Former independent councillor Michael Crowe has been selected by Fianna Fáil as its third candidate in Galway West following months of controversy over the party's ticket in the constituency.
In what was a widely anticipated move, Fianna Fáil's national committee on constituencies announced that Mr Crowe would be added to the ticket to stand alongside the Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, and the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Frank Fahey.
The party leadership had favoured Mr Crowe due to his political base in Galway city and his very strong performance in the local elections two years ago. Mr Ó Cuív is based in Connemara, while Mr Fahey's base is in the south of the county.
Mr Crowe's three rivals for selection said yesterday they were disappointed but would support the party and its candidates. The announcement is not expected to defuse tensions within Fianna Fáil in the constituency, however, and there is believed to be resistance within parts of the party in Co Galway to Mr Crowe's selection.
The selection of candidates for Fianna Fáil in Galway West has been mired in controversy since last February when a selection convention was abandoned amid uproar from some delegates.
The party headquarters announced that there would be three candidates only allowed to stand for the party, in the face of local demands for at least four candidates to be selected.
During the convention, the microphone was grabbed from the Minister of State for Labour, Tony Killeen, who was chairing the convention and abandoned the meeting after delegates refused to heed his calls to order.
The party's national constituencies committee then decided to select Mr Ó Cuív and Mr Fahey automatically and to hold interviews for a third candidate.
When Mr Crowe joined Fianna Fáil in April, his name was added to the list of interviewees, who included sitting councillors Mary Hoade and Séamus Walsh and former councillor Val Hanley.
Meanwhile, there is increasing speculation that Fianna Fáil will select barrister Hugh Mohan as the party's second candidate for Cavan-Monaghan next month. Mr Mohan, who until last month was chairman of the Bar Council, was among a number of potential candidates interviewed last month by the party's constituency committee.
The party has already selected the Cavan-based Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Brendan Smith, to stand. The selection of Mr Mohan, who is from Monaghan, will also face opposition within parts of the Fianna Fáil organisation that county, as he now lives and works in Dublin.