Independence a labour of love for Murphy

NORTH Kildare needs “a player on the pitch, not a hurler on the ditch”, says Aine Brady, the Fianna Fail candidate in Friday’s by- election.

The constituency is a three-seater, with Labour and Fine Gael holding one apiece with Emmet Stagg and Bernard Durkan respectively. The remaining seat, vacated by former Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy when he left for Brussels, needs to be retained by Fianna Fail so that the area can continue to have a voice in government, Brady argues.

The bookmakers have installed Independent councillor Catherine Murphy as favourite to take the seat, although there is little by way of numbers to suggest she is a safe bet.