Cooney confirms FG bid to get him to run but remains undecided

FINE GAEL councillor Joe Cooney last night confirmed that the party has approached him to run as a fourth candidate in the forthcoming general election.

The east Clare-based councillor confirmed yesterday that party headquarters had approached him last weekend to contest a seat in the four- seat constituency.

However, the poll-topping councillor from the 2009 local elections said he remains undecided.

Fine Gael held a meeting on the Clare constituency on Tuesday night and a FG spokeswoman said yesterday the party is intending to run three candidates and at this moment and is not intending to add a fourth candidate.

She said: “There was no decision to introduce a fourth candidate, but this can always change.”

Already, the party has chosen two incumbents, Pat Breen TD and Joe Carey TD, along with Cllr Tony Mulcahy who will be running for the Dáil for a second time.

Mr Cooney said: “There is no point giving an answer to the party until they have decided they want to run four candidates. At the moment, I’m not saying whether I would or would not accept the offer.”

Mr Cooney said he enjoys his work as a councillor and at the moment has no further ambitions.

Two other well-known Fine Gael figures have put their names forward, Cllr Martin Conway and former TD Madeleine Taylor Quinn.

The Ennistymon-based Cllr Conway said: “The selection process is ongoing and the powers that be are well aware of the necessity of a balanced geographical ticket. I have no comment beyond that.”

With the withdrawal of Minister for Defence Tony Killeen from the race due to health reasons, there is no candidate from either FG or FF from north Clare.

Any entrance by Mr Cooney into the race is aimed at hampering Timmy Dooley’s prospects of retaining his seat.

Both candidates are east Clare-based and Mr Cooney secured 2,870 first preferences in the 2009 local elections — the highest in Clare.

Fine Gael’s four-candidate strategy at the 2007 general election came under fire, but helped secure the party two seats since 1992.

Last Sunday, Fianna Fáil selected the son of former president Dr Patrick Hillery, Dr John Hillery, to join Mr Dooley to contest the election for FF.

At the party’s selection convention at the West County Hotel in Ennis on Sunday, Dr Hillery and incumbent Mr Dooley were the only two names put forward to run.