PUBLICAN AND ALL IRELAND MEDAL WINNER AMONG FF HOPEFULS
NOMINATIONS HAVE been made for Fianna Fáil candidates ahead of local election selection conventions which are due to take place in the coming weeks.
With boundary changes coming into effect for the next local elections, the Wexford district has been split into a Wexford town and immediate environs district and a Kilmore district which will serve south Wexford over as far as Wellingtonbridge. There will be seven seats in the Wexford town area and five in the Kilmore district which, given the number of councillors currently hailing from that general area, will make for an interesting scrap in the polls.
In recent weeks, nominations have been submitted for the Fianna Fáil selection with a number of new names emerging as potential candidates.
One man who won’t be standing again is the current Mayor, Cllr Tony Dempsey who, although nominated, has told the party that he would not be letting his name go forward: ‘I’ve enjoyed my time in politics but, at some stage, you have to say ‘enough’. If you want to do it, it’s a very busy job. But I’m going out on a high, in the role of Mayor.’
Cllr Dempsey has been Mayor, council cathaoirleach and a TD during his political career, having first been served in the Dáil from 2002 to 2007, and subsequently becoming a member of Wexford County Council in 2009.
Aoife Byrne had been expected to run following her general election campaign two years ago but she confirmed that she would not be putting her name forward on this occasion. ‘I’m honoured to have been nominated but, unfortunately, due to work commitments, it’s just not possible for me to put my name forward at the moment. However, I will continue to support the party in any way that I can.’
Among the names hoping to be on the ticket are Garry Laffan, Emmet Moloney, Colin Murphy, and, in the Kilmore district, publican Michael Wallace from Wellingtonbridge, who will run alongside current councillor Lisa McDonald, providing a general election does not occur before then.
It is expected that the party will run at least two candidates in both areas.
All Ireland winning hurler Garry Laffan has received a nomination, as well as the backing of his district predecessor Cllr Tony Dempsey, and he says that poliitics was always something that he was involved in.
He remarked: ‘I’m very honoured to be nominated but this is only the starting point. We’ve to wait for the selection convention now, to see what way the party approaches the election.’
Emmet Moloney confirmed that he had sought and received a nomination from the Clonard Cumann of the party, as well as some individual backing, and he said he was now waiting to hear an official date for the convention. He believes that, as a town-born candidate residing in the urban area, he can be a strong advocate for Wexford town and said he would hope to focus on the issues he prioritised as part of his general election campaign two years ago.
Colin Murphy, who works at the National Opera House as a stage technician, has also sought and received a nomination. He ran ten years ago for the old Borough Council and has been involved in the party for a long number of years. He has thrown his name into the ring because he feels that the town needs representation, something that was adversely affected by the removal of town councils.
He is hopeful of securing a place on the Fianna Fáil ticket and said that he was keen to keep the focus on local issues that the council could make a difference on.
Cllr Lisa McDonald said that while she is set to be on the ticket for the next general election, should the local elections fall before then she will stand in the Kilmore district.
‘I am a sitting councillor; there is a lot of work to be completed and I would like to continue advancing that so I will be putting my name forward. The general election is Brexit-dependent, nobody knows what’s going to happen but I wouldn’t rule out an early election in the spring.’
Publican Michael Wallace has secured a nomination following a number of requests for him to consider standing, many of which came from local people in his area. Mr Wallace, who owns the Tír na nÓg pub in Wellingtonbridge, is hoping to be the first councillor in Wellingtonbridge for 50 years; John Joe Furlong was the last local man to hold such a role.
‘Running was something I thought about for a while. I got a good few phone calls from people asking me to think about running. This area hasn’t been represented for a long time and, with the boundary changes, the councillors who would have worked on our behalf have all gone to a new district. The fear is that the area will fall between two stools.’