Seanad leader O'Rourke to contest General Election

Seanad leader and former Government Minister Mary O’Rourke is to run in the next General Election, it emerged today.

The one-time Fianna Fáil deputy leader lost her seat to party colleague Donie Cassidy in 2002 after a 20-year Dáil career.

However Athlone-based Mrs O’Rourke, 68 today said she fancied her chances since the Constituency Commission redrew boundaries to replace her constituency, Longford-Roscommon with Longford-Westmeath last year.

Her party rival, Mr Cassidy has had his support base, Castlepollard moved into the new Meath West constituency and could struggle to retain his seat.

“I was always very happy with the Longford-Westmeath configuration and now that it’s back, I’m very happy again about it,” Mrs O’Rourke said today.

“Yes I am running again. I’m running to convention. One cannot say what will be the outcome of that but I’m most certainly up and running.”

Sitting TDs running again in Longford-Westmeath will make it one of the most competitive election battlegrounds in the country.

Competing for votes will be Paul McGrath of Fine Gael, Willie Penrose of Labour and PD Mae Sexton who had just 55 votes to spare in 2002.

A number of decentralisation projects are close to fruition for Mrs O’Rourke’s hometown which should boost her support.

She said that 87 civil servants had applied for 103 posts in the Department of Education in Athlone.

A further 54 people were considering relocating to the Higher Education Authority in the town.

“For me it’s very definite news that matters are going ahead and the numbers are willing to travel to these jobs,” said Mrs O’Rourke.

A colourful leader of the Seanad, Mrs O’Rourke this week chided U2 fans for "bad manners" for booing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at one of last weekend’s Croke Park concerts.