Duffy back in FG sights as party can't leave north Mayo without a candidate

by Caoimhín Rowland

Fear and loathing was evident at the TF Royal Theatre in Castlebar as the rushed auction of a Fine Gael selection convention left many delegates, members of the press and Fine Gael party members slightly bewildered.

A late changing of the time for the event on the day of the final round of GAA championship clashes, a sunnier than anticipated day, meaning many may have opted to get some outdoor jobs done instead of attending which, due to the late withdrawal of Ballina based candidate Councillor John O'Hara left little in the way of political intrigue on the table for the uninitiated.

Keira Keogh and Alan Dillon were selected.

Keira spoke well on stage and in interviewing her after the necessities were shelved she noted how excited she is for this ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’.

Keogh would have been doing her communion when Michael Ring was first elected to Dáil Éireann. Now she aims to retain the seat for the people of Westport.

Keogh said she knew she could be the potential pick as far back as February when Michael Ring first flew the kite of retirement.

“Suzanne, Michael’s daughter, was of course top of everyone’s mind as the successor. She gave it her all for 20 years in that office and wants to tackle something away from politics.”

Keogh elaborated on Peter Flynn too, the only Fine Gael councillor in the town.

“He’s happy where he is and wants to continue in the local chamber.”

Keogh it is, a capable public speaker who learned from the council campaign back in June.

“Everyone said you’d be exhausted come the end of it, but I wasn’t I probably feel like there was maybe more I could have done.”

Keogh polled well considering it was her first campaign, where the Maxwell freight train blew everyone out of the water and certainly didn’t help her get over the line.

Similarly, speaking to one senior female Fine Gael activist at the count back in June about the difficulty of first-time candidates, she said: “The problem is they believe people on the doors, but by the second time they run they believe nobody and will even work harder.”

Objectively, Fine Gael’s selection looks to be the weakest in modern history. There were more heavyweights in attendance as blasts from the past than there were on stage.

It’s a party in transition, but also ruing the lack of any town council which helped to blood younger talent.

Two University of Galway alumni, Antoinette Peyton, who ran in June in the Swinford area, and interestingly a recent SU president of the college, Dean Kenny from Belcarra, were front and centre in attendance. Both young, ambitious and ready-made for politics.

But with the local Government Act of 2014, there’s a narrow avenue for young people to get into the game, which won’t be rectified ahead of the next general election.

Only retirements and co-opting allow fresh faces to emerge, first-time candidates find it highly difficult to unseat incumbents, with the salary and structure favouring those at retirement or semi-retirement stages of their life compared to young people who can earn significantly more in private industries and face a lot less agro on the streets.

It’s a worrying trend and gives rise to a vacuum of talent for both of the major parties. Fine Gael in particular is now seeing it come to roost.

Once the slickest operation in the land, their party mechanism is stuttering. A rush to ensure two were selected on Sunday evening meant there was more chatter about who wasn’t named at the convention.

The Bonniconlon-based Mayo County Council cathaoirleach was queried for his indecision, pulling out and then extending an unexpected olive branch at the eleventh hour.

Sources close to John O’Hara signal he could be utilising HQ connections to be later added to the ticket closer to the vote, so as to not distract from his first citizen duties.

Martina Jennings, who would be the greatest coup of all, is seemingly another not liaising locally, instead opening dialogue with Mount Street.

Mark Duffy was the third name mentioned on the night as party insiders noted that they ‘can’t let Ballina go untouched’.

Many asked again if he had been approached, but he’s ruled all of that out on several occasions.

He’ll be the head to Michael Kilcoyne’s proposed ‘Independent Spine’ stretching from Duffy in Ballina, Patsy O’Brien the foot soldier in the south and an as yet unnamed by Kilcoyne candidate in Castlebar.

The undertaker himself looks to be the most ready to go.

A colossal vote-getter locally, he’ll be the least exhausted of the independents in the county town constituency and can handle many coals in the fire.

If national press talk is accurate, we could be in store for the longest lead-ups to a general election in history, rivalling our US brethren in extending the commentary and polling ad nauseam if this government does run its course, allowing the opposition to race, run and prepare in the long grass.