Labour last night chose the Slane-based councillor Eoin Holmes to be its candidate to contest the Meath East byelection on March 27th.
The byelection is being held to fill the vacancy brought about by the death of Fine Gael TD and Minister of State Shane McEntee just before Christmas.
Mr Holmes, who was the sole candidate at the selection convention, runs a small coffee shop business with outlets in Navan and Drogheda.
He has also worked as a TV producer on programme such as The Clinic and Bachelors' Walk. The late Mr McEntee's daughter Helen McEntee will contest for Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil will run Senator Thomas Byrne. Sinn Féin's candidate is Darren O'Rourke. The Green Party, the Workers' Party and Direct Democracy Ireland have also selected candidates to contest the byelection.
Mr Holmes was co-opted to Meath County Council in 2007, when the now Meath East TD Dominic Hannigan became a Senator.
Mr Holmes said the byelection was taking place in tragic circumstances.
