Cassells to stand for FF

FIANNA FÁIL last night moved to draw a line under the withdrawal of its candidate Tommy Reilly from the Meath by-election by naming 26-year old Shane Cassells as his replacement.

The party confirmed that the Navan-based councillor was selected from five potential candidates.

Cassell’s candidacy comes less than a week after Mr Reilly stepped down amid continuing publicity over a land acquisition he made with controversial public relations consultant Frank Dunlop in the 1990s.

It followed a hastily-convened selection procedure.

The party decided not to hold a convention on the grounds that the process would be too lengthy.

Mr Cassells is a nephew of former Meath inter-country footballer Joe Cassells and former trade unionist Peter Cassells, who stood for the Labour Party in the East constituency in last year’s European Parliament elections.

A sports journalist with the Fingal Independent, his main rival for the seat also has impeccable GAA connections. Fine Gael’s Shane McEntee is a brother of another Meath GAA icon, Gerry McEntee.

The other two leading candidates for the Fine Gael seat being vacated by the new EU ambassador to Washington John Bruton are Labour’s Dominic Hannigan and Sinn Féin’s Joe Reilly.

The poll is likely to take place at the end of next month, though Fine Gael has as yet to make an official request to move the writ.