Michael Healy-Rae bids for father’s seat

ONE of the country’s most colourful TDs, Independent Jackie Healy-Rae, is to step down from public life – but his county councillor son Michael has been put forward to contest the next general election in Kerry South.

As expected, Kilgarvan businessman and father-of-five Michael was unanimously given the green light at a convention in Killarney, attended by 280 members of the Healy- Rae organisation.

Jackie Healy-Rae, now in his late 70s, was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1997 as an Independent candidate, after splitting from the Fianna Fáil party.