Constituency: Limerick City

Esther Aherne, a businesswoman from Patrickswell on the outskirts of Limerick city is the sole candidate put forward by Independent Ireland for the constituency.  Ms Aherne challenged the local elections for the first time in June, in the City West constituency, where she was eliminated on the final count for the seven seat area. She initially ran as a Fianna Fáil candidate for the locals but defected to Independent Ireland after claims that her campaign was being “mismanaged” by the party.

Cllr Sarah Beasley, a homelessness services campaigner, has been selected by Aontú for the General Election. Ms Beasley was first elected to Limerick City North this year in the local elections, and earned the accolade of the party’s first councillor in Limerick. She was appointed to the first Expert Group established under the new Mayoral programme to tackle homelessness and drug addiction in Limerick.

Maria Byrne was elected to the Agricultural Panel of the 25th Seanad in April 2016, where she serves as the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Finance. Senator Byrne contested the last General Election in Limerick City, where she finished sixth, gaining 6.5pc of the first preference votes. She was eliminated on the seventh count. She previously served as a councillor on Limerick City and County Council from 1999 up until her election to Seanad Éireann. During that time she served as mayor of Limerick from 2010 to 2011.

Melanie is a mother-of-six children, including Eve Cleary who died in 2019 hours after she was discharged from University Hospital Limerick. Her family settled a High Court action over her daughter’s death with the HSE and UHL who expressed “sincere condolences and deep regret”. Speaking after her selection, Ms Cleary said she was never political or active before Eve died.

Cllr Frankie Daly was first to declare for the general election, making his stake as early as June of last year. He narrowly missed out on the four-seat constituency in 2020, coming fifth, with 3,200 to fourth place Brian Leddin’s 3,252 on the first count, exiting on the sixth. He contested the Limerick mayoral election in June, and was eliminated along with Cllr Elisa O’Donovan on the eighth count, placing in sixth overall. UHL beds, 24-hour A&E in St John’s, a reduction in the Hospitality VAT rate to 9pc, a zero VAT rate for self-build houses, and a recruitment drive for special needs support services are his priorities.

Ruairi Fahy, is a People Before Profit candidate, and an environmental activist. He ran in the Limerick Mayoral Election in June, gaining 686 first preference votes and was eliminated on the second count. Mr Fahy, a socialist, also contested in the June local elections in the Limerick City North constituency, where he was eliminated from the seven-seater race on the eight count.Free public transport, Limerick hospital, social and affordable housing and the environment are some of the key issues of Mr Fahy’s campaign.

Senator Paul Gavan has been a member of Seanad Éireann since 2016 and served as a senator for the Labour Panel and is his party’s spokesperson for education and worker’s rights. He successfully passed through a bill on the protection of employee tips and another on the introduction of safe access zones through the Seanad. The Castleconnel-based senator also served as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the past six years. He contested the Ireland South constituency in the European elections this June, gaining 22,392 first preference votes and was eliminated after the 13th count.

Michelle Hayes is an independent candidate and solicitor from Murroe and Boher, with a family business, Hayes Solicitors, in Limerick city. Ms Hayes is a president of Environmental Trust Ireland. She ran for the first time, unsuccessfully, in the June local elections in the Cappamore-Kilmallock seven-seater electoral area, receiving 522 votes. Ms Hayes previously campaigned for safe drinking water in Limerick as well as the re-opening of Ennis, St John’s and Nenagh Emergency Departments to help UHL.

Brian Leddin was first elected to Dáil Éireann in February 2020 and became the first Green Party TD to represent Limerick City. He secured 7.05pc of the first preference votes in 2020, securing the fourth and final seat in the constituency. He is an engineering graduate of University of Limerick and has a master’s degree in Renewable Energy Systems Technology. He is the chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action.

Willie O’Dea was first elected to Dáil Éireann for the Limerick East constituency in 1982 and has been elected to each Dáil successful since. During that time, he served as Minister of State for the Department of Justice, before being added to health, and later education and justice. He served as Minister for Defence from 2004 to 2010 He qualified as a barrister at King’s Inn, Dublin and worked as both a barrister and as an accountant before politics. He also spent some time lecturing in the Law faculty in University College Dublin and in the University of Limerick.

Kieran O’Donnell is the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, having been appointed in April 2024. He was elected as a TD for Limerick City in 2007 and was previously a Senator in the 25th Seanad, where he was the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Finance. He was re-elected to the Dáil in February 2011 and again in 2020. Minister O’Donnell is currently Chairperson of the Oireachtas Transport and Communications committee and a member of the Budgetary Oversight Oireachtas Committee. A qualified chartered accountant with an honours Business Studies degree from UL, he has a special interest in disabilities.

Cllr Elisa O’Donovan, a Speech and Langauge Therapist has been elected twice to the local authority for Limerick City West. Elisa contested the Mayoral race earlier in the year and was the last of the party candidates, outside of the three larger party candidates, to be eliminated from the race. As a front line health care worker, Elisa is the only Councillor contesting this election from Limerick City West, where UHL is situated. Her campaign is centring on health and social care issues.

A native of Ballynanty Beg, Maurice Quinlivan comes from a well-known Limerick family. He has a degree in Industrial Engineering and Training and was first elected to Limerick City Council in 2009 and re-elected in May 2014, topping the poll with almost 25pc of the vote. He was then elected to the Dáil in February 2016. Deputy Quinlivan was returned to the Dáil in the February 2020 General Election, topping the poll with 11,006 first preference votes

Moyross native and longtime community activist. Dean Quinn, will be contesting the Limerick City constituency with the National Alliance Party. He is the 23rd candidate running with the National Alliance. Mr Quinn, a youth justice worker, contested the 2019 local election in Limerick City North, where he failed to get elected and was eliminated on the penultimate count with 768 votes after transfers. He has cited a need for a change of Government, Government overspending on projects, as well homelessness, housing and immigration in Limerick as some of the key issues driving his campaign.

Dee Ryan grew up in Castleconnell in the 1980s and graduated with a degree in Business from UL in 1998. She was appointed to CEO at Limerick Chamber in 2018 and has represented the business community during the challenging Covid-19 years. She tendered her resignation as Chamber Chief Executive in March in her bid to contest the first Democratically Elected Mayor (DEM) for Limerick. Ms Ryan joined Fianna Fáil earlier this year and was previously a member of Fine Gael.

Cllr Conor Sheehan is Labour’s sole candidate in the constituency for the election. The 31-year-old Corbally native was first elected to Limerick City and County Council in 2019 to represent City North and re-elected during June’s local elections. He graduated from Mary I with a B.A in French and German and D.C.U with a B.A in Journalism. As part of his campaign, he is advocating for a second emergency department in the Mid-West, more social and affordable housing, a proper balanced aviation.