Kelly ruled out for Fine Gael ticket

FINE GAEL has nominated two members of Kerry County Council to contest the next general election in Kerry South.

Farmer Seamus (Cosai) Fitzgerald, Dingle, and businessman Tom Sheahan, Rathmore, were pre-selected at a weekend convention in Killarney.

Defeated nomination seekers were Cllr Johnny O’Connor, Killorglin, and Brendan Griffin, Keel.

The Fine Gael national executive directed the convention — attended by more than 1,000 members — to select two candidates, with one to come from the Dingle area.

No other candidate will be added to the ticket, with the two successful nominees strategically located at opposite ends of the constituency.

This rules out the possibility of former GAA president Sean Kelly appearing on the line-up.

There’d been ongoing speculation that the high profile Mr Kelly, from Killarney, would impose to boost the party’s chances.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has singled out Kerry South — which hasn’t had a FG TD since 1989 — as a good electoral prospect for the party at the next election.

Cllr Fitzgerald contested the 2002 election for the party, while Cllr Sheahan — who was first elected to Kerry County Council in the last local elections — is understood to have got up to 50% of the vote at the convention.

All registered party members had a vote at the meeting, presided over by Fine Gale parliamentary party chairman, Deputy Tom Hayes.