Taoiseach says he wants to see FG seat back in CSW

CORK South-West is set to experience an influx of Fine Gael government ministers in advance of the next General Election, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Deputy Varadkar paid a visit to Courtmacsherry – where Tánaiste Micheál Martin has a holiday home – last Friday, during his day-long tour of West Cork, during which he also visited neighbouring towns Clonakilty and Bandon, and the village of Timoleague.

He addressed supporters in the Anchor Bar in Courtmacsherry, where he was accompanied by Senator Tim Lombard. ‘This is a constituency where I can absolutely guarantee you that there will be plenty of attention from government. I will be expecting all Fine Gael ministers to visit here over the course of the next year. We are going to pay lots of attention and a real effort from the party centrally to win back here and in Tipperary and Waterford. We are determined to do that,’ he said.

GOOD SPORT: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took time out to have a quick read of last week’s Southern Star, with Sen Lombard, at the Courtmacsherry Community Shop. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Introduced by chairperson of the local party Helen O’Donovan, the Taoiseach said he understood that it’s ‘not easy to be a member of a political party, and it’s certainly not easy to be a member of a political party that’s been in government for thirteen years’.  

He added: ‘But despite all that I am immensely proud that I am a member of Fine Gael. I know what we have achieved in the past twelve years.’ He said Cork South West was one of the constituencies where he wanted to see the party regain a seat – referring to the shocking result in 2020 which saw an area steeped in Fine Gael history with no FG TD returned.

‘I don’t know how the boundaries are going to fall yet, but however they fall, I want to make sure that Cork South West is one of the places where we gain a seat. This used to be a FG stronghold, but these things go up and down,’ he continued.

The Taoiseach meeting Bandon ladies Michelle Browne and Deirdre Crowley with Sen Tim Lombard. (Picture Denis Boyle)

While there was no hint of possible candidates to run for the party there was a little hint about party unity. ‘When you lose a seat, it is hard to win back. In my constituency we lost a seat in 2002 won it back in 2007, not easy to do, but if everyone comes together as a single team around a candidate, whoever is selected in the convention when it comes, will make all the difference.’   

The Taoiseach was also flanked by MEP Deirdre Clune and Cllrs Marie O’Sullivan and Kevin Murphy.   

Earlier the Taoiseach visited the Courtmacsherry Community Shop, the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Station and the pontoon to view the new Courtmacsherry Lifeboat, the RNLB Val Adnams.