A MEMBER of Fingal County Council, Mr Michael O'Donovan, was chosen last night as the Labour candidate in the Dublin West by election caused by the death of former Fianna Fail minister, Mr Brian Lenihan.
Mr O'Donovan defeated a Labour Dublin city councillor, Alderman Michael Conaghan, by 23 votes to seven.
In the new South Kildare constituency, a Labour convention has selected Senator Jack Wall to contest the next general election. He was unopposed.
Mr O'Donovan (46), married with two teenage sons, is a teacher at Blakestown community school. He was born in Cork and is the son of a former prominent Cork trade union official.
He is a graduate of UCC with a degree in Irish and English and also has an M.Ed. from St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
He joined the Labour Party in 1976 and has been active in environmental issues in Dublin West, where he replaced Minister of State, Ms Joan Burton, on Fingal County Council.
Ms Burton headed the poll in Dublin West in the 1992 general election and was elected on the first count with 23 per cent of the first preference votes.
In the old five seat Kildare constituency, Mr Wall (51), was an unsuccessful Labour candidate in the 1992 Dail election but was later elected to the Seanad on the Labour panel. He was born in Castledermot and is married with two sons and two daughters.
He is an electrician and is active in the GAA. He is chairman of the county board.
Minister of State Mr Emmet Stagg headed the poll in the old Kildare constituency for Labour in the 1992 election with 27 per cent of the vote.
The new constituency is a three seater.