BREAKING: Patrick Murphy to seek Euro seat for Aontú

BALLYDEHOB-based Patrick Murphy is to contest the next European Parliament elections for the Aontú party in the Ireland South constituency.

Announced today, the move will see the fisheries campaigner moving into politics, following the high profile he garnered last year after West Cork fishers took on the Russian navy and secured a deal for them to move their controversial manoeuvres further away from their fishing grounds.

Welcoming the selection Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD said the party, with Patrick Murphy as its candidate, was aiming to win an Ireland South seat in Europe next year.

He will join Patrick in a public meeting on the cost of living crisis in the Metropole Hotel, Mac Curtain St, Cork on Monday February 20th.

Patrick (52) is married to Rose and they have four children.

Through the family business, he’s been involved in the production of mussels in Roaringwater Bay for the past 25 years. He has also led the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&WFPO) based in Castletownbere, since 2016.

Aontú is a conservative traditional political party which opposes abortion and it polled 4% in a recent opinion poll for the Sunday Independent, an increase of one point. Party leader Toibín is a former member of both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, who left the latter in 2018 over his anti-abortion stance. He formed Aontú the following year.

Ireland South is currently represented by FF's Billy Kelleher, Mick Wallace (Independents 4 Change), Sean Kelly (FG), Grace O'Sullivan (Green) and Deirdre Clune (FG).

• For full story, see this week's Southern Star, out Thursday.

The story of the Russians, the Irish fishing industry & CNN's Donie O'Sullivan

Editor Siobhán Cronin spoke with CNN's Donie O'Sullivan about last year's stand-off between West Cork fishers and the Russian army, who described it as a 'David vs Goliath story'.