Figures suggest Fine Gael is in line to gain a seat

Council area profile/Leitrim: The former Fine Gael TD and senator, Mr Gerry Reynolds, has changed electoral areas in a long-term attempt to regain a Dáil seat.

The third generation of a prominent Fine Gael family, from Ballinamore, he has moved to live in the larger town of Carrick-on-Shannon, contesting a seat in the local electoral area. The town is now bustling and cosmopolitan, and Mr Reynolds, a businessman, owns a hardware store and is behind a major shopping development there.

There was a time when Fine Gael controlled Leitrim County Council, with Mr Reynolds's father, the late Pat Joe Reynolds, serving as chairman for several years. Since the last local elections, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have held the balance of power.

Mr Reynolds narrowly lost his seat in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency in the last general election, and is likely to contest the new Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency next time.

The Carrick-on-Shannon electoral area will feature a strong battle between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Last time, Fianna Fáil turned in a highly impressive performance, winning four of the six seats with 3.5 quotas. Despite having 2.5 quotas, Fine Gael took just one seat, which was won by Mr Thomas Mulligan, from Mohill. Mr Enda Stenson, from Carrick-on-Shannon, won a seat as an Independent.

Apart from the Reynolds dynasty, Ballinamore was also the base of the veteran republican, the late John Joe McGirl, who won a Dáil seat for Sinn Féin in the 1950s. Last time, his son, Mr Liam McGirl, took one of the six seats in that electoral area. However, he had the lowest first-preference vote. He subsequently resigned from the council and was replaced by Mr Martin Kenny, who will be fighting to retain his seat.

Fine Gael, meanwhile, won three seats and Fianna Fáil two. Fianna Fáil missed taking a third seat by a mere seven votes, and Sinn Féin could be vulnerable to a challenge from the party based on Mr McGirl's 1999 vote.

Ballinamore will see the continuation of two political dynasties. Last time, the poll topper was Mr Caillian Ellis, brother of the Sligo-Leitrim Fianna Fáil TD, Mr John Ellis. He polled 855 first-preference votes, followed by Fine Gael's Mr Tommy McCartin, brother of the outgoing FG MEP, Mr Joe McCartin, with 719 votes. This time, the family standard-bearer will be Mr John McCartin, son of Mr Joe McCartin.

In Dromahair, Ms Carmel McPadden, Fine Gael, will be attempting to retain the seat of her late husband, Jim McPadden.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will battle it out here, also. Last time, Fine Gael's Mr Enda McGloin polled just under 400 first-preferences and was in the fifth place on the first count ahead of Fianna Fáil's Ms Mary Bohan. However, she did better on transfers and he eventually was overtaken by Fianna Fáil's Mr Francis Gilmartin. Local speculation is that there will be a close battle for the fifth seat between Mr McGloin, the Independent, Mr Gerry Dolan, and Fianna Fáil's Mr Seán Nolan, who is attempting to win a seat once held by Drumshanbo-based Senator Paschal Mooney.

Labour has no representative on Leitrim County Council, and is hoping for a breakthrough in Manorhamilton with its candidate, Mr Gabriel McSharry. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have two seats each, and Sinn Féin has one. Mr McSharry is carrying out a vigorous campaign, but he faces stiff odds.

The county has a "Save Leitrim committee" campaign to reverse the electoral splitting of Leitrim at the next general election.

Representatives of the committee are to meet the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, but the issue is not being raised to any significant degree on the doorsteps. The issues are of a more bread-and-butter variety, such as the decline of parts of the county compared to the expansion of Carrick-on-Shannon, and the proposals by Teagasc to close Ballinamore research station.

Overall, the results are likely to be scrutinised as a barometer of Fine Gael's state of political health, given that the figures suggest it is in for a gain.