather Humphreys, Sean Conlan or Peter McVitty. Fine Gael’s momentum towards government on their own demands a big performance from the ten five seaters with Cavan-Monaghan now well placed to deliver three seats. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has held a seat here for Sinn Fein since 1997 and will be hoping to bring in his running mate Kathryn Reilly. Labour are unlikely to be in contention as they only got 1.21% in 2007 but new candidate Liam Hogan is likely to improve substantially on that level. Fine Gael will win two seats with one each for Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil. The big question concerns the final seat, can Fine Gael take three or can Sinn Féin win two. The answer to that question will be a good indicator of the national outcome.
2007 General Election:
This was effectively a four-seater in 2007. There was no surprise that Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was comfortably re-elected on the first count, as he had been in 1997 and 2002. Attracting a 20% vote share, this was Sinn Féin’s second highest vote in the country.
Brendan Smith of Fianna Fáil topped the poll with 15,548 votes. Overall, Fianna Fáil’s vote share increased slightly - up 2.8% - with Smith’s surplus enough to push Margaret Conlon ahead of Fine Gael’s Joe O’Reilly to eventually take the final seat.
Fine Gael’s support jumped 6%, but it was not enough to bring in a second seat alongside that of Seymour Crawford.
Independent TD Paudge Connolly, who lost his seat when his vote share more than halved, won just 6.1% of the votes cast.
2002 Turnout: 72.6 %
2007 Turnout: 72.1 % |
Saturday, 26 February 2011 13:21