Voting under way in contest for Limerick's first ever directly elected mayor

VOTING is under way in the election for Limerick's first directly elected mayor.

Limerick's electorate is making history this Friday by becoming the first in Ireland to elect a first citizen, with far reaching powers.

The contest for the high-profile role is taking place at the same time as the election for Limerick City and County Council, and the poll for the Ireland South constituency in the European parliament.

Some 280 polling stations across Limerick city and county opened at seven o'clock this Friday morning, and will remain open until 10pm.

READ MORE: Condolences pour in as death notice is published of Limerick woman killed in dog attack

A total of 158,472 people are eligible to vote in the council and mayoral election in Limerick.

Ninety candidates are fighting it out for 40 seats on the local authority in six areas across Limerick.

In City North, 19 candidates are chasing seven council seats. In City West, there are 18 candidates for seven seats.

And in City East, 16 hopefuls will hope to be returned to one of the seven seats. 

In rural Limerick, 14 candidates seek seven seats in Cappamore-Kilmallock, 11 council hopefuls chase six spots in Adare-Rathkeale.

And in Newcastle West, it's 12 candidates for six seats.

Fifteen candidates are contesting the mayoral election, with of course, just one person set to land the role.

Separately, voters in Shannon Banks, Westbury, and elsewhere in South East Clare will be electing members to Clare County Council's Shannon ward.

The electorate in Birdhill, Newport, Ballina and its surrounds will vote for candidates in the Nenagh district of Tipperary County Council.

Voters presenting to polling stations are advised to bring their polling card, which was issued in the post. If this is not available, and you’re registered to vote, you should bring along photographic ID.

Following the closing of the polls, a major operation will kick-in to bring the ballot boxes to the count centre at Limerick Racecourse, Patrickswell.

There, they will be separated, with European election ballot papers being transferred to Cork - where counting commences on Monday - and votes for the mayoral election separated from the council votes.

At this time, tallies will take place which may give a good indication of which way the polls have gone locally.

Council results are expected to trickle in throughout Saturday evening and into Sunday. A full picture of how the next local authority will look is expected by late on Sunday night.

Then on Monday morning, the count for the historic election of Limerick's first directly elected mayor is expected to get under way. A result in this count is expected that evening.

Limerick Live will be providing extensive coverage online from tomorrow morning, including a dedicated live blog on our web site, www.limericklive.ie

Our live blog kicks off at 12noon on Saturday from Limerick count centre.

Candidate list, Directly Elected Mayor

Sarah Beasley (Aontu), Cllr Daniel Butler (Fine Gael), Cllr Frankie Daly (Independent), Ruairi Fahy (Solidarity-People Before Profit), Dr Laura Keyes (no party listed), Brian Leddin (Green Party), John Moran (Independent), Caitriona Ni Chathain (no party listed), Helen O'Donnell (Independent), Cllr Elisa O'Donovan (Social Democrats), Colm O Morain (no party listed), Maurice Quinlivan (Sinn Fein), Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail), Cllr Conor Sheehan (Labour), Gerben Uunk (Party for Animal Welfare)

Limerick City North:

Sarah Beasley (Aontu), Cllr Sharon Benson (Sinn Fein), Ruth Clarke (Independent Ireland), Tom Collopy (Sinn Fein), Cllr Frankie Daly (Independent), Richard Delaney (Fine Gael), Tanya Dunworth (Sinn Fein), Ruairi Fahy (Solidarity-People Before Profit), Shane Hickey-O'Mara (Social Democrats), Adam Kearney (Independent), Dr Laura Keyes (no party listed), Cllr Sasa Novak Ui Chonchuir (Green Party), Suzzie O'Deniyi (Fianna Fail), Cllr Kieran O'Hanlon (Fianna Fail), Pat O'Neill (Independent), Cllr Olivia O'Sullivan (Fine Gael), Dean Quinn (Independent), Cllr Conor Sheehan (Labour), Mark Spain (Fine Gael).

Limerick City West:

Esther Aherne (Independent Ireland), Cllr Daniel Butler (Fine Gael), Maria Donoghue (Independent), Cllr Fergus Kilcoyne (Fianna Fail), Cllr Joe Leddin (Labour), Frances Lonergan (Sinn Fein), Sean Lynch (Independent), Michael MacCurtain (Fine Gael), Khalid Mahmood (Independent), Cathal McCarthy (Independent), Malachy McCreesh (Independent), Cllr Dan McSweeney (Fine Gael), Alec Morrissey (Independent), Cllr Elisa O'Donovan (Social Democrats), Michael Rafferty (no party listed), Shahin Reza (no party listed), Peter Spencer (Green Party), Cllr Abul Kalam Azad Talukder (Fianna Fail).

Limerick City East:

Peter Doyle (Fine Gael), Ursula Gavan (Sinn Fein), Cllr Sean Hartigan (Green Party), Cllr Sarah Kiely (Fine Gael), Mike Killeen (Sinn Fein), Dean Lillis (Independent), Patrick McCarthy (Independent), Michael Murphy (Fine Gael), Eric Nelligan (Aontu), Michael O'Brien (no party listed), Danielle O'Shea (Sinn Fein), Cllr Joe Pond (Fianna Fail), Cllr Elena Secas (Labour), Tally Slater (Independent), Cllr Catherine Slattery (Fianna Fail), Donnah Vuma (Social Democrats).

Adare-Rathkeale:

Cllr Bridie Collins (Fianna Fail), Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein), Richie Crehan (Independent), Robert Daly (Independent), Tommy Hartigan (Independent Ireland), Cllr Stephen Keary (Fine Gael), Trina O'Dea (Fianna Fail), Cllr John O'Donoghue (Independent Ireland), Cllr Michael Sheahan (Fine Gael), Cllr Adam Teskey (Fine Gael), Ger Ward (Fianna Fail).

Newcastle West:

James Barrett (Independent Ireland), Kathleen Lucy Barrett (Fianna Fail), Cllr Michael Collins (Fianna Fail), Padraig Collins (Sinn Fein), Cllr Francis Foley (Fianna Fail), Cllr Liam Galvin (Fine Gael), Pat King (Independent Ireland), Gerard Madigan (Fianna Fail), Cllr Tom Ruddle (Fine Gael), Cllr Jerome Scanlan (Independent), Cllr John Sheahan (Fine Gael), Gerben Uunk (Party for Animal Welfare).

Cappamore-Kilmallock:

Cllr PJ Carey (Sinn Fein), Gregory Conway (Fine Gael), Cllr Mike Donegan (Fianna Fail), Al Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail), Grainne Hanley (Independent Ireland), Michelle Hayes (Independent), Denny Hourigan (Fianna Fail), Rob O'Donnell (Green Party), Tommy O'Sullivan (Fine Gael), Cllr Eddie Ryan (Independent), Cllr Martin Ryan (Fianna Fail), Michael Ryan, Aontu, Noreen Stokes (Fine Gael), Cllr Brigid Teefy (Independent).