Fianna Fáil reveals local seat hopefuls

WITH all Fianna Fáil conventions in the Cork South West constituency having now been completed, the party has confirmed that eight candidates have been selected to run in next year’s local elections.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Aiden McCarthy, chairman of the Comhairle Dáil Cheantair for Cork South West, said its members are delighted to have such a strong team being put forward for elections.

‘We have three female candidates out of eight running, but we unfortunately failed to get a female candidate for the west end of the constituency. Hopefully next time we can comply with our parties aim to have equal gender balance for all elections,’ he said.

‘All the candidates have huge experience and offer the electorate a very capable qualified personnel in serving all the people in Cork South West.

Two existing councillors, Gillian Coughlan and Sean O’Donovan, are being joined by former TD Margaret Murphy O’Mahony in the Bandon Kinsale local electoral area.

‘There was no contest in this convention and it was decided to run three candidates for this six seater municipal district. All three are very well known and have an established track record of hard work.’

In the Skibbereen local electoral area, Cllr Deirdre Kelly and Cllr Joe Carroll have been re-selected and are being joined by newcomer, former Clonakilty mayor, Padraig O’Reilly.

‘Both Cllr Carroll and Cllr Kelly are now very well established with a strong presence on the ground in their area, while Padraig is new but well-known in local circles and is well positioned in Clonakilty to take a seat there,’ said Mr McCarthy. 

‘Our target is to get all three candidates elected and all are geographically well spread in that electoral area.’

Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy has been re-selected to run in the Bantry local electoral area and he will be joined by former councillor, Danny Crowley, who has been added to the ticket.

‘We are looking forward to the elections where we will get an opportunity to canvass door-to-door, listen to the needs and issues and we will get an opportunity to outline what the party has succeeded in delivering in the last four years since the last election,’ said Mr McCarthy.