O’Donoghue triumphs in close-run selection battle

FORMER Ceann Comhairle and sitting Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry South John O’Donoghue last night held off a strong challenge from a party councillor to win a nomination to fight the next general election.

He defeated Michael Cahill from Rossbeigh by 160 votes to 138 at a convention in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney.

The convention was directed by FF headquarters to nominate just one candidate and two other nominees — Senator Mark Daly and Cllr Tom Fleming — withdrew their names before voting began.

Mr O’Donoghue referred to the expenses controversy which led to his retirement as Ceann Comhairle and said the last 15 months had been the most difficult period in his life.

He said he had thought long and hard before deciding to run again. However, he added that he would fight the next election harder than ever before.

Fianna Fáil has also adopted a one-candidate strategy in the neighbouring Kerry North/ West Limerick constituency where sitting FF TD Tom McEllistrim has already been nominated.

Meanwhile, in Donegal Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and defeated Donegal South-West by-election candidate Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill were selected unopposed at a surprise Fianna Fáil selection convention to run for the constituency in a general election.

The sudden decision to hold the Fianna Fáil convention in Glenties — announced only two days earlier — gave rise to speculation that a general election might be held even before the end of March.

The Tánaiste, who will be announcing an €8 million campus extension to Letterkenny IT today, said after the meeting that she will not be going abroad for St Patrick’s Day.

She added: “I will be in my constituency canvassing.”

Three candidates were in the frame for nomination, but former Donegal County Council chairman Enda Bonner withdrew at the start of the meeting, leaving the other two unopposed for selection to go before the voters.

Mr Bonner bitterly complained that he only learned about yesterday’s convention via a third party on Friday.

He said: “It’s a disgrace that I was not notified by Fianna Fáil headquarters about the convention and that I had to learn about it from a third party.”

Most delegates received notification of the meeting only via phone text on Friday.

FF is battling to regain the seat formerly held by Pat the Cope Gallagher that it lost when trounced by Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty in the November by-election.