FF warned against constituency carve-up

FIANNA FÁIL'S fractious row over carving up Munster for the European elections campaign escalated last night after a blunt warning from Brian Crowley that a constituency divide will cost the party a seat.

After debating the issue last night, FF director of elections John O'Donoghue and the party's national executive are still mulling over the prospective carve-up of the renamed South constituency between Mr Crowley and his MEP colleague Gerry Collins.

The turf war adds to Mr O'Donoghue's headaches in Connaught-Ulster, now the North-West, where sitting MEP Seán Ó Neachtáin is trenchantly refusing to stand aside to allow Junior Minister Frank Fahey a free run for the party nomination tomorrow.