Councillor Jim Ryan looking to fill vacated Thurles TD spot

Running in his second General Election, his first since 2007, Councillor Jim Ryan will be hoping the Thurles faithful will be out in force on polling day this Friday.

The poll topper for the Thurles Local Electoral Area earlier this year in the local elections, Cllr Ryan's popularity in the area is plain to see.

Canvassing with Cllr Ryan in Thurles, the support for the candidate appears to be very strong.

Voters who opened their door to him spoke to him very positively, with many commending the work he has done and continues to do in Thurles as part of his role with the Thurles district of the Tipperary County Council.

Cllr Ryan had to do very little speaking with the voters, with almost all of them stopping him in his tracks to ensure him that he would be getting their number 1 vote.

One candidate in particular would not accept a flier and told him to stop “wasting time,” speaking to him because he was guaranteeing Cllr Ryan his number 1 vote.

As such, he spent much of his evening canvassing speaking with the people as one normally would, showcasing his popularity within the town.

With Jackie Cahill not seeking re-election this term, a Thurles seat in the Dáil is now left vacant, and Cllr Ryan will be hoping to fill this gap.