Party strategies challenged

TWO leading figures in Clare Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have broken ranks and expressed dissatisfaction with their parties’ respective General Election strategies in the constituency.

Former Fianna Fáil TD and government minister, Brendan Daly believes his party should have run a third candidate, while Fine Gael Councillor Martin Conway described his party’s decision to run three candidates instead of four as “a big mistake”. The final decision on the number of candidates to represent the two main parties in Clare was taken at national level.
While Mr Daly declined to identify a third possible Fianna Fáil candidate, he argued that someone should have been chosen from the Ennis area where there is a huge vote base.
In criticising how Fianna Fáil had dealt with the selection process in Clare, Mr Daly said transfers would play a key role in deciding the last two seats. Mr Daly, who served as an Oireachtas member from 1973 to 2002, said he believed running three candidates would have been the best strategy to secure two seats.
“Some people are saying there is only one seat in Clare for Fianna Fáil. I don’t believe that and if I did, I wouldn’t be as active in the political campaign.
“I was canvassing in West Clare with Deputy Timmy Dooley recently and we received a good reception at the doorsteps. Fianna Fáil has the strongest political organisation in the country, which will be a factor in the election,” he said.
With Dr John Hillery well placed in Spanish Point to obtain votes in West and North Clare and Deputy Dooley based in Tulla, in the heart of East Clare, Mr Daly felt an Ennis candidate would be in a strong position to win a lot of votes.
Deputy Dooley said he is happy to abide by the strategy as endorsed by the recent selection convention and approved by party headquarters. He said the addition of a third candidate ran the risk of splitting the vote of the existing two contenders.
Dr Hillery admitted, as a new political candidate, he would bow to Mr Daly’s superior knowledge as a very experienced former politician.
As speculation intensifies about the possible Cabinet make-up of a new Fine Gael/Labour administration, a number of Fianna Fáil sources are indicating that Dr Hillery is being viewed by new leader, Micheál Martin, as their next front-bench health spokesman if he secures a seat.
Meanwhile, Councillor Conway had made no secret of his desire to be added to the Fine Gael ticket for the General Election on February 25. His name was before the party’s selection convention but he and former TD, Madeleine Taylor-Quinn both withdrew from the contest. This decision, they claimed, was in an effort to unite the party behind the two sitting TDs, Pat Breen and Joe Carey.
Councillor Conway had hoped party headquarters would add his name, and possibly another, to the ticket but instead party leadership opted for just one name; former Mayor of Clare, Councillor Tony Mulcahy, who contested the 2007 election.
“I was disappointed, naturally, but I want Fine Gael to take the three seats. I believe Fine Gael has made a big mistake not running a four-candidate strategy but having said that, I am hopeful the party can secure a third seat and get Tony Mulcahy over the line,” he told The Clare Champion.
“I will be voting strategically to give Fine Gael its best chance of a historic third seat and I would appeal to Fine Gael people to think strategically in terms of how they vote to ensure that the people of Clare and the county has the strongest voice possible in the new government. It is going to be a Fine Gael-led government and the best way of ensuring that we maximise the influence of County Clare is that we make sure we get three seats,” he said.
Councillor Conway said he was stunned by the volume of support he had received from people across the county in relation to the possibility of him contesting the General Election for Fine Gael, further proof, he believes, that adding a fourth candidate was a strategy worth pursuing.
One senior Fine Gael source argued the party had erred by not adding Councillor Joe Cooney, who secured the highest ever vote in the local elections in 2009 with an impressive tally of 2,870 first preferences.
If Councillor Cooney was added, he would have severely damaged the first-preference share of Deputy Timmy Dooley, Labour candidate, Michael McNamara and party colleague Deputy Joe Carey, who has a lot of support in parts of East Clare where Councillor Cooney is particularly strong.
The Fine Gael selection strategy was defended by party leader, Enda Kenny when questioned by The Clare Champion during a visit to the county last weekend. Asked if Fine Gael had erred by not adding Councillor Cooney, Councillor Conway or former senator and deputy Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, Mr Kenny stressed that if the party ran four, they would come under pressure to run five.
“Fine Gael ran four candidates in the 2007 General Election, now we are running three, two strong deputies and a very strong Councillor Tony Mulcahy.
“People are always disappointed if they are not allowed to run but you have to make a strategic choice in terms of the distribution of the vote. I am confident we will make history in Clare by winning three seats,” he said.