Hanafin run kills off any chance of Dáil seat

Former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin has killed off any chances of contesting a Dáil seat for the party after her decision to defy the leadership and go ahead with plans to run in this month’s local elections.

Sources said she had caused an “irrevocable split” with the party and is likely to be kicked out for running against its chosen candidate in the Blackrock electoral area in Dublin, Ógra Fianna Fáil president Kate Feeney.

“Regardless of whether she wins her seat or not, I’d say she’ll find herself in the manure,” said one senior party source. “That’s what she has gambled on.”

Despite being asked three times to withdraw her nomination papers by leader Micheál Martin, Ms Hanafin refused to do so by yesterday’s deadline and said it is now up to the people of Blackrock to decide if she should be a councillor.

She said party headquarters had “made a hames of things” having initially asked her to run before changing their minds.

She said she was contacted by party general secretary Sean Dorgan last Wednesday asking her to stand because private poll results showed Fianna Fáil could win two seats in the ward. However, they asked her to withdraw after Ms Feeney said there was just one seat for the party in the ward and that she had been assured she would be the only candidate.

Mr Martin issued a statement expressing his “great disappointment” that Ms Hanafin chose to ignore the “clear instruction” to remove her name.

He said Fianna Fáil would not help Ms Hanafin with the campaign — even though the party logo is on her posters and will be on the ballot paper.

Her “refusal to respect the process and openly defy the clearly expressed decision of the national constituencies committee” will now be referred to the party ard chomhairle “for investigation and ruling”, Mr Martin said.

The party will continue to campaign for “the properly ratified candidate” Ms Feeney, who he said is “a new voice in politics and will make an excellent councillor if elected”.

Senior party sources said that if Ms Hanafin does win a seat it will be a pyrrhic victory, adding that “with the level of ire and anger that is there, it’s fairly safe to assume that regardless of what happens, she has a problem ahead”.

“If she thinks there’s a kiss-and-make-up [on] the other side of the election, she’ll find a cool sea breeze coming in to Blackrock.”

“If it’s Mary’s belief that by doing this, [it] ensures her tilt at the Dáil, it does quite the opposite,” they said.