Related Stories

• Bunscoil walk a great success
  
  
• Kildorrery burial records to be made available online
  
  
• Big festive fundraising event coming up in Castlelyons
  
  
• Happy Days play centre celebrating 2 years in business
  
  
• Louise Morrissey to headline Fermoy Community Hospital fundraiser
  
  
• Talk on pilgrimages and the Irish holy well in M’town
  
  
• Recalling October 1992 in The Avondhu area
  
  
• Fermoy council vows to keep pressure on NRA for MacCurtain Street footpath works
  
  
• Ballynoe collector brings Christy Ring Exhibition to Cork
  
  
• Cork Rebel Week bit of a non-event in Fermoy
  
  
• ABP hails launch of ‘Towards Occupation’ evaluation report
  
  
• Chefs to cook up a storm for St Fanahan’s College
  
  

There are four contenders vying to get on the FG ticket at the party’s selection convention for the Fermoy Electoral Area this Sunday. Photo: 123RF

There are four contenders vying to get on the Fine Gael ticket at the party's selection convention for the Fermoy Electoral Area this Sunday. Sitting councillor Pa O'Driscoll has confirmed that he is not seeking re-election.

The five are Kay Dawson from Mitchelstown who unsuccessfully contested the 2009 local elections for the party, Frank Roche from Castletownroche, Philly Leahy from Ballyhooly and Aileen Browne from Charleville. It's understood that sitting councillor Tommy Sheahan from Buttervant initially intended seeking re-election but the long-serving councillor has since decided to retire.

Like Kay Dawson, Aileen Browne is well known as a community activist in Charleville. It's her first bid at election, though she's been a longtime member of the party. Likewise with Philly Leahy from Ballyhooly who is well known in Ballyhooly and the wider region. The popular seanachai has been involved with the party at local, district and constituency level for many years. Frank Roche is a Castletownroche-based agricultural contractor.

Pa O'Driscoll's withdrawal from local politics has left the party scrambling for a suitable candidate for the greater Fermoy area. It's understood an approach was made to former Cork hurling manager and dual Gaelic player, Denis Walsh from Ballynoe, but he declined.  One party insider told The Avondhu that the addition of another candidate from the greater Fermoy area shouldn't be ruled out.

In the last local elections, Fine Gael put forward three candidates for the four seats: Cllr Pa O'Driscoll who topped the poll, the late Aileen Pyne who was a sitting councillor and Kay Dawson. Cllr Pyne failed in her bid to be re-elected in a shock defeat for the party.  It led to criticism of their strategy of fielding three which was blamed for splitting the vote. With six seats up for grabs in the redrawn and much larger boundary area, it's likely that two will be chosen at convention on Sunday and another added later if a suitable candidate from the Fermoy area can be found. 

Fianna Fail, at its selection convention back in August, chose all three candidates who went forward, adding Charleville businessman Ian Doyle to the ticket along with sitting councillors Kevin O'Keeffe and Frank O'Flynn.

blog comments powered by Disqus