Pauline Flanagan shocked us all, and maybe even herself, as she announced herself as a candidate at the last minute.

Co-opted as a Laois County Councillor by Fianna Fail following the death of Jerry Lodge in 2018, she lost that seat in 2019. She ran for the party in the 2020 General Election and as an Independent in the Local Election in June.

All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.