It is understood the PDs have sounded out Kevin 'Boxer' Moran with a view to him standing in the new Longford-Westmeath constituency.

Moran declined to comment when contacted by the Sunday Tribune.

A spokesperson for the PDs said that there had been "no direct contact with Kevin 'Boxer' Moran by senior officials of the PDs".

The PDs already have a TD in the constituency, but Mae Sexton is based in Longford and there is expected to be little crossover of first-preference votes between the two counties. Sexton is also under serious pressure to hold her seat in the new constituency.

A recent opinion poll showed Athlone-based O'Rourke being comfortably elected, along with Fianna Fail's Peter Kelly and Fine Gael's James Bannon . . . both from Longford . . . and likely polltopper, Labour's Willie Penrose, whose electoral stronghold is Mullingar. The poll suggested Sexton and Fianna Fail TD Donie Cassidy would miss out.

However, if Moran were to stand, it would open up the race. O'Rourke's main rival for the Athlone vote is currently Fine Gael councillor Nicky McFadden but Moran, a taxi driver, is also based in the town and opened up a constituency office there last year. He performed strongly in the local elections two years ago and was seen as a serious challenger to O'Rourke for the Fianna Fail nomination. He was defeated by 48 votes to 39 in January's selection convention.