Sixteen candidates to vie for Mayo’s five seats in 2024 general election

The Mayo electorate has 16 candidates to choose between in the upcoming general election, with all still to play for ahead of polling day on November 29.

Dr Ann Marie Courell, the returning officer for Mayo, confirmed yesterday (Monday) that 16 names will appear on the ballot paper, equalling the record number who ran in General Election 2016.

In General Election 2024, Fine Gael will run four candidates while Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin will run two each. The Greens, People Before Profit, Independent Ireland and Aontú are running one each, and four Independents are also in the field.

While the outcome of the 2016 general election was a foregone conclusion after the first count, the 2024 version is expected to be a much closer run race, with up to ten of the candidates expected to be in the hunt to win one of the five seats on offer.

The constituency’s two Ministers of State, Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon, are expected to be the first two elected, while the fight for the remaining three seats is seen by many as too close to call.

The latest national opinion polls put Fine Gael out in front with 23 percent, with Fianna Fáil on 20 percent and Sinn Féin on 18 percent. Independents/Others are on 21 percent. All eyes will be on the TG4 Ipsos B&A Opinion Poll for Mayo, which will be released this Thursday evening and will give a greater indication of how the local candidates are faring.

SF focus on change

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, who was in Castlebar last Friday, told supporters in the TF Royal Hotel that this election will be the ‘the general election of a lifetime’.

“This is a chance for a generation to make real change happen and turn the page on the repeated failure of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and usher in a new era of hope, ambition and delivery on the things that are most important to people.

“I think that the people of the west are up for this, I think the people of Mayo are up for it and I think the people of Ireland are now ready for it. Our message to the people of Mayo today is very clear. Vote to change the Government, vote for a better future, vote for Sinn Féin,” she said.

The party decided to run Cllr Gerry Murray alongside sitting TD Rose Conway-Walsh, and Ms McDonald said that the people of Mayo will have a big say in what way the next government is formed.

“We have our eyes and efforts firmly set on winning two Sinn Féin seats here in Mayo. We will give this our all to elect Rose Conway-Walsh and Gerry Murray because we know it can be achieved. This is a big opportunity. The people of Mayo will have a big say in the outcome of this general election. If you elect two Sinn Féín TDs for this constituency that is a massive step towards changing the Government and giving that new government [a mandate] to put you and your family and your community first,” she added.

FG ambition

Fine Gael’s Director of Elections in Mayo, Darragh Loftus told The Mayo News that his party’s decision to run four candidates – Alan Dillon TD, Keira Keogh, Mark Duffy and Martina Jennings – shows how ambitious the party in Mayo was to win seats.

“When we divided up the county we wanted to do it in the fairest way as possible,” he said.

“There is a fair opportunity for a lot of the candidates to deliver here. Some might say it is overcrowded but we are a very ambitious place and I think from our point of view it was the right approach to take.

“With Michael Ring retiring there is an opportunity to replace him, and in south Mayo there hasn’t been a TD in that area since 2016. Also, in north Mayo, there is a keen appetite to have a TD there. What we were doing was listening to the soundings from the people on the ground and wanting to provide the regions with the best opportunity possible to have a TD in their area and not just concentrate on the likes of Castlebar,” he explained.

FF keep faith

Despite the numbers of seats on offer increasing from four to five, Fianna Fáil have decided not to run a third candidate. They have the same ticket as they did in 2016 and 2020, with Dara Calleary TD and Senator Lisa Chambers.

Former Swinford-based councillor Michael Smyth, who is the Fianna Fáil Director of Elections, explained that the party has ‘taken a sober view of the challenge that faces us and know that we cannot afford to be over exuberant or arrogant about our relationship with the electorate in Mayo’.

“It is easy to be swept away by the thought of new candidates with lots of lofty ideals but no experience, with lists of well-meaning intentions, without fiscal fortitude or the advocacy skills and ability to build rapport within Government, with populist promises that serve no social core value other than self-serving interests.

“We have decided to keep faith with two candidates who have given their lives to the service of our community and our country. Our party and our candidates know only too well that we will be judged on our actions, and we acknowledge that more is needed in some areas of our communities. Both Dara and Lisa are wholeheartedly committed to changing the things that impact your life and your family for the better,” he outlined.

Mr Smyth also acknowledged that a lot of the traditional Fianna Fáil support abandoned the party in recent general elections and asked those people to once again back the party.

“We know that Fianna Fáil supporters have lent their votes to others in the past at a time of frustration and discontent. We are now asking you to consider us again and reignite our shared ethos and core values. We ask you to come on board and help us to deliver on our campaign promises.”

Neighbours do battle

One of the most anticipated contests of this election in Mayo will be the ‘battle of the neighbours’ that will see Independent and former Fine Gael councillor Patsy O’Brien compete with Martina Jennings, the CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice who is running for Fine Gael.

The two candidates, who both live in the Hollymount area, are tipped by many to be in with a chance of winning a seat and will be fighting it out to win the hearts and minds of the people in south Mayo.

Cllr O’Brien was the poll topper in the Claremorris Electoral Area in June’s local elections. He had sought to be added to the Fine Gael ticket for General Election 2020 but lost out to Alan Dillon at the selection convention.

Martina Jennings is one of the most high-profile names in the county, given her work as CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice, and Fine Gael are backing her to get the better of their former colleague.

“Martina’s name is very well known throughout the county with her position in Mayo Roscommon Hospice,” explained Mr Loftus. “She delivered two hospices under budget, which is something that will be relevant when taking up her role as a TD when you see other situations where infrastructure cannot be delivered on time or on budget.”

Eyeing votes

Aontú’s Cllr Paul Lawless will be hoping to improve on the 2,574 votes he received in 2020 while Louisburgh-based candidate, Cllr Chris Maxwell will be Independent Ireland’s first general election candidate in Mayo, and he will be hoping his strong support in the local elections can be replicated countywide.

Elsewhere the performance of anti-immigration candidate Stephen Kerr will also be closely followed. The other candidates include Green’s Micheál Ó Conaill; Joe Daly of People Before Profit; Gerry Loftus, an Independent from Lahardane; and Seán Forkin (Indepdent) from Swinford.