FF candidates face election fight over post office lobby

THREE Fianna Fáil candidates in the so-called “constituency of death” will find themselves under even more pressure as a post office lobby group plans to urge people to vote against them.

The pressure group is trying to stop the threatened closure of non-automated post offices in Lombardstown, Cullen, Derrinagree and Knocknagree — all of which happen to be in the Cork North-West constituency where FF deputies Batt O’Keeffe, Donal and Michael Moynihan are battling it out in the three-seater against two heavy-hitting FG candidates and one from Labour.

John Paul O’Shea, who is spokesman for the Lombardstown Post Office Action Committee, said that his group, which has support from other communities, is to hold a series of meetings to publicise the threatened closures and call on voters to make a statement by voting against FF candidates.

“We will be pointing out what our present Government is doing to rural Ireland and that if we want change we will have to vote against its candidates,” Mr O’Shea said.

He added that 380 people had already signed a petition and they and their families have vowed to vote against FF. Because the party has three candidates engaged in a dogfight for seats he believes the move will give his organisation “leverage”.

The first of a series of meetings will be held at Laharn Heritage Centre tomorrow night at 9pm.

Neily Lehane, spokesman for Conserve Our Rural Post Offices, said he fully supported the move to pressure FF candidates, but added that other TDs should also be lobbied.

“If they don’t do this at this stage it won’t be any good as no one knows at the moment what way the General Election will go. Post offices are very important part of local communities,” said Mr Lehane who is postmaster in Kiskeam.