New candidates, internal feuds and party rivalries to dominate

Council area profile/Fingal: Throw in some bright new candidates, internal feuding, a left-right row, the battle of town and country, and the best description of the Fingal local election arena is "political bloodbath".

Fingal sweeps across the Dáil constituencies of Dublin West and Dublin North, taking in rural heartlands and densely populated towns.

Infrastructure, housing, environment, agriculture and transport are among the issues in the area where control alternates between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the help of independents.

The biggest battle and perhaps most open contest will be in Swords, where 15 candidates will fight for five seats. The outstanding performer in Swords in 1999 was Labour TD Mr Seán Ryan, who hoovered up over 26 per cent of the vote and more than 1½ quotas. Labour is running three candidates to retain its two seats, but Mr Gerry McGuire, a nurse at St Ita's who replaced Mr Ryan on the council last year, has been in hospital for three weeks, which could hamper his chances.

His colleague, Cllr Tom Kelleher, is expected to be re-elected, and the party's third candidate is Lusk-based former councillor Mr Ken Farrell, who didn't run in 1999.

Everyone else, however, has an eye on Mr Ryan's vote. The Socialist Party is running seven candidates overall in Fingal, including two in Swords where Cllr Clare Daly has a solid vote.

Mr Michael O'Brien is running with her, and the party wants to double its representation in Fingal to four, with a lot of emphasis on its anti-bin-tax campaign. Sinn Féin's contender in Swords is Mr Matt McCormack. Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Michael Kennedy is expected to head the poll in an electoral area where his party has a strong core vote and would like to bring in their new candidate, Ms Martina Coombes.

But perhaps the most intriguing row in Swords is the internal feud in Fine Gael, where the party is running four candidates but currently has only one seat.

The incumbent is Cllr Anne Devitt, described by one opponent as "local, vocal and strong". Party headquarters, however, is looking for future TDs and has adopted a high-risk strategy.

The young and talented Cllr Seán Dolphin, outgoing chairman of the council, opted not to run in his native Malahide, where he could have comfortably expected to retain his seat, but to seek election in Swords. He failed to be selected at the convention but was added to the ticket as a fourth candidate in an area where many insist there is no second seat for Fine Gael.

His move has turned into an opportunity for the settled Malahide ward, where there are just seven candidates for four seats. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael Labour and the Green Party each have one, and outgoing TD Mr G.V. Wright has been replaced by his election agent, one of Fianna Fáil's bright young candidates, Mr Darragh O'Brien, who will run with Ms Barbara Foley.

The prospect is that it will be one each again for the four parties, with Labour's Mr Peter Coyle expected to top the poll, but there could be a battle for that Fine Gael seat.

The Green Party's Mr Robbie Kelly was co-opted to the council when Ms Heidi Bedell, who is married to the party leader, resigned, but she is running this time for Balbriggan Town Council. Cllr Kelly is running in the Swords contest.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin is expected to take a seat in Mulhuddart.