FG defends strategy as Clune loses to party rival

FINE Gael has defended its three candidate strategy in Cork South Central which saw the party fail to win a third seat and lose its sitting TD, Deirdre Clune.

But despite the collapse in the Fianna Fáil vote, party leader Micheál Martin topped the poll, with his running mate, Michael McGrath, bucking the national trend and holding the party’s second seat.

Labour’s Ciarán Lynch also held his seat to leave the constituency as it was — two Fine Gael seats, two Fianna Fáil seats and one Labour — the only change being in Fine Gael personnel.