Martin criticised over MEP election strategy

Fianna Fáil’s failure to win more than one Euro seat has sparked unease among its TDs. Some have criticised leader Micheál Martin’s strategy after Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher was narrowly edged out in the Midlands-North West constituency.

With the constituency spreading from Donegal to the Dublin commuter belt, Mr Martin chose to run two candidates, but critics say picking a reasonably strong standard bearer in the East of the region, in Senator Thomas Byrne, deprived Mr Gallagher of first preference votes that may have edged him over the line.

The seat was the last in the EU to declare after a after a mammoth 16-hour recount which saw Independent MEP Marian Harkin re-elected by a margin of 275 votes over Mr Gallagher.