Chambers and Calleary join Carty on FF ticket in Mayo

FIANNA FÁIL yesterday selected a former senator and the son of a former TD as candidates in Mayo, one of the most difficult constituencies for the party in next year’s General Election.

Frank Chambers from Newport and Dara Calleary from Ballina were both chosen to join sitting TD John Carty in a closely-fought selection convention in Castlebar yesterday.

Mr Chambers is a former senator and got some 5,700 preferences in the 2002 general election.

Mr Calleary is the son of former deputy Sean Calleary and is a member of the party’s national executive.

Some 580 delegates were in attendance yesterday to choose between eight candidates in two district conventions.

The party yesterday said the show of strength in terms of candidates and delegates demonstrated that it had now recovered from the disarray in Mayo caused by the expulsion of Beverly Flynn.

In the aftermath of Ms Flynn’s departure, amid internal squabbling, party headquarters stood down the Micheal Ó Morain cumann in Castlebar, which had remained loyal to the Flynn family. Two other cumainn were set up to replace it, though some members defected to the Flynn camp.

Communications Minister Noel Dempsey and former MEP Gerry Collins headed an internal FF task-force that re-organised the party in Mayo.

Mr Calleary was one of three candidates in a district covering Ballina and North Mayo and survived a strong challenge from Michael Moffatt, son of another former TD, Dr Tom Moffatt. Mr Calleary was selected in the second vote with 94 votes to Mr Moffatt’s 86.

In the district covering Castlebar, west and south Mayo, Mr Chambers had a more comfortable victory with over 60 votes to spare over the nearest of his four rivals in the fourth count.

Mr Dempsey, who chaired the convention, urged candidates to put behind the divisions that have rocked FF in Mayo since 2002.

“We need fighting words, not fighting ourselves but fighting the enemy outside, he said.

Fianna Fáil will have an uphill battle to recover its fortunes in 2007. Ms Flynn is expected to stand as an independent and the other independent deputy, Dr Jerry Cowley, has maintained a high profile over the past four years. Fine Gael’s two TDs are party leader Enda Kenny and poll-topper Michael Ring.