Eight in running for FF general election nod

EIGHT potential Fianna Fail General Election candidates have been chosen to go forward to a forthcoming selection convention which is expected to take place before the end of the month.

The confirmed nominees are the sitting Fianna Fail TD James Browne (Enniscorthy) and Cllrs. Malcolm Byrne (Gorey), Lisa McDonald (Wexford), Barbara Anne Murphy (Bunclody), Michael Sheehan (New Ross), Joe Sullivan (Castletown), Michael Whelan (Ballycullane) and John Fleming (Clonroche).

A constituency sub-committee of the National Executive is due to meet this Wednesday to decide how many Fianna Fail candidates to run in County Wexford in the next General Election and to fix a date for the selection convention.

The party ran three candidates in 2016 - James Browne, Malcolm Byrne and Aoife Byrne (who was chosen as the third candidate after the convention) polling well on first preferences but failing to win the coveted second seat.

Cllr. Joe Sullivan was Cllr. Malcolm Byrne’s campaign manager during the General Election of 2016 and is seeking a nomination himself this time around.

Cllr. Barbara Anne Murphy sought a nomination in 2016 and came second at selection convention behind James Browne and ahead of Cllr. Michael Sheehan and Cllr. Michael Whelan who were also nominees. Cllr. Malcolm Byrne was chosen by the party as a 2016 candidate without going through the selection convention.