Overview

• Gareth Sheridan has nominations from Kerry and Tipperary, leaving him two local-authority endorsements short of the 24 October ballot.
• Tipperary Fine Gael councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan provided the one-vote margin that secured Sheridan’s nomination and said she would not be whipped by party headquarters.
• Fine Gael had instructed its 246 councillors not to support independent contenders, highlighting tension between party leadership and councillor autonomy.
• Six councils — Dublin, Cork and Galway city, plus Laois, Roscommon and Longford — have opted not to nominate anyone, narrowing options for hopefuls seeking council routes.
• Party-backed contenders Heather Humphreys, Jim Gavin and Catherine Connolly courted voters at the National Ploughing Championships, with Sinn Féin set to decide its approach this weekend.