TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan and defeated Donegal South West byelection candidate Senator Brian O’Domhnaill were elected unopposed yesterday at a surprise Fianna Fáil selection convention to run for the constituency in a general election.
The sudden decision to hold the Fianna Fáil convention in Glenties – announced only two days earlier – gave rise to speculation that a general election might be held even before the end of March.
The Tánaiste, who will be announcing an €8 million campus extension to Letterkenny IT today, said after the meeting that she is not going abroad for St Patrick’s Day. She added: “I will be in my constituency canvassing.” Three candidates were in the frame for nomination, but former Donegal County Council chairman Enda Bonner withdrew at the start of the meeting, leaving the other two unopposed for selection to go before the voters.
Mr Bonner complained he only learned about yesterday’s convention via a third party on Friday.
He said: “It’s a disgrace that I was not notified by Fianna Fáil headquarters about the convention and that I had to learn about it from a third party.” Most delegates received notification of the meeting only through phone text on Friday.
Fianna Fáil is battling to regain the seat formerly held by Pat the Cope Gallagher that it lost when trounced by Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty in the November byelection.
The 250 delegates at yesterday’s convention were told by both candidates that, despite the tough times experienced by the Government, they will win two seats in the three-seat constituency where Fine Gael’s Dinny McGinley is the other TD.
The Tánaiste, who has served 24 years as a TD pledged: “I am only 45 and I have at least another 20 years in me.”
She strongly defended Brian Cowen as Taoiseach and as party leader and told delegates: “The greatest political speech I have heard in my lifetime during the byelection at a meeting in Castlefin was made by the Taoiseach. What a pity everybody in Ireland didn’t hear it also.”
She said about yesterday’s resignation call on the Taoiseach by Fianna Fáil backbencher Ned O’Keeffe: “There have been alternative views in Fianna Fáil about the leadership in my 24 years as a TD. I do believe the mandate is there for the Taoiseach and he has my full support.”
In the last general election Ms Coughlan topped the poll with more than 26 per cent of the vote and Pat the Cope won a seat with 24 per cent.