A boyfriend and girlfriend will go head to head at the ballot box at the next General Election.

Fianna Fáil has announced that it is to run the current serving mayor of County Cork, Cllr Chrisopher O'Sullivan, on the ticket in the Cork South West constituency, alongside sitting Fianna Fáil TD, Margaret Murphy-O'Mahony.

O'Sullivan, aged 37, is the boyfriend of Cllr Holly McKeever Cairns, who will contest the same election in the same constituency, but on behalf of the Social Democrats.

He said the contest between the couple makes it very interesting: "It will be fine. I'm mad about her, but I won't be revealing anything about my strategy to her."

He added that he doesn't expect his girlfriend to talk about her strategy either.

"The plan is for Fianna Fáil to get two seats in the constituency so my party won't be letting me get involved in any electoral vote pacts with my girlfriend," Cllr O'Sullivan said.

I don't expect it to cause any difficulties. We are very supportive of each other. It won't have any impact on our relationship.

Responding to the news, Cllr Cairns said: "Even though I knew him being added to the ticket was a possibility, now that it's happened, I feel a bit like I'm in a badly-written rom-com. Obviously we get on like a house on fire personally, just not so much politically.

She added: "I will say that he didn't think I had a chance in the local elections. I proved him wrong then. I might just do it again. All's fair in love and war. Bring it on."

Cllr O'Sullivan comes from a family steeped in Fianna Fáil politics. His father, Christopher O'Sullivan Snr, served as a Fianna Fáil TD in the same constituency from 2007-2011.

Cllr O'Sullivan's uncle, DF O'Sullivan, was a long-serving member of Cork County Council who died tragically in a car crash in 1993.

Cllr O'Sullivan was a law graduate from the University of Limerick.

Cllr Cairns is a farmer and small-business owner from the Turk Head Peninsula in west Cork.

The Social Democrats Councillor hit the headlines last year when she won the final seat in the Bantry Local Election by a single vote.

The straight-talking councillor has focused on the environment and improving transparency since she was elected. She has started a podcast - Inside the Chamber - which shines a light on the workings of local government.