Tag Archives: Clare constituency

  Councillor Cathal Crowe has confirmed his shock withdrawal from the Clare Fianna Fáil Dáil Selection Convention, after claiming party headquarters scuppered his chances of election with a “political bombshell”. The Clare Champion can reveal the experienced Meelick Councillor will officially withdraw from the covention next Thursday, after an unprecedented geographical directive from Fianna Fáil headquarters. While Councillor Crowe will not contest the convention, he is hoping to convince senior party officials to subsequently add him to the party’s Dáil ticket in the Banner county. In fact, he is seeking an urgent meeting with general secretary Sean Dorgan and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheal Martin to present what he believes is a strong case to be added to the line-up. Hundreds of delegates, who are eligible to vote in the convention in Woodstock Hotel next Thursday night, have been issued with a controversial party directive requesting them to select one candidate from East and West Clare. Five candidates were initially nominated …

THE expected return of Dr John Hillery as a possible candidate for the next general election is adding spice to the political manoeuvrings that have stepped up a gear across all parties. Although the resignation of Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald on Tuesday prevented a Christmas snap election, which no politician or voter wanted, all prospective candidates are now firmly in general election mode. The extraordinary political events of the past week suggest that, unless Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin add new safeguards to their confidence and supply agreement, which was severely dented over the Department of Justice emails debacle, a general election could be called early next year. Fine Gael, which leads the beleaguered, minority-led Government, moved quickly to select its two outgoing Clare deputies, Minister of State Pat Breen and Joe Carey, at its selection convention on Monday night. While Senator Martin Conway, who was one of the three nominations, withdrew at the last minute to …

FOLLOWING the publication of the Clare Champion-commissioned 2016 Clare Constituency General Election Poll, Paddy Power Betfair have reacted by making significant changes to the odds of offer for the candidates. “Following a poll from The Clare Champion our prices have drastically changed. Two sitting TDs (Joe Carey (FG) and Michael McNamara (Lab) are in massive trouble,” commented a spokesman for the bookmakers. The odds for Pat Breen and Timmy Dooley have tightened from 1/12 to an almost unbackable 1/25. Independent Dr Michael Harty has moved in from 5/4 to 1/4, with the odds on Sinn Fein’s Noleen Moran shortening significantly from 10/1 to 8/13. Michael McDonagh (FF) has also come in from 9/4 to 6/4, while sitting TD Joe Carey (FG) has drifted from 1/8 to 10/3, the other sitting TD under pressure, Michael McNamara (Lab) out from 5/2 to 4/1. Ann Norton (Ind) has drifted in the market from 3/1 to 14/1, Clare Colleran Mollloy (FF) 9/1 to 14/1, …

Clare GPs have delivered a political bombshell following their decision to field a candidate in the forthcoming general election. It’s a decision that will make the constituency one of the most keenly contested in the country. The Clare Champion can exclusively reveal that a local doctor will officially launch their general election campaign at a public meeting in Corofin community hall next Tuesday night at 8pm. Two weeks ago, the ‘Champion was the first media outlet to flag the possibility of a local doctor contesting the next general election in the four-seater Clare constituency. GPs are remaining tight-lipped about the identity of the candidate, who will be unveiled to the public at this meeting, which looks set to attract another full house 12 days after more than 450 doctors, public representatives and members of the public attended a second meeting in the “no doctor, no village” national campaign. The dramatic entry of a GP candidate has sent shockwaves through the …

SINN Féin leader, Gerry Adams is unsure if the party will run a second candidate in the county in the next general election, which is expected to be in early 2016. He also reaffirmed his opposition to Sinn Féin, as junior partners, entering into coalition with either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, while he claimed that Fine Gael and Labour are currently engaging in an “auction election”. He was speaking to The Clare Champion in light of Noeleen Moran’s selection as Sinn Féin’s candidate in Clare. “Noeleen, in her own right, has a good base. She got over 1,000 votes and narrowly missed being elected to the county council. We have Mike McKee there as well and (presidential candidate) Martin McGuinness got something like 10.5% of the vote in Clare. (MEP) Liadh Ní Riada also got a very, very good vote in Clare. “Across the island, we had our best election last time out but in her own right, as …