Former Clonmel mayor stands on his opposition to smoking ban

Council Profile/Tipperary South: A former mayor of Clonmel is standing as an Independent candidate on a single issue, his opposition to the smoking ban, in the local elections in Tipperary South Riding.

Mr Dominick O'Hara served as a Fine Gael councillor for seven years (1987-1994), and was mayor (1992-1993), before narrowly losing his seat in 1994. He did not contest the 1999 local elections.

There will be considerable interest in how Mr O'Hara performs in the corporation election, given that his political neighbour, Fine Gael TD Mr John Deasy, in Waterford, lost his frontbench position after his protest against the ban in the Dáil members' bar.

Tipperary South Riding county council is controlled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael who share the chairmanship. There is unlikely to be any change in this arrangement after the election.

The battle for county council seats is notable for the way in which Independent TD Mr Seamus Healy is attempting to consolidate his Dáil base which was once the preserve of Labour. The party was represented in the Dáil for years by a former ceann comhairle, Mr Seán Treacy. The late Michael Ferris also held a seat for Labour, but Mr Healy won the by-election following Mr Ferris's death.

Mr Healy held a council seat in the Clonmel area, but is standing down because of the end of the dual mandate. His Workers and Unemployed Action Group is running three candidates, Ms Phil Prendergast, who holds a seat, Mr Billy Shore, a Borough Council seat-holder, and Mr Pat English.

The group is running five candidates for the corporation, where it already has four seats.

Labour, meanwhile, is hoping to make the kind of comeback which will eventually see the party challenging Mr Healy for what was once its seat. The party is running seven candidates for the county council, including Mr Denis Landy, its sole councillor who represents the Fethard area.

Mr Landy topped the poll the last time, and must be regarded as a safe bet to return. He will be hoping to be joined by other Labour councillors to boost the party's Dáil chances at the next general election. Last time the party lost three council seats, and this will be a test of its rehabilitation in south Tipp.

The Cashel area saw a spectacular performance by Fine Gael last time, when it took the first three of the four seats ahead of Fianna Fáil's Dr Sean McCarthy. Mr Tom Hayes, who later went on to win a Dáil by-election for the party, will not be standing this time. He is being replaced by Ms Catherine McLoughlin, who was co-opted to the council when Mr Hayes stood down. She could be under pressure from a strong Fianna Fáil challenge. Mr Thomas Wood, one of the three Cashel Fine Gael councillors, left the party to run as an Independent in the general election, and is expected to retain his seat.

Fianna Fáil gained two seats the last time, but it could be under pressure to repeat such a strong performance. Local Fianna Fáil TD Mr Noel Davern has been announcing a series of "goodies" to boost the party's vote and placate dissatisfied voters. The issues include unopened wards in Clonmel hospital, anti-social behaviour and unemployment in Carrick-on-Suir.

Sinn Féin is hoping to make a breakthrough, having won a seat on Carrick-on-Suir Urban District Council with Mr Liam Walsh.