Mystery GAA recruit in wings

A MYSTERY figure from Clare intercounty GAA, with national prominence, is being lined up for a fight to win back a Dáil seat in the constituency.

The party last won there with Dr Moosajee Bhamjee in 1992 but failed to follow up on the breakthrough.

If negotiations are successful the candidate is likely to be unveiled at the end off the current GAA season. This will be the final piece in the party’s team to try win seats west of the Shannon.

On Friday former independent deputy in Mayo, Dr Jerry Cowley, joined the party and it is close to finalising discussions with former Progressive Democrat deputy Mae Sexton in Longford.

Cllr John Kelly enlisted in Roscommon/South Leitrim and former Fine Gael councillor Jimmy Harte is expected to run for Labour in Donegal north east.

Party sources indicated it had already had advanced discussions with the Clare sports star but nothing would be completed while the season was ongoing.

The party recently appointed George Cummins as its director of organisation in the west. He is part of a three-person team which is recruiting flagship candidates to contest the election in areas where the Labour movement has been weak.

Mr Cummins said he had set a target of June to have the main structures in place. This will be followed by 10,000-15,000 face-to-face interviews with members of the public to guide its policy platform. He said this will be followed by a “major conference for the west in October”.

In the most recent local elections the party only contested 19 out of 43 electoral wards in the European north west constituency.

Mr Cummins said this has to improve. However without an established grass roots network its strategy has been to get a headline candidate which it can build an election campaign around.

He said while the candidates had come from different political backgrounds the party had been careful to find people who fitted in with its core ideologies.

In his leader’s address Eamon Gilmore said he was determined to run enough candidates in the next election to allow Labour to win more seats than FF or FG.

“Our objective at the next election, whenever it is held, is a new Government, led by Labour,” he said.

This would be impossible without dramatically increasing its presence west of the Shannon, where Michael D Higgins is its sole representative.

After a credible performance from journalist Susan O’Keeffe in the European north west constituency, she has maintained close contact with party headquarters.

However Mr Cummins said the party would prefer to allow internal competition for a seat in both Sligo and Galway east.