Just one Carlow-based candidate to contest European elections in Ireland South

Just one Carlow-based candidate is to seek election to the European Parliament in the Ireland South constituency, it has been confirmed.

Returning officer Martin A. Harvey has confirmed the 23 names which will appear on ballot papers when voters in Carlow and across the constituency go to the polls next month.

Tuesday marked the deadline for election hopefuls to declare their intention to run in the constituency which covers a vast part of Ireland. In addition to Carlow, it comprises all of Munster, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow.

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Five seats are up for grabs, with four of the outgoing MEPs seeking re-election.

They are Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher, former GAA president Sean Kelly of Fine Gael, Mick Wallace of Independents 4 Change and Grace O'Sullivan of the Green Party.

The only Carlow-based candidate is Cynthia Ní Mhurchú of Robin Hill, Oak Park, Carlow who is contesting the election having been selected by Fianna Fail. 

Sinn Fein's Kathleen Funchion - a TD for Carlow/Kilkenny is also seeking election to the European Parliament. She has an address at 91 Blackthorn Close, Rathullord, Kilkenny.

Like the local elections, the European Parliament elections will be conducted using the Proportional Representation-Single Transferable Vote method, which means voters will be asked to list candidates in order of preference.

This process will see candidates whittled down to five, with the count taking place in Cork.

There are two other European constituencies in Ireland, both four-seaters - Midlands-North East and Dublin.

European Election candidates for Ireland South (in alphabetical order)

Note: MEP denotes outgoing member

Derek Blighe - Ireland First; Ross Lahive - The Irish People; Una McGurk - Non-Party; Prof Niamh Hourigan - Labour; Patrick Murphy - Aontu; Graham de Barra - Non-Party; Michael Leahy - Irish Freedom Party; Senator Paul Gavan - Sinn Fein; Kathleen Funchion - Sinn Fein; John Mullins - Fine Gael; Susan Doyle - Social Democrats; Billy Kelleher MEP - Fianna Fail; Cynthia Ni Mhurcu - Fianna Fail; Christopher Doyle - Non-Party; Grace O’Sullivan MEP - Green Party; Sean Kelly MEP - Fine Gael; Michael McNamara  - Non-Party; Mary Fitzgibbon - Non-Party; Cian Prendiville - People Before Profit-Solidarity; Mick Wallace MEP -  Independents 4 Change; Lorna Bogue - An Rabharta Glas; Eddie Punch - Independent Ireland; Ciaran O’Riordan - Non-Party.

Voting in the European Parliament Elections takes place between 7am and 10pm on Friday, June 7.