Record 27 candidates to contest Midlands North West

A record 27 candidates will be running in Midlands North West for the upcoming European Parliament election.

Nominations have now closed ahead of polling day on June 7, when people in Westmeath, and the 14 other counties in the constituency, will be asked to choose five MEPs to represent them in Brussels until 2029.

The incumbents are independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Sinn Féin’s Chris McManus, and Maria Walsh and Colm Markey from Fine Gael.

The constituency has been allocated an additional seat this term and Colm Markey has announced his intention not to run, leaving two seats wide open.

Midlands North West has attracted a number of ‘celebrity’ candidates to run this year, including former RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly (Independent Ireland), jockey Nina Carberry (Fine Gael), and columnist John Waters (independent).

A number of anti-immigrant candidates are also running, such as Irish Freedom Party leader Hermann Kelly, as well as Justin Barrett and James Reynolds, who are currently embroiled in a row over who is the official leader of the National Party.

Other notable candidates include a sitting Sinn Féin MP in the north, Michelle Gildernew, and well-known housing commentator and author Rory Hearne who’s running for the Social Democrats.

Former presidential candidate and businessman Peter Casey has also now thrown his hat in the ring in the final hour.

Fianna Fáil has never had an MEP elected in Midlands North West since the constituency was first established in 2014, but will be hoping to change that this time around.

Offaly TD Barry Cowen was selected to run in the constituency by party members at a convention in Mullingar Park Hotel last February, ahead of Senators Niall Blaney and Lisa Chambers.

Regardless, party leadership later added the two senators to their Midlands North West ticket to run alongside Deputy Cowen.

A long ballot paper of 27 candidates means there will likely be a lengthy counting process for the constituency on June 7.

A total of 74 candidates are seeking an MEP seat in Ireland, with just 14 available.

There are 23 candidates running in Ireland South - where there are five seats available - and 23 candidates running in the Dublin constituency, where four seats are available.

Here is the list of candidates in full:

* Carolyn Fahy (Party for Animal Welfare) withdraw her candidacy before the deadline on Wednesday.