Local elections: what farmers are running?

The upcoming local elections will see thousands of candidates contest the 949 seats in 166 separate electoral areas.

The Irish Farmers Journal has trawled the country to find all the farmer candidates, and some others who are close to farming.

Here is the exhaustive list.

Meath

Nobber farmer Eugene Cassidy, a sitting councillor of 20 years, is running in Kells for Fine Gael. Peter Whelan, who farms near Slane, is standing for Aontú in the Laytown-Bettystown district.

Westmeath

In Athlone, horse trainer Tom Cleary is running as an Independent and farmer John Dolan is standing for Fine Gael.

In Kinnegad, farmer and contractor Brian Crum is standing for Independent Ireland, while retired farmer Séamus McDermott also stands for Fine Gael.

Johnnie Penrose, brother of the former Labour agriculture spokesperson, is standing in Moate.

Longford

Suckler farmer and Independent councillor Turlough McGovern is seeking re-election in Granard. So is Fine Gael’s Paraic Brady, a suckler farmer who was injuncted for his protests at Larry Goodman’s C&D pet food plant in 2019.

Paul Ross from Legan, also a suckler and beef farmer, seeks re-election in Ballymahon.

Louth

According to the Notice of Polls, there are no farmer candidates in the local elections in Louth.

Dublin

According to the Notice of Polls, there are no farmer candidates running in Fingal, south county Dublin or Dublin city.

Offaly

In Edenderry, farmer Eddie Fitzpatrick is standing for Fianna Fáil. Organic drystock farmer Mark Hackett is standing for the Green Party, having been co-opted on to the council to succeed his wife Minister of State for Agriculture Pippa Hackett on her elevation to the Seanad. Ballinahown farmer Hugh Egan is standing in the Birr area.

Laois

Twenty-year-old Charlie Hackett, son of Mark and Pippa, is standing for the Green Party in Graiguecullen/Portarlington, where Timahoe farmer and shopkeeper Patsy Fennell is standing for Independent Ireland, as is Stradbally vet Vivienne Phelan.

In Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick, Durrow farmer Ollie Clooney runs as an Independent, while farmer and business park owner Paddy Buggy stands for Fine Gael.

Kildare

Farmer David Owens stands for Fianna Fáil in Athy, with William Durkan, the latest in that Kildare political dynasty, who is a farmer and lecturer standing for Fine Gael in Clane, where sitting Fine Gael councillor Paddy Curran works in farming and with horses.

Kilkenny

Mary Hilda Cavanagh, a Crosspatrick farmer, is seeking re-election in the Castlecomer area. Mooncoin farmer Maria Wall, at 20, is one of the youngest candidates in the country and running for Fianna Fáil.

Carlow

Kilcumney farmer Thomas Kinsella stands in the Muinebheag area. In the Tullow area, there are three farmers, Jim Deane from Tinryland standing for Sinn Féin, John McDonald from Nurney for Fine Gael, and sitting Independent councillor Charlie Murphy from Myshall.

Wicklow

Tillage farmer Sylvester Bourke is running for Fine Gael in the Arklow district. Alex Pigot, who is running for the Green Party in Bray west, describes himself as a businessman and farmer. Shane Langrell also a farmer, stands for Fine Gael in the Wicklow district.

Wexford

There are three farmers among the 12-strong Wexford Independent Alliance assembled by Verona Murphy – Paddy Kavanagh in Kilmuckridge, Marty Murphy, a former chair of Wexford Milk Producers, in New Ross and Cyril Wheelock in Enniscorthy.

Oliver Walsh of Fine Gael and Pip Breen of Fianna Fáil are farmers and sitting councillors in Kilmuckridge. Enniscorthy Fianna Fáil councillor Barbara-Anne Murphy is a daughter of former Macra president and Bunclody Co-op founder/manager Rory Murphy.

Clare

Pam O’Loughlin is a farm worker from Kilmihil standing in the Ennistymon area, where retired teacher and farmer Joe Killeen is seeking re-election under Fianna Fáil’s banner, and farmer Bill Slattery stands for Fine Gael.

Farmer Matthew Moroney is standing for Independent Ireland in Killaloe, where farmer Pat Burke stands for Fine Gael.

In the Kilrush area, Michael Shannon, who works for Aer Lingus as well as farming, stands for Fine Gael.

He hails from Quilty, as does barber and farmer Joe Woulfe, who is standing for Independent Ireland, while Lissycasey farmer John Hill stands for the Irish Freedom Party.

Cork

Sitting Independent councillor Alan Coleman from Inishannon is standing again in the Bandon-Kinsale area, where Bandon farmer and funeral director John Michael Foley is representing Fine Gael.

In Bantry-West Cork, farmer Finbarr Harrington from Cahermore is standing as an Independent, as is Helen O’Sullivan, the former Farmers Alliance frontperson who hails from Bantry.

Midleton farmer Anthony Barry stands in the Cobh area for Fine Gael, where farmer Sheila O’Callaghan from Watergrasshill is running for Fianna Fáil, while the Green Party is represented by Cobh farmer Cliona O’Halloran. Neilus Cotter from Castletownroche is standing for Fianna Fáil in the Fermoy area, where agri-contractor Frank Roche, also from Castletownroche, is standing as an Independent. Newmarket poultry farmer Finbarr Cronin stands in Kanturk.

In Macroom, recent ICSA president Dermot Kelleher from Inchigeela is standing for Independent Ireland.

Fine Gael has sitting councillors Michael Creed, nephew of the former agriculture minister, who works for the Department of Agriculture, and Macroom part-time farmer Ted Lucey.

