Birdhill and Newport: Quinlivan to top Limerick City constituency

Residents in Birdhill and Newport have been watching with great interest developments in the Limerick City constituency, where they now vote following the most recent changes in electoral boundarires.

Mirroring the national picture Sinn Féin’s Maurice Quinlivan is set to top the poll retaining his seat. This would be the first time the party has topped the poll in Limerick City. Fianna Fáil’s Willie O’Dea has polled over 20 per cent, according to tallies, and his surplus could help his fellow party candidate, James Collins.

Senator Kieran O’Donnell, of Fine Gael, is on course to take the third seat, replacing Michael Noonan who held a Fine Gael seat since 1981 but did not run on this occasion.

The fourth and final seat is expected to be a five-way battle between Green Party candidate Brian Leddin; Frankie Daly; Fine Gael’s Maria Byrne; outgoing Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan and James Collins, FF, (5.97 per cent).

A first count is expected soon and the Sinn Fein polltopper Quinlivan said he was “performing well everywhere” including in areas where he had not expected, such as Newport, Castletroy, and Monaleen.