FIANNA FÁIL:
LIKELY CANDIDATES ARE: Deputy Dara Calleary; in Castlebar to replace Beverley Flynn it could be Al McDonnell, Denis Gallagher, or Blackie Gavin; talk of Senator John Carty running again for the Dáil has yet to be confirmed; other names being mentioned for FF are Cllr Damien Ryan, Michael Feeney, and Michael Smyth, solicitor.
SINN FÉIN:
Has yet to declare. Swinford councillor Gerry Murray the top favourite followed by Rose Conway Walsh and Therese Ruane.
FINE GAEL:
Four candidates selected for General Election 2011 as follows: Enda Kenny TD; John O'Mahony TD; Michael Ring TD; and Cllr Michelle Mulherin.
LABOUR:
Dr Jerry Cowley, former Independent TD, to run for the Labour party.
OTHERS:
No Inedependents/Green Party/alternative party candidates declared so far.
People were expecting Michael Kilcoyne, formerly of Labour and now an Independent Mayo county councillor, to declare but he as good as ruled himself out before Christmas.
PROJECTED OUTCOME
Fine Gael goes into the election claiming the four-seat approach will work for it with Enda Kenny poised to become next taoiseach, but would need some seriously professional vote management to pull that off.
As it stands, the most likely outcome for the five seats is:
Fine Gael 3
Fianna Fáil 1
with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael fighting for the last seat against Labour's Jerry Cowley, Sinn Féin candidates, and whatever Independents/alternative candidates come out of the pot; but until all the candidates are in it is too early to call.
