Dana overjoyed as Offaly allows her enter Presidential race

It was a delighted Dana who arrived at the Offaly County Council offices just before 4.30pm last Tuesday. Just two hours earlier a vote was carried 12-6 in favour of nominating her as a Presidential candidate in the Offaly chamber, the fourth and final vote she needed to officially enter the race to become Ireland's ninth President. Greeted by council chairman Danny Owens, nominator Johnny Butterfield and former chairman Eamonn Dooley, Dana Rosemary Scallon heaped praise on everyone who made it happen. "What we've seen over the last two days is that the keys of the Áras rest with the County Councils of Ireland for Independents and I'm absolutely thrilled," she said. "They did everything possible to facilitate the democratic process." Offaly County Council originally indicated its intention to nominate Sean Gallagher, but after he got more support from local councils than he needed he freed Offaly County Council to nominate another candidate. At the Tuesday afternoon special meeting Cllr Butterfield said allowing Ms Scallon to enter the race would mean the Presidential election on October 27 would "offer our people the greatest choice of candidates ever". "I believe that it is right and proper that this Council exercise its right to have a say on behalf of our people in who can contest the election of a person to the highest office in our land," he said in his speech nominating Ms Scallon. Cllr Butterfield explained that at the previous council meeting he had spoken in favour of candidate Sean Gallagher, and added that was "still my position". Continuing, he complimented Ms Scallon's pro-life stance saying "the killing of thousands of unborn children is one of the greatest crimes of our age". In his speech Cllr Butterfield also made his feelings known regarding recent media treatment of Presidential candidate Senator David Norris. "I want to take issue with the national media and particular RTE for their bias in favour of one potential candidate Senator David Norris who over the last month has featured in almost every news bulletin and current affairs programme, as if there were no others." The vote to nominate Ms Scallon was carried 12-6 in favour, with five Fine Gael councillors and Independent councillor Dervill Dolan voting against. Fine Gael councillor Connie Hanniffy highlighted that for the first time local government was being "held on a pedestal", and hoped it would make local government be "seen in a different light" in future. Speaking outside the council building on her arrival last Tuesday afternoon, Ms Scallon said after a "very difficult and traumatic two years" that saw her family lose eight members including her own mother, she had no intention of running for President. What changed her mind, she said, were public calls. Concluding, she said she's always "fought on the side of the people", and this is what she'll do if elected too. "I think they know they can trust me to do that," she said.