BOOKIES are tipping that there will be three new TDs in Limerick by the weekend, with odds-on Independent candidate Emmet O’Brien, Fine Gael’s Tom Neville and Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan, in the city, named as those most likely to succeed.
Also giving the sitting TDs a run for their money in the city constituency, according to the latest odds from Paddy Power’s bookmakers, will be Anti Austerity Alliance candidate, Cian Prendiville.
With many pundits predicting that Jan O’Sullivan could be in trouble with an electoral bite back against the Labour Party, Fianna Fail frontrunner Willie O’Dea said in a statement issued to the Limerick Post on Wednesday, that contrary to various media reports, he had not asked his supporters to give their second preference vote to the Education Minister.
“My position has always been that the second preference vote is a matter for each individual voter,” he added.
In the Limerick city constituency, the bookies are predicting that Finance Minister Michael Noonan will top the poll again, with odds of 1/100 to win a seat. His running mate Kieran O’Donnell (FG) is less of a sure bet, having drifted from 2/7 to 4/9.
Long-time Limerick representative, Willie O’Dea (FF) seems set to return to the Dáil with odds on him offered at 1/100.
Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan has drifted from 4/7 to 4/5.
The biggest changes have been Cian Prediville (AAA) who has been backed in from 40/1 to 7/1 to pick up a seat and Sarah Jane Hennelly (SD) who has been backed in from 50/1 to 14/1.
In Limerick county, Emmet O’Brien (Ind) has been backed from 11/4 in early January to 1/4 now.
The Fine Gael colleagues Tom Neville and Patrick O’Donovan have remained solid at 4/9 and 2/7 respectively having opened up at much shorter prices.
Niall Collins (FF) was always unbackable at 1/50 and has remained consistent at this price.
Independent Richard O’Donoghue has been backed at from 80/1 to 25/1 while there has been brisk betting on Social Democrat Senator James Heffernan whose price has been cut from 10/1 to 5/1.
