New opinion poll predicts close battles

Updated: 04 June 2004 22:40

A poll in tomorrow's Irish Times shows close races in all four European consitituencies, with Fine Gael now in with a chance of two seats in the East.

A poll in tomorrow's Irish Times shows close races in all four European consitituencies, with Fine Gael now in with a chance of two seats in the East.

The tns/MRBI poll for tomorrow's Irish Times shows Gay Mitchell on 24% taking a seat in Dublin, but slippage in support for Fianna Fáil's Royston Brady down 3% to 15; but his running mate Eoin Ryan is unchanged at 13%. 

A close race too on the Labour ticket with Ivana Bacik up two to 10% and Proinsias de Rossa down two to 12%

Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin is up 2 to 10% and Patricia McKenna of the Greens has slipped 2 to 8%.

In the East, Fine Gael's Mariead McGuinness has improved by 4 points to 16% and is now snapping at the heels of Avril Doyle who is on 17%. Two seats are now a real possibility for the party although Labour's Peter Cassels is still in contention on 12%.

In North-West the talking point will be the performance of Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty who is up a substantial six points to 15%.

The two Fianna Fáil candidates, Jim McDaid and Sean O'Neachtain, are on 18% and 17% respectively, while Dana is up 3 to 10% but Marian Harkin is holding fast at 16%

In the South Gerry Collins' vote has slipped and the veteran Fianna Fáil man could be in trouble as he is down 3 points to 14% while Kathy Sinnott has now outstripped him up 6 points to 15%.