McNamara election to build Labour says councillor

Former Labour General Election candidate and independent Clare County Councillor Patricia McCarthy believes the election of Michael McNamara, which seems certain from the tallies, can be used as a stepping stone to build the party in the county.

“There has always been an interest in the Labour party in Clare. The party has never been strong enough organisationally to capture it and to build on it but even when the seat was won with Dr Bhamjee, they didn’t use that opportunity and I hope that on this occasion, once Michael is elected, that they will use the opportunity and they will build up the organisation,” Councillor McCarthy told The Clare Champion.

While the Shannon woman believes Michael McNamara will be elected today she is reluctant to celebrate before the last votes are counted. “It is looking like he will be elected but I am around elections long enough now to say that until the returning officer makes the declaration I don’t like to think of it. I predicted this morning that there would be two Fine Gael, one Labour and one Fianna Fail and I haven’t moved from that,” she concluded.