Limerick 'up for grabs' for Fianna Fáil’s European candidates in a constituency carve-up

Former RTÉ journalist Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and MEP Billy Kelleher expected to divide the constituency largely along provincial lines

MEP Billy Kelleher. is seeking reelection in Ireland South. Picture: Dan Linehan

Limerick will be “up for grabs” for Fianna Fáil’s European candidates in a constituency carve-up, but no such accord has been made for other candidates.

Former RTÉ journalist Cynthia Ní Mhurchú was last month added to the Fianna Fáil ticket for the EU elections in the Ireland South constituency where she will join sitting MEP Billy Kelleher.

Sources within the party said that the pair would effectively divide the constituency largely along provincial lines, with Mr Kelleher taking his native Cork, Kerry, and rural Limerick, and Ms Ní Mhurchú taking Tipperary, Clare, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, and Wexford.

However, the agreement leaves Limerick “fair game” according to party sources.

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Ireland South MEP candidate.

No such agreement exists for the party’s three Midlands north west candidates — Barry Cowen, Lisa Chambers, and Niall Blaney.

In a surprise move, the party’s national constituencies committee confirmed the additions of senators Mr Blaney and Ms Chambers to the ticket for the five-seat constituency after Mr Cowen had won a selection convention.

A former agriculture minister, Mr Cowen won the selection convention by a narrow margin of just 70 votes out of 2,267 cast, with Mr Blaney in second position and Ms Chambers coming third.

Barry Cowen won the selection convention by a narrow margin of just 70 votes out of 2,267 cast. Picture:Gareth Chaney/Collins

Having been sacked by party leader Micheál Martin just weeks after his appointment, Mr Cowen has found his way back into the ministerial fold blocked.

The party will run its sitting MEP Barry Andrews in the Dublin constituency, where it is hopeful of retaining the seat.

It comes as Fianna Fáil holds its ard fheis in Dublin on Saturday, with 87 motions up for debate.

There are a number of motions to be debated surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza, with calls for Ireland to recognise the Palestinian State, alongside a plea for the Government to make “every intervention possible to the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide taking place”.

Another motion, from the Dublin Rathdown Comhairle Dáil Cheantair, urges the Government to persuade the UN to put a military protection force into Palestine and Ukraine.

There are also calls for the Government to discontinue the use of citizens’ assemblies and for further cuts to the universal social charge.