Jim Daly and Noel Harrington may not encounter serious opposition to keep their seats but Labour's Michael McCarthy who ousted Fianna Fáil for a seat in 2011 is not as assured.
Flooding will still be in the minds of the electorate especially those in the towns of Bandon and Skibbereen.
Health, in particular the ambulance service, has been a recurring issue in a large constituency.
Broadband access is an issue especially west of Clonakilty with even mobile phone reception still an issue in certain parts of the constituency particularly to the far west. Funding for roads has always been an issue. The Wild Atlantic Way has proved to be a big boost in terms of tourism however the extra traffic places an extra strain on the road network.
Types of farming are extremely diverse in a constituency that stretches to tillage country in the east and out to west Corks three peninsulas.
As illustrated at the IFA hustings, schemes and payments weigh heavily on the minds of drystock farmers, in particular those to the west. Milk price may be an issue but with farmer control of the west Cork co-ops this may not be a major election issue.
The government may well struggle to hold onto all three seats but could be successful in doing so due to a bit of upset within local Fianna Fáil faithful. Councillor Margaret Murphy O'Mahony of Fianna Fáil will be targeting the third seat but with former county mayor councillor Alan Coleman leaving the party in 2015 to run as an independent this won't make it straightforward.
Elsewhere Sinn Féin will make progress with councillor Rachel McCarthy but not enough to win a seat. Cllr Michael Collins topped the poll in the local elections for west cork in 2014 from his base on the Mizen peninsula and is likely to pick up a significant number of first preferences.
Word on the ground is that Fine Gael are almost guaranteed two seats given the geographical spread of both their candidates with Jim Daly based in the Clonakilty area and Noel Harrington, one of the TDs furthest from the Dáil based in Castletownbere
Whoever gets eliminated first and where those transfers go will ultimately determine the final seat.
With those in the know predicting that if eliminated Collins' votes will most likely transfer to McCarthy and transfers likely to transfer within the Fianna Fáil gene pool if one is eliminated.
The fight will be on to get as many first preferences as possible to stay in the fight for the final seat as long as possible. Count day will be of huge interest as transfers will ultimately determine the destination of the final seat.
The odds courtesy of Paddy Power
Jim Daly (Fine Gael) 1/12
Noel Harrington (Fine Gael) 1/7
Margaret Murphy-O'Mahony (Fianna Fail) 4/7
Alan Coleman (Ind) 5/4
Michael Collins (Ind) 9/4
Michael McCarthy (Labour) 7/1
Rachel McCarthy (Sinn Fein) 14/1
Johnny O'Mahony (Green Party) 66/1
Fiona O'Leary (Ind) 100/1
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More constituencies added through February
Full coverage: General election 2016
Jim Daly and Noel Harrington may not encounter serious opposition to keep their seats but Labour's Michael McCarthy who ousted Fianna Fáil for a seat in 2011 is not as assured.
Flooding will still be in the minds of the electorate especially those in the towns of Bandon and Skibbereen.
Health, in particular the ambulance service, has been a recurring issue in a large constituency.
Broadband access is an issue especially west of Clonakilty with even mobile phone reception still an issue in certain parts of the constituency particularly to the far west. Funding for roads has always been an issue. The Wild Atlantic Way has proved to be a big boost in terms of tourism however the extra traffic places an extra strain on the road network.
Types of farming are extremely diverse in a constituency that stretches to tillage country in the east and out to west Corks three peninsulas.
As illustrated at the IFA hustings, schemes and payments weigh heavily on the minds of drystock farmers, in particular those to the west. Milk price may be an issue but with farmer control of the west Cork co-ops this may not be a major election issue.
The government may well struggle to hold onto all three seats but could be successful in doing so due to a bit of upset within local Fianna Fáil faithful. Councillor Margaret Murphy O'Mahony of Fianna Fáil will be targeting the third seat but with former county mayor councillor Alan Coleman leaving the party in 2015 to run as an independent this won't make it straightforward.
Elsewhere Sinn Féin will make progress with councillor Rachel McCarthy but not enough to win a seat. Cllr Michael Collins topped the poll in the local elections for west cork in 2014 from his base on the Mizen peninsula and is likely to pick up a significant number of first preferences.
Word on the ground is that Fine Gael are almost guaranteed two seats given the geographical spread of both their candidates with Jim Daly based in the Clonakilty area and Noel Harrington, one of the TDs furthest from the Dáil based in Castletownbere
Whoever gets eliminated first and where those transfers go will ultimately determine the final seat.
With those in the know predicting that if eliminated Collins' votes will most likely transfer to McCarthy and transfers likely to transfer within the Fianna Fáil gene pool if one is eliminated.
The fight will be on to get as many first preferences as possible to stay in the fight for the final seat as long as possible. Count day will be of huge interest as transfers will ultimately determine the destination of the final seat.
The odds courtesy of Paddy Power
Jim Daly (Fine Gael) 1/12
Noel Harrington (Fine Gael) 1/7
Margaret Murphy-O'Mahony (Fianna Fail) 4/7
Alan Coleman (Ind) 5/4
Michael Collins (Ind) 9/4
Michael McCarthy (Labour) 7/1
Rachel McCarthy (Sinn Fein) 14/1
Johnny O'Mahony (Green Party) 66/1
Fiona O'Leary (Ind) 100/1
Read more
More constituencies added through February
Full coverage: General election 2016
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