Lally and Carey in battle for final seat in Belmullet

BELMULLET ELECTORAL AREA

Seats: 3

Candidates (8): Micheál 'Boxty' Ó Conaill (GP); John Paul Carey (Ind); Seán Carey (FF); Pat Chambers (FG); Gerry Coyle (FG); Rosaleen Dixon Lally (SF); Jay Heneghan (IND); Paul McNamara (FF)

WITH just eight candidates to choose from on the ballot paper, the Belmullet Electoral Area is likely to be a short contest but it could throw up a few surprises.

The Belmullet Electoral Area is the largest electoral area in the county and one of the most rural, stretching from Belderrig to Burrishoole. The issues in the north and the south of the constituency are mostly the same focusing on farming, roads, tourism and planning but historically votes by and large do not cross the boundaries between the historic Baronies of Erris and Burrishoole.

In 2019, the constituency witnessed probably one of the shortest election counts in recent history when the three seats were filled after just two counts. Five years ago, just six candidates contested the election and while this year's election is expected to go past two counts, it is also expected to be a quick count.

In the south of the constituency all eyes will be on the battle between Achill Fianna Fáil councillor Paul McNamara and Fine Gael's Pat Chambers from Tiernaur.

Five years ago, McNamara had it all his own way and was comfortably reelected with 1,696 well ahead of the Fine Gael candidate, Breege Grealis who polled 655.

This time around Fine Gael party stalwarts are confident they have a man who will push the Fianna Fáil candidate a lot closer with some quietly confident of an upset.

Through his work as an IFA official, Chambers is well known and liked in the sheep farming circles and has been pushing hard on the canvass. He is expected to benefit from the Michael Holmes vote in the Tiernaur area and has been canvassing heavily in Achill and parts of Erris which has been left open between him and party colleague, long time sitting councillor, Gerry Coyle.

One thing which will work in McNamara's advantage will be the fear among many local people that depending on how the votes go, Achill may lose out on a councillor altogether. His campaign slogan is 'keep a councillor in Achill' and this should be enough to keep Chambers at arm's length.

The real fun and games is likely to be in Erris which has the larger population and where two of the three seats will come from.

Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle topped the poll last time around and he should have enough to do so again although the presence of Independent John Paul Carey from Bangor Erris may affect his total first preference vote.

The real battle will be between current councillor Seán Carey and Sinn Féin candidate Rosaleen Lally who will be eyeing up the last seat.

Carey won the seat from Sinn Féin in 2019 after securing over 500 first preference votes more than the incumbent councillor Teresa Whelan.

Losing the seat was a bitter blow to Sinn Féin and Rose Conway Walsh as she had fought hard over many years to win it and they are making a determined effort to win it back.

Lally is well known and well connected in the Belmullet area but she will have to poll extremely well to win back the seat. Carey outpolled Whelan by almost 2:1 in the Belmullet town boxes and these will be the ones Lally will have to target to win back the seat.

One advantage Lally has over Carey is she is able to canvass the whole of the constituency for votes and will be hoping that the Sinn Féin vote in both Achill and Ballycroy come out in numbers.

How Sinn Féin do in the Belmullet Electoral Area will be watched closely by many observers and the pressure will be on local TD Rose Conway Walsh to deliver a councillor in her own backyard.

Carey also fought hard to win the seat having narrowly missed out in 2014 and since his election he was twice elected Cathaoirleach of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District. There is no doubt he will fight tooth and nail to fight off the challenge of Lally.

Other candidates in the field include the first Green Party candidate Micheál 'Boxty' Ó Conaill as well as Independents, John Paul Carey from Bangor Erris and Jay Heneghan from Inver.

The race for the three seats in Belmullet may not result in the midnight oil being burned but it could influence the shape of the new council.

Verdict: Gerry Coyle (FG), Paul McNamara (FF), Rosaleen Lally (SF)