Southside independents plan Dáil bids

Independent politicians are a crucial part of any Irish election, and Southside independents have thrown their hat into the ring ahead of the upcoming general election.

Independent councillors Michael Fleming, Alan Edge, and Paul Gogarty have all announced Dáil bids.

Fleming is notable for his earth-shattering performance in Glencullen-Sandyford in June’s local elections where he picked up 32.9% of first preferences, which translated to 3,687 first preferences.

There is precedent for Dublin Rathdown to elect independents; Shane Ross notably topped the poll there in 2016, before losing his seat in 2020.

Ross received less first preferences in the 2020 general election than Fleming received in June’s local elections (3,419 to 3,687).

Fleming will be making a go of it in Dublin Rathdown; should the same amount of people vote for him in a general election context, he could find himself in contention for the final seat.

The four-seater nature of the constituency will make Dublin Rathdown one of the most-watched constituencies come election day.

Elsewhere on the Southside, Firhouse-Bohernabreena councillor man Alan Edge will be looking for an edge over the candidates as he looks to win a Dáil seat in Dublin South-West.

Edge also topped the poll in June’s local elections, receiving 23.4% of first preferences in the constituency in back in June (Fine Gael’s Brian Lawlor and Fianna Fáil’s Emma Murphy also joined him on being elected on the first count, with 20.8% and 16.9% of the vote respectively).

Dublin South-West will remain a five-seater in the general election, with five-seaters usually more receptive towards smaller parties or indeed, independents in a general election setting.

10 of the 40 seats on South Dublin County Council are filled by independent councillors following June’s local election results; this roughly corresponds with polling data showing independent candidates are on over 20% in nationwide electoral polls (the most recent Irish Times poll has independents/other candidates on 24% in Dublin).

The third amigo is independent councillor (and former TD) Paul Gogarty who is making a bid for a Dáil seat in Dublin Mid-West.

Dublin Mid-West is being bumped up to a five-seater at the next general election following constituency redraws.

Gogarty notably served as a TD for the Green Party from 2002 until losing his seat in the 2011 general election, but has been an independent member of South Dublin County Council longer than he represented the Greens in the Dáil.

Gogarty was first elected to SDCC in 2014, and was re-elected in June.

In June’s local elections, Gogarty topped the poll in Lucan with 23.1% of first preferences, his best-ever haul in a local election race.

The former TD contested the 2016 and 2020 general elections as an independent, and contested the 2019 by-election in the constituency.

Gogarty’s 2,671 first preferences in June was more than the 2,435 first preference votes he received in the 2019 by-election where he finished third.