Six Kerry candidates contesting the Seanad Éireann elections have had a busy start to 2025 in their respective attempts to garner the necessary support required to win a seat in the Upper House.
With Fianna Fáil Senator Ned O’Sullivan retiring after 18 distinguished years in office, his party colleague Senator Mark Daly from Kenmare is the only outgoing Kerry representative seeking a return, having been a member since 2007.
A former auctioneer, Senator Daly has served as Cathaoirleach and Leas-Cathaoirleach and he has been nominated for the seven-seat administrative panel by the Irish Kidney Association.
Four other members of the Fianna Fail party in Kerry are hoping to win seats in the Seanad with Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Breandán Fitzgerald, Killarney councillor Niall Kelleher, Tralee councillor Mikey Sheehy and former long-serving councillor Michael D O’Shea, in Milltown, travelling the country and actively canvassing support.
Interestingly, Cllrs Fitzgerald, Kelleher and Sheehy are all contesting the 11-seat Agricultural Panel while Cllr Sheehy is seeking a seat on the five-seat Cultural and Educational Panel.
Fine Gael councillor Mike Kennelly, who is based in Listowel, is also in the running on this occasion.
He won in a vote by party members ahead of Cllr Michael Foley from Ballylongford and Flor McCarthy from Kenmare after Fine Gael general election candidate Billy O’Shea, from Killorglin, withdrew from the race.
The only people entitled to vote for the 49 panel seats are county and city councillors, incoming TDs and outgoing senators while the six university seats are voted for by graduates of those institutions.
The incoming Taoiseach will get to nominate 11 members to Seanad Éireann and the 49 remaining seats will be filled via the Agricultural Panel (11), Labour Panel (11), Industrial and Commercial Panel (9), Administrative Panel (7), Cultural and Educational Panel (5), National University of Ireland (3) and Trinity College (3). The National University of Ireland comprises UCD, UCC, NUI and Maynooth.
It is expected that Fianna Fáil – the biggest party in the Dáil following the November elections – will secure six of the Taoiseach’s automatic nominations with Fine Gael getting five.
The counting of votes will commence on January 29 and all votes are postal.
Meanwhile, as he departs from Seanad Éireann, Senator Ned O’Sullivan quipped: “I will always keep an eye on the screen at home to make sure senators are behaving themselves”.
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