Tag Archives: Clare Fianna Fáil

Kilkee councillor and candidate, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) has said it is “all to play for” in filling the last seat in the Kilrush local electoral area at today’s election count. It is looking like he, Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) and Alan Troy (FF) will be battling it out for the fifth and final seat. However, Cllr Murphy has questioned the accuracy of yesterday’s tallies, which is offering him a degree of hope. “We know the tallies are a little bit all over the shop. I was speaking to Cllr Pat Burke yesterday and his vote was out by 100 from the tallies so there is a big discrepancy with the tallies now. “If you look at the tallies for the Kilrush electoral area effectively you have got me, Gabriel Keating and Alan Troy in the hunt for the last seat and that is me being an adult about what I am seeing but now the tallies are suspect…” The …

This morning’s funeral mass of Tras Honan heard she was a beacon of hope, justice and equality and, through her strong beliefs and perseverance, she broke barriers. Her son, TV Honan told mourners at St Joseph’s Church, Ennis on Thursday of last week the word ‘formidable’ had been used many times to describe his mother, and both he, his sister Ann, father Derry and the extended family could testify to that. Describing his mother’s passing he said, “a giant tree has fallen gently in the forest in the loving hands of the gentle team at Kilbarry Care Centre in Waterford.” “Tras was a republican in every sense of the word. She believed in the value of the state, and the people in the state, and if people needed a hand, they should get it. Now we are here to give Tras a hand and bring her back to Derry. Tras is and will remain our lovely rose of Clare,” he …

Dan Danaher surveyed local FF council members and found deep concern over opinion poll ratings and failure to tackle the housing crisis A MAJORITY of Clare Fianna Fáil councillors expect a new party leader will be elected once Micheál Martin’s term as Taoiseach ends when Leo Varadkar takes over at the helm of the government. Most of the councillors, who were interviewed by The Clare Champion, complained there is no strong replacement for Deputy Martin that is head and shoulders above the other contenders. Councillor Alan O’Callaghan said the difficulties experienced by Fianna Fáil were apparent from the last General Election, and noted his views haven’t changed on the party’s disappointing results in opinion polls. The East Clare Councillor said there are huge concerns about the future direction of the party amongst grass roots rank and file members. He said the lack of affordable and social housing is a big problem in Clare and throughout the country, and stressed this …

POLITICAL manoeuvring among Clare Fianna Fáil delegates stepped up a gear after five candidates were nominated to contest a coveted place on the party ticket for the next Dáil race. The Clare Fianna Fáil Dáil Selection Convention looks set to attract a very large attendance as hundreds of local delegates consider the selection of at least two Dáil candidates. Outgoing Deputy Timmy Dooley, former 2011 General Election candidate Dr John Hillery, Councillor Cathal Crowe, former Ennis Chamber chief executive officer Rita McInerney and former Clare County Board chairman, Michael “Malty” McDonagh have all been nominated to contest the selection convention. However, Mr McDonagh, who secured 4,726 first preferences votes in the 2016 General Election, has told The Clare Champion he will not be a candidate at convention. He may come under pressure to change his mind before the convention, which still has not been fixed. It is expected the party’s drive to win two seats at the next General Election …

CLARE Fianna Fáil election candidate Michael McDonagh has refused to say whether or not he has requested a special meeting of the party’s Comhairle Dáil Ceanntair. In the past week, there has been speculation that some senior party members were reluctant to endorse Mr McDonagh’s candidature. It has also been claimed that at a meeting in Dublin last week, senior party members voiced concerns with tallies from an alleged internal poll. A Fianna Fáil source told The Clare Champion this week that on the night of the party’s selection convention, at which Mr McDonagh was chosen to be a candidate in the upcoming general election, he was asked to attend a meeting with senior party officials in Limerick the next morning. “Mr McDonagh subsequently received a text message informing him that Sean Dorgan, general secretary of Fianna Fáil, would be talking to a number of new candidates at that meeting on an individual basis,” according to the source. However, The …