Mayo election blow for FF as McNamara withdraws nomination

Achill Councillor Paul McNamara has withdrawn his nomination to seek a Fianna Fáil party candidacy to contest the next general election.

He informed the organisation of his decision within the past 24 hours.

McNamara, who topped the poll in the Belmullet electoral area in last June's local election, was widely tipped to be a strong contender for a seat in the expanded, five-seat constituency.

He was the favourite among many within the party to be the third candidate on the ticket, joining outgoing Minister for State Dara Calleary and Senator Lisa Chambers.

Now Westport Councillor Brendan Mulroy and Ballinrobe Councillor Damian Ryan are left to battle it out for the final spot, but only in the event of the party opting for a three-candidate strategy.

There remains speculation that Fianna Fáil will only run two candidate in the hope of winning back the seat they lost in 2019.

However, the allocation of an extra seat to Mayo puts pressure on the organisation to place a contender in west Mayo, particularly if outgoing Fine Gael TD Michael Ring is out of the race.

And, because of that factor, McNamara's withdrawal is regarded as a serious setback for the party's general election plans.

The election is expected to take place in Autumn following the announcement of Budget 2025.

Councillor McNamara was not available for comment.