Key job for O’Donoghue in Kerry constituency

A meeting of Fianna Fáil in Tralee last night saw former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue elected to one of the key positions in the new all-county organisation.

The meeting, chaired by the Listowel senator Ned O’Sullivan, also saw strong support for former TD Tom McEllistrim.

The meeting in the Brandon Hotel to decide on control of the organisation which will oversee the constituency for the next council and next Dáil elections in Kerry drew a crowd of over 300. Around 50 were expected.

Lasting over three hours, it ended with a rousing speech from O’Donoghue, who has made no secret of his desire to contest the next Dáil elections and who was last night selected as PRO of the new Kerry Dáil Ceanntair.

There was no sign of the celebrity footballers who were being tipped as possible single candidates for the next elections.

At least three Kerry footballers’ names from the modern era have been bandied about in recent months as desirable candidates, including Daragh Ó Sé, Dara Ó Cinnéide and Seamus Moynihan. None has confirmed any interest.

The meeting also saw a late surge of support for former TD Tommy McEllistrim, whose supporters won key officerships.

The constituency is to become a five-seater in the next general election and last night’s meting was the first official event bringing together the former north and south constituencies.

The election of key officers is seen a crucial to party strategy in nominating candidates for the Dáil elections with a strong possibility now for a two-candidate strategy.

The party lost both its seats in the last election, with McEllistrim losing out in North Kerry-West Limerick and O’ Donoghue losing out in Kerry South.

Last night’s turnout suggests there will be no shortage of support for both former TDs to have another go at the Dáil.

Agreements hammered out in Killarney in recent weeks indicated control of the new all-county Dáil Ceanntair organisation would be shared between Kerry South’s John O’Donoghue and his supporters and the backers of Listowel area councillor John Brassil.

However, Mr McEllistrim marshalled his forces and his people won key positions, including vice chair. John Hannon, who had support from the Brassil side, was elected secretary after a close contest with a nominee from the McEllistrim side.

The hotly contested meeting was chaired by Listowel senator Ned O’Sullivan.

Leonard Hurley with strong support from the O’Donoghue camp took the position of chair.

Mr McEllistrim, 44, a third generation politician who styles himself as “Young Tommy Mac” has already begun door-to-door canvassing for the next Dáil in the South Kerry area, despite not having the official nomination.

As well O’Donoghue, Brassil, and McEllistrim, up to five current and former party members are being spoken about as keen to contest a seat in the next elections for Fianna Fáil.

These include the now independent TD Tom Fleming.

Meanwhile, independent TD Michael Healy Rae, whose father Jackie was a talented director of elections for Fianna Fáil yesterday, said he must be the only one in the county not approached by Fianna Fáil to run as a candidate for them.

“No I have not been approached. And to be perfectly honest I must be the only one in the county at this stage not to have been approached by them.”