Crucial that voters put Longford #1 on Friday in General Election 2024

Election 2024 will see Longford voters cast their ballot in a constituency where they are significantly outnumbered, so the importance of supporting your own is particularly relevant.

Longford people have always had a good handle on the importance of political representation. Perhaps it's the strong characters from the early Dáil that reinforced how quality candidates can influence a constituency.

Seán Mac Eoin was a TD in the nascent Dáil in 1921, and later served as Minister for Defence when fellow Longford man Frank Carter joined him to make up half of the four Longford Westmeath Dáil seats.

The current population of the constituency is around 142,474, which breaks down to 95,840 from Westmeath and 46,634 from Longford. That ratio has been pretty consistent throughout the existence of the partnership.

ALSO READ: General Election 2024: Longford-Westmeath constituency profile, all you need to know #longfordwestmeathelection2024

Yet Longford consistently held its own when it came to having its presence felt. For a while in the early 80s Albert Reynolds was the lone Longford representative, but the emergence of Louis Belton returned the balance.

Peter Kelly took over from the Reynolds era, with Mae Sexton and later James Bannon giving us the 50/50 split despite our junior partnership.

If there is any doubt about the importance of having a TD in the lower house of the Oireachtas then the fallow period between 2016 and 2020 will emphasise just how necessary it is to have a Dáil deputy.

The population spread shows that Longford is very much the junior partner in the constituency, but we have punched above our weight for most of history.

LIVE BLOG: General Election 2024 results from Longford-Westmeath

The current roster of elected TDs has three Westmeath, to one Longford. Even stranger is the fact that those from the other side of the county bounds are all from the environs of Mullingar.

The constituency from 2024 on will be five seater, and is now made up of the entire counties of Longford and Westmeath for the first time since 1980.

The constituency now includes an additional 19 electoral divisions in the north east of Westmeath. This area around Castlepollard brings in an additional 9,481 residents in the redrawn Longford/Westmeath.

Opinion: Opportunity to shape a new future for Longford Westmeath is upon us

Four sitting TDs, Sorca Clarke (SF), Joe Flaherty (FF), Peter Burke (FG), and Robert Troy (FF), are looking to retain their seats. Two other candidates from 2020, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran and Micheál Carrigy, also passed the 6,000 votes mark after the first count in that contest.

There will be 20 candidates on the ballot for the 2024 general election to elect the 34th Dáil on Friday, November 29, 2024, five of them are from Longford.

The Longford Leader will be on hand in the John McCormack Hall, Technological University of the Shannon Athlone, (formerly AIT), this Saturday, November 30, 2024 from 9:00am for the counting of the votes for the Dáil Election with live updates on our web page and social media platforms.

Opinion: It is critical that we in Longford vote for our own

Regardless of political persuasion, for the sole importance of Longford representation, consider giving the Longford candidates priority when marking out the future for our county.

A future that will be set out in the ballot box.