FF grassroots try to resist Grealish joining ticket
A number of local branches have met since it emerged that the PDs are planning to formally close their party in November leading to increased speculation that Mr Grealish — one of their two remaining TDs — is to join Fianna Fáil. Party members are annoyed that part of Mr Grealish’s deal involves his sharing a three-party ticket with Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó’Cuív and Frank Fahey at the next election.
This would mean that Fianna Fáil’s third candidate in last year’s election, Councillor Michael Crowe, would not be able to stand. A party activist in the area said: “Some of the members are not over-awed about this. Most of these members have served the party for 20 to 30 years, most are middle aged and they were all around when Des O’Malley started the PDs. They are still bitter enough about that and there is going to be some resistance to attempts to bring these PDs back into the Fianna Fáil party.”
He said members are also unhappy about a number of PD councillors signalling their intention to run for Fianna Fáil in next year’s local elections:
“Anyone who wanted to be considered for running in local elections had to submit their names by September 1. There are parts of Galway where these people won’t even get interviewed because PDs will be automatically put on the ticket.” Problems have also emerged in Fine Gael over speculation PD leader, Senator Ciaran Cannon, will be placed on the party’s general election ticket in Galway East. Mr Cannon said he has not had any discussions with Fine Gael on the matter.
