Roscommon/Galway

Roscommon South Leitrim will be changed to Roscommon Galway for 2011, but the dramatis personae and key issues will remain the same.

Few outside of the nation's adopted turf-cutting hero, Michael Fitzmaurice, will be sleeping easily in the former heartland of 'Ming' Flanagan.

Some have suggested 'Ming' will return from Europe, but one suspects the canny Flanagan will not fancy his chances of shifting the bulky frame of Michael Fitzmaurice too easily.

The new reign of the Independents certainly represents a change from the days when the Leyden and Doherty factions ruled the roost in Roscommon and a token FG man was let in.

Currently it has two Independents and one FG TD but will that continue?

It certainly is another litmus test for the FF recovery which will be unveiled as something going around in pointless circles if FF does not regain a seat there.

Labours day is done but Sinn Fein will surely contend.

Fine Gael will be seeking to at least retain one seat. The odds after Roscommon hospital and Frank Feighan's 'elbows' event, are problematic.

Should Maura Hopkins, the Fine Gael 'lovely girl' run they will have a shot at it.

One person who will be looking very carefully at such developments is the wilier than wily Denis Naughten who has played ducks and drakes with a number of ardent Independent party suitors.

If Michael Fitzmaurice manages to get his new party off the ground Denis will, to put it mildly, be uneasy as he tries to see off Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to secure the second Independent seat.

Sunday Independent