Dara Murphy to run in Cork North Central for FG

Embattled junior minister Dara Murphy has been selected to run as Fine Gael’s sole candidate in Cork North Central after a tight-run selection convention last night.

The European Affairs Minister — who has been embroiled in controversy since it emerged last week that he was driven to Dublin Airport in a Garda car after his own car broke down in north Cork — was selected over Senator Colm Burke by 16 votes at a constituency selection convention chaired by Housing and Planning Minister Paudie Coffey.

It is understood he won 188 votes to Senator Burke’s 172.