‘The Monk’ and Grainne Seoige in battle for seats
Micheál Edges TV Debate
Micheál Martin is now the 4/9 favourite with BoyleSports to be elected Taoiseach following Friday’s general election after party leaders went head to head in the final TV debate of the campaign.
Opinion polls suggest a tight race between the three main parties as their leaders slogged it out over economy and housing policies in the RTÉ Prime Time debate on Tuesday night.
No Sinn Féin Coalition Considered
Both Tánaiste Martin and Taoiseach Simon Harris repeated their stance that they would not form a coalition with Sinn Féin on the other side of the election, although the odds on a deal being struck between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have been backed down to 6/1 from 16/1 over the past week. However, the most likely outcome according to odds of 5/2 remains either Labour or Independents propping up a coalition government involving Fianna Fáíl and Fine Gael.
Seoige Battling For A Seat
Fianna Fáil are now hot favourites to return with most seats, although one of their high-profile candidates Gráinne Seoige is in a fierce battle to win a seat in Galway West. The broadcaster is odds-on at 4/9 to win one of five seats up for grabs, although Noel Grealish (Independent), Catherine Donnelly (Independent), Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael), John Connolly (Fianna Fail), Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin), Noel Thomas (Independent) and Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) make the constituency one of the hottest contests in the country from a betting perspective.
The Monk In With A Shot
The latest odds also suggest notorious gangland figure Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch is in a tangle with former MEP Clare Daly for the fourth seat in Dublin Central, where Mary Lou McDonald (1/50), Paschal Donohoe (1/12) and Gary Cannon (2/7) are all fancied to retain their seats.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said:
T he election betting has flipped in favour of Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil in recent days and he’s hotly tipped to cosy up to Simon Harris when the votes are counted. However, the jury is out on ‘The Monk’ as he’s one of many candidates fighting for seats that are too close to call.
Bet on the Next Irish General Election Odds at BoyleSports
Dublin Central – To win a seat
1/50 Mary Lou McDonald (SF)
1/12 Paschal Donohoe (FG)
2/7 Gary Gannon (Soc Dem)
8/11 Clare Daly (Ind)
8/11 Gerard Hutch (Ind)
9/4 Malachy Steenson (Ind)
9/2 Janice Boylan (SF)
Galway West – To win a seat
1/8 Noel Grealish (Ind)
1/5 Catherine Connolly (Ind)
4/11 Hildegarde Naughton (FG)
4/9 Gráinne Seoige (FF)
8/13 John Connolly (FF)
8/13 Mairéad Farrell (SF)
8/11 Noel Thomas (Ind)
11/10 Seán Kyne (FG)
Taoiseach after election
4/9 Micheál Martin
9/4 Simon Harris
13/2 Mary Lou McDonald
Most Seats
1/2 Fianna Fáil
5/2 Fine Gael
9/2 Sinn Féin
Government after election
5/2 Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Independents
5/2 Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Labour
5/1 Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil
5/1 Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Independent Ireland
6/1 Sinn Féin/Fianna Fáil
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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