DRAGON GAVIN’S ON FIRE
Council backs president hopeful
GAVIN Duffy slayed his old Dragons’ Den colleagues and nine other would-be Presidential candidates when he secured the backing of the first local authority yesterday.
The businessman breathed fire into the race by nailing down the support of Meath County Council.
He picked up 17 votes while his former TV co-star Sean Gallagher got seven and Independent Senator Joan Freeman received two.
Mr Duffy said: “I am delighted to have secured the nomination.
“I am very appreciative of those councillors who proposed and seconded my nomination and the other councillors who voted for me and gave me the honour of being the first individual to have secured a nomination by a local authority.
“Over the last number of weeks, I’ve addressed councils up and down the country and have been heartened with the courtesy afforded to me and others during these hearings.”
The 58-year-old added the mix of support proves he is a “cross party” candidate, with nine Fine Gael councillors breaking ranks and deciding to ignore a request from their party headquarters when they voted for the Co Louth businessman.
He received another eight votes from Independents and non-party representatives.
Shortly after the vote, Bettystown Fine Gael councillor Sharon Tolan, who backed the media trainer and investor, described her party’s decision not to run their own candidate as a mistake.
She insisted if she and the other eight Fine Gael councillors had not supported Mr Duffy then Mr Gallagher, who she labelled the unofficial Fianna Fail candidate, would have been nominated.
Party bosses have instructed councillors not to endorse any other candidate as its preferred choice for the Aras is current President Michael D Higgins.
Fine Gael last night refused to confirm if it is considering disciplinary action against councillors who support candidates other than Mr Higgins. It ignored our specific question on the issue and would only say: “The party has requested that no Fine Gael councillor or Fine Gael council group nominates a candidate in opposition to Michael D Higgins.”
Meanwhile, the third Dragons’ Den panellist Peter Casey became the last hopeful to stand before a local authority yesterday when he addressed Leitrim County Council.
It was also announced last night that Cork City Council will endorse Senator Joan Freeman’s nomination for the Presidential election.
The Pieta House founder becomes the second candidate to secure the nomination of a local authority – she received 14 votes with 11 abstensions.
She needs four councils to secure a place on the ballot paper.
Ms Freeman tweeted that she was “delighted and grateful”.
I’m delighted and very appreciative of those councillors who voted gavin Duffy YESTERDAY