The Skibbereen-West Cork area sees Dunmanway farmer Declan Hurley stand as an Independent, while Skibbereen farmer Dónnchadh Ó Seaghdha stands for Sinn Féin.

Kerry

Ballyhar dairy farmer Brendan Cronin, a sitting Independent councillor, stands again in Killarney, where farmer Niall Kelleher is standing for Fianna Fáil. Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald is seeking re-election for Fine Gael in Corca Dhuibhne. Former TD Thomas McEllistrim is seeking re-election as an Independent in Tralee. Kenmare mart manager Dan McCarthy is a hopeful in the same area, as is fellow Independent cattle farmer Johnny Healy-Rae, while dairy farmer Oliver O’Neill also runs as an Independent.

Tipperary

In Cahir, farmers PJ English (Clogheen) and sitting councillor Micheál Anglim (Ardfinnan) both stand for Fianna Fáil. Golden farmer Matthew Fogarty runs in Cashel for Fine Gael, while Independent councillor and Roscrea farmer Michael O’Meara stands in Nenagh.

Limerick

In Limerick City west, sitting Fine Gael councillor and farmer Dan McSweeney is standing again. Sitting councillor and farmer John O’Donoghue is running for Independent Ireland in Adare/Rathkeale as are sitting Fine Gael councillors and farmers Adam Teskey and Stephen Keary.

There are two more incumbent Fine Gael farmers in Newcastle West – Liam Galvin and John Sheahan, while Independent councillor Eddie Ryan seeks re-election in Kilmallock.

Waterford

Sitting councillor and farmer Pat Nugent is standing for Fine Gael in Dungarvan, as is Monica Murphy, from Tallow, a daughter of former IFA national dairy chair Michael Murphy.

Michael J Walsh of Lismore stands for Fianna Fáil in the Lismore district, as does sitting Fine Gael councillor Declan Doocey.

Cavan

Kingscourt farmer and builder John O’Reilly is standing as an Independent in Bailieborough-Cootehill. In Ballyjamesduff, Ballinagh farmer Winston Bennett stands for Fine Gael, where haulier and small farmer Gordon Lester from Finea is running for the Irish People.

Donegal

Dunfanaghy farmer Michael Harkin stands for Aontú in Glenties. Johnny McGuinness stands for Fine Gael in Carndonough. Vincent Bradley, who works in the “agricultural sector”, is an Independent candidate in Letterkenny and in Milford, where Tamney farmer Liam Blaney is standing for Fianna Fáil. Niall McConnell runs as an Independent in Lifford-Stranorlar.

Monaghan

Ballybay/Clones sees Castleblaney farmer Séamus Coyle run for Fianna Fáil.

Leitrim

Carrigallen farmer Paddy O’Rourke is standing in Ballinamore for Fianna Fáil, as is Paddy Farrell in Carrick-on Shannon. Michael McManus is running for the Farmers Alliance in Carrick-on-Shannon.

In Manorhamilton, Kevin Comiskey from Fivemilebourne, who resigned as the IFA national sheep chair to run for Fine Gael, is one of four farmers running.

The others are Independents Diarmuid McConville from Dromahair and Manorhamilton’s Eddie Mitchell, and Fianna Fáil candidate Justin Warnock.

Sligo

Diarmuid MacConville, also running in Leitrim, is also standing in Sligo-Strandhill as an Independent. Boyle farmer Gerard Mullaney stands in Boyle-Tubbercurry for Fine Gael, where farmer and agri-merchant Joseph Queenan is standing as an Independent.

Roscommon

Former Macra president and sitting councillor Laurence Fallon is standing as an Independent once again in Athlone. Farmer and sitting councillor John Naughten also stands for Fine Gael in Athlone. Farmer and councillor Liam Callaghan from Boyle stands again for Fine Gael.

Galway

In Athenry/Oranmore, Peter Feeney will run for Fine Gael while Seán Hehir from Abbeyknockmoy will run for Independent Ireland. In Ballinasloe, sitting councillors Aughrim’s Dermot Connolly (Sinn Féin) and Moylough’s Michael Connolly, a pedigree sheep breeder (Fianna Fáil) are both farmers, while Fine Gael’s Peter Keaveney is a councillor, farmer and agri-contractor.

Connemara sees two farmers running, Independent Críostoir Breathnach and Clifden fish farmer Gerry King. Breathnach is also running in south Connemara, as is Cong aquaculture farmer Sinead O’Brien, also an Independent.

Gort livestock auctioneer Gerry Finnerty stands for Fianna Fáil in Gort-Kinvara, while joiner and farmer PJ Murphy from Ardrahan stands for Fine Gael. In Loughrea, student and farmer Mark Larkin from Eyrecourt runs for Fianna Fáil, while John Anthony McGettigan, a Woodford farmer, runs for the Irish People.

Mayo

The Belmullet area sees Newport farmer Pat Chambers step down from his role on the IFA hill committee to stand for Fine Gael, while Belmullet farmer Seán Carey stands for Fianna Fáil.

Bofeenaun farmer Gerry Loftus, leader of the Irish Rural Organisation, stands as an Independent in Castlebar.

Claremorris sees dairy farmer Mark Devane run for Independent Ireland, Fianna Fáil field Ballyhaunis publican and farmer Stephen Nolan and sitting councillor Damien Ryan, farming in Ballinrobe, while sitting councillor Patsy O’Brien, a farmer in Hollymount, stands as an Independent. Charlestown farmer Seán Forkin stands as an Independent in Swinford. There are three farmers on the ballot in Westport, Peter Nolan from Louisburgh who is running for the Green Party, Independent candidate John O’Malley from Westport, and Louisburgh farmer and agri-contractor Chris Maxwell, who is standing for Independent Ireland.