Fine Gael to pick election candidates
by Danielle Harney Updated: Tuesday, 7th December, 2010 5:00pm
The Fine Gael selection convention for the Laois Offaly constituency is taking place on Sunday December 12 in Mountmellick.
A total of nine candidates are in the running for nomination - five from Offaly and four from Laois. There’s great speculation as to who will win the Offaly nominations, with three newcomers on the ticket.
Offaly County Councillor and Mayor of Tullamore Molly Buckley has declared her intention to run. She was selected to run as Deputy Olwyn Enright’s running mate in the 2007 election, and received 3.07% of first preference votes, but was eliminated on the sixth count.
County councillors Liam Quinn, a secondary school teacher from Rhode, and Nichola Hogan, a barrister from Edenderry, declared their intention to run in early September. Considered to be the up and coming younger politicians in the party, they were both elected to the council on their first go last year in 2009. Cllr Quinn has already served as national vice president of Young Fine Gael and as a member of the party’s executive council.
Fine Gael stalwart Marcella Corcoran Kenndy, who lost her county council seat in 2009, has also been in the running since Deputy Enright announced her resignation and was the first to declare her intention. She also got the backing from the Birr branch of Fine Gael last month.
Finally in Offaly, John Clendennen son of county councillor Percy a publican from Kinnitty, has also declared his intention to contest the nomination.
It’s believed that four candidates will be selected to run, two from each county. Party members in Offaly believe that a candidate needs to be selected from both the north and south of the county.
A Birr candidate is seen as essential to pick up Deputy Enright’s strong vote in the area, her announced her resignation due to family commitments. Members also believe that a north Offaly candidate is badly needed for the region, which is always seen as the 'poor relation’ when it comes to politics and funding.
In Laois meanwhile, Deputy Charlie Flanagan will go forward again, as will Cllrs James Darcy and John Moran, both county councillors, as well as party member Paddy Buggy.
Meanwhile around the county, Sinn Féin selected Cllr Brian Stanley from Laois to run and Independent Cllr John Leahy, a Kilcormac native, has also declared his intention to run in the general election, due to be held early next year.
