Profile: Eugene Murphy (FF)

Eugene Murphy is the only major surprise of the general election result in the Roscommon-Galway constituency. From Scramogue near Strokestown in Co Roscommon, he was something of a reluctant choice for the party last December in one of its last conventions. Fianna Fáil had been thrown into disarray there following its failure to win the 2014 byelection which followed Luke “Ming” Flanagan’s success in winning a seat in the European elections earlier that year. To add to its confusion, the unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate Ivan Connaughton said he would not stand for the party again as long as Micheál Martin was leader.