Louth Election 2024: Who are the candidates and who could make gains? Everything you need to know before voting

Current TDs (five seats) Current TDs: Fergus O'Dowd (FG), Imelda Munster (SF) and Peter Fitzpatrick (Ind), Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF) and Ged Nash (Lab).

The race for the Dáil in Louth is one of the most open contests in years. Three of the sitting TDs are stepping down at this election with Fergus O'Dowd (FG), Imelda Munster (SF) and Peter Fitzpatrick (Ind), all withdrawing from the political fray. That leaves Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF) and Ged Nash (Lab) as the only incumbents in the race with Ó Murchú based in Dundalk and Nash in Drogheda.

There are a number of high-profile challengers in the race, some running for the Dáil for the first time, like journalist and broadcaster, Alison Comyn (FF) and former Mayor of Drogheda, Kevin Callan (Ind)

Who could make gains here? The departure of three sitting TDs leaves the race very difficult to predict in Louth. The two incumbent candidates will fancy their chances of regaining their seats but who takes the next three seats is wide open. Sinn Féin would have had two safe seats in this constituency if both sitting TDs were running again but with the departure of Imelda Munster, it will be for Cllr Joanna Byrne to retain the seat at the Drogheda end of the constituency. The addition of Antóin Watters to the ticket means that Sinn Féin will run a three candidate strategy, with the hope it will help at least two get over the line.

It will be interesting to see where the votes of Fine Gael's long-standing TD, Fergus O'Dowd, will go this election. His base is in Drogheda and Cllr Paula Butterly will be on the Drogheda side of the Fine Gael ticket, this time around. The party is running two candidates, but the base of Senator John McGahon - who contested the 2020 General Election - is in the north of the county so will the two-candidate strategy be successful in retaining a seat here for Fine Gael? Dundalk is a less congested field than Drogheda so McGahon's higher profile should see him ahead of Paula Butterly and in amongst the top five, particularly given Fine Gael's showing in national opinion polls.

With Independent candidate, Peter Fitzpatrick, stepping down, there could be an independent vote to be won in Louth and the former Mayor of Drogheda, Kevin Callan will be hoping he can capitalise on that. Currently Louth County Council Chairperson, he has formed an effective alliance with other independent councillors and has campaigned heavily long before the summer local elections.

Alison Comyn brings a big local profile in Drogheda to the Fianna Fáil ticket and she will be hoping to buck a trend that has seen South Louth prove something of a wasteland for Fianna Fáil candidates for decades now. However, Comyn is not alone on the Louth Fianna Fáil ticket. Fianna Fáil are covering the northern half of the constituency with Senator Erin McGreehan who will have her own claim on the seat, having built up a good profile in her time in the Seanad.

North Louth was once a party stronghold, remarkably at one time delivering three out of four seats on just over 40pc share of the vote. Those days are gone, but the party returned Dermot Ahern and Seamus Kirk for many elections and had a good showing in the June local elections.

Aontu's candidate, Michael O'Dowd, a brother of retiring Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, is another former Mayor of Drogheda and is likely to prove popular in the rural parts of the constituency too.

Late to reveal their hand in the race for a Dáil seat in Louth were the Social Democrats and the Green Party. Both have now selected candidates. Marianne Butler will run for the Greens from her base in Dundalk and representing Mid-Louth for the Social Democrats will be Niall McCreanor. Both are likely to face an uphill battle in securing a seat in Louth.

Add to that, some more independents and candidates from People Before Profit and two anti-immigration candidates and what results is a race that only the most courageous would bet on.

Any boundary changes to note? Most of what was the East Meath part of the constituency has been lopped off for this election cycle. South Drogheda's Meath residents will remain in the constituency, but areas like Julianstown, Bettystown and Laytown have all been removed and that is likely to have the greatest impact on Drogheda-based candidates who would have been active in those areas, in the past. You are likely to see a lot of Drogheda-based candidates looking to mid-Louth and further north to make up the votes lost to the south, in the boundary change.

What are the issues under the spotlight? As in much of the country, the housing crisis is a huge issue in Louth. The wee county has not been immune from the housing and homelessness crisis. Louth County Council has social housing waiting list of over 2,000 and people can wait more than a decade for social housing. In the private market, rents and house prices have risen over the lifetime of the outgoing government.

Health is another national issue that is impacting locally, particularly in the county's biggest hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda, which has seen recent protests by staff complaining of "back door recruitment freeze" at the hospital that is placing an enormous burden on existing staff and impacting patient care. The hospital also faces long waiting lists and one of the busiest emergency departments in the region.

Dereliction is dominating a lot of the conversation among Drogheda candidates who are debating how to tackle vacancy and dereliction in the town centre and assessing how the town might be best governed into the future, to ensure a revitalisation of the town centre.

The cost of living is also likely to come up on the doorsteps across the county, as locals struggle with everything from the cost of groceries, to the daily commute and childcare.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú (Sinn Féin)*

Deputy Ged Nash (Labour)*

Senator Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fáil)

Senator John McGahon (Fine Gael)

Cllr. Kevin Callan (Independent)

Cllr. Joanna Byrne (Sinn Fáin)

Cllr. Paula Butterly (Fine Gael)

Michael O'Dowd (Aontú)

Hermann Kelly (Irish Freedom Party)

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fáil)

James Renaghan (People Before Profit)

Ryan McKeown (Independent Ireland)

Peter James Nugent (Independent)

Derek McElearney (The Irish People)

David Brennan (Independent)

Marianne Butler (Green Party)

Antóin Watters (Sinn Féin)

Niall McCreanor (Social Democrats)

Further candidates may be added to the ballot

*indicates sitting TDs