Massive field of candidates vying for Laois European votes

A huge field of candidates have entered the race to represent Laois and 13 other counties in the European Parliament for the next five years.

Nominations to contest the European election closed on April 30, with 74 candidates standing in Ireland across three constituencies on June 7. Laois is in the Midlands North West constituency which has the biggest field with a record 28 politicians set to go before the people in 14 counties.

There is no Laois-based candidate but Barry Cowen is a sitting Laois Offaly TD who is hoping to regain one of the five seats in the sprawling constituency for Fianna Fáil.

Apart from Laois and Offaly, the constituency comprises the counties of Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath.

The sitting MEPs are independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Sinn Féin’s Chris McManus, and Maria Walsh and Colm Markey from Fine Gael. All but Mr Markey are running again.

The candidates are:

• Maria Walsh Fine Gael
• Nina Carberry Fine Gael
• Niall Blaney Fianna Fáil
• Lisa Chambers Fianna Fáil
• Barry Cowen Fianna Fáil
• Chris McManus Sinn Féin
• Michelle Gildernew Sinn Féin
• Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan Independent
• Dr. Gerry Waters Independent
• John Waters Independent
• Peter Casey Independent
• Saoirse McHugh Independent
• Michelle Smith Independent
• Stephen Garland Independent
• Daniel Pocock Independent
• Charlotte Keegan Independent
• Pauline O’Reilly Green Party
• Peadar Tóibín Aontú
• Brian O’Boyle People Before Profit
• Rory Hearne Social Democrats
• James Reynolds The National Party
• Justin Barrett The National Party
• Carolyn Fahy The Party for Animal Welfare
• Ciaran Mullooly Independent Ireland
• Anthony Cahill The Irish People
• Hermann Kelly The Irish Freedom Party
• Margaret Alacoque Maguire Ireland First
• Fergal Landy Labour Party

The Midlands North West constituency electorate is 1,224,888.