Two vacancies on Sinn Féin's Offaly election ticket
Sinn Féin is likely to be looking for two candidates to contest the local elections in Offaly.
One of two already-selected candidates in the Tullamore electoral area, Teresa Bracken, withdrew from the race recently, citing “unavoidable personal circumstances”, while the party has yet to host a selection convention for the Birr/Ferbane area.
In a Facebook post, Ms Bracken, who has a background in social care and has also worked closely with the homeless and victims of domestic violence, described her decision to withdraw her candidacy as “extremely difficult” and wished her successor all the very best.
In expressing her thanks to the many people she met during her time as a Sinn Féin candidate and to those who showed her support, Teresa Bracken said the message she had heard “loud and clear” from Tullamore is that people “want change” and she pledged to continue to “support, campaign and advocate strongly” for her local community.
Giving a hint that she may have a future on the local political stage, Ms. Bracken said “I'm not going away” and she praised her Sinn Fein running mate in Tullamore, Aoife Masterson, describing her as “a powerhouse” and added that both Ms Masterson and the party's candidate in Edenderry, Claire Murray, are the type of “strong, capable women we need to see elected.”
Meanwhile, in Birr, two proposed selection conventions were called off by the party, one in November and one last week, leaving a candidate yet to be selected.
Separately, another name to enter the local election race in the Birr area is well-known community activist, Martin Buckley, who is due to launch his election campaign next month and will stand as an Independent candidate.
A native of Kilcormac, but now a resident of Pullough, Mr Buckley is known through his involvement with many local community organisations and is also a highly respected referee with over two decades of experience at all levels in the MSL and the CCFL.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the hugely-successful Pullough Community Shop and Cafe, which is one of just a handful of community shops across the entire country, and he is passionate about preserving and protecting the rural way of life.
Among his campaign priorities are improving services and infrastructure, protecting and promoting our heritage and ensuring that the needs of West Offaly are identified and met.