A Fianna Fail candidate was hoping that a Dail seat would constitute the perfect present when he celebrated his 46th birthday yesterday. However, Senator Frank Fahey, who has high hopes of regaining a seat in Galway West, was unable to vote for himself due to the 1995 redrawing of electoral boundaries.
Mr Fahey, who lost his seat in Galway West in 1992, lost about 3,500 of his votes to the Galway East constituency. Having moved into Galway city in October of last year, he had to travel to his former home at Kilbeacanty, near Gort, to cast his vote.