Fine Gael draws battle lines ahead of Áras election

The party’s leader on the local authority, Jimmy McClearn confirmed that Fine Gael Galway County Councillors met on Monday before the Council meeting and agreed not to endorse any candidate other than their own.

Councillor McClearn insisted they had made their own decision and were not acting on a directive from party headquarters in Dublin.

“We will not support any candidate; we will vote against them,” Councillor McClearn said.

Presidential candidates need nominations from 20 TDs and Senators, or nominations from four local authorities to get on the ballot paper.

Fine Gael has 14 out of 39 councillors on Galway County Council and this decision narrows the scope for non-party candidates to get an endorsement off the local authority.

Though he did not name her, Cllr McClearn said FG councillors were backing their own candidate, Mairead McGuinness.

He agreed that in the past FG councillors had exercised their democratic right to facilitate independent candidates’ entry into the race, but they would oppose them this time.

Councillor Tom Welby (Ind) noted that Galway County Council had nominated two Independent women in the two most recent presidential elections, including Mary Davis in 2011, and Joan Freeman in 2019.

Cllr Welby said they did not get elected but it was important they were given the opportunity. He said that the power of councillors to nominate presidential candidates was an important reserved function and blocking candidates was not democratic.

Republican Sinn Féin Councillor Tomás Ó Curraoin drew howls of laughter from colleagues when he said he “didn’t want to be awkward” but added: “We don’t need a President; what we don’t have is a 32-county Ireland”.

Cllr Ó Curraoin said he doesn’t recognise the President, and Ireland needed to “get rid of the occupiers”.

Sinn Féin Councillor Dermot Connolly said it was not fair that Irish citizens in the six counties of Northern Ireland were not allowed to vote in the Presidential election.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Connolly said prospective candidates should be facilitated in the Council chamber to make their pitch. “Let’s hear their views,” he said.

In reference to the party never having won a Presidential election, Independent Ireland Councillor Declan Kelly said Fine Gael hadn’t performed well with their previous candidates and should be open to facilitating others.

His party colleague Shaun Cunniffe said big parties should not block candidates. “Don’t stop people before the campaign starts, that’s anti-democratic,” he said.

Director of Services Michael Owens confirmed that since March, seven candidates have written to the Council expressing an interest in seeking a nomination from councillors.

President Higgins’ term concludes on November 10, and Mr Owens said he expects nominations to open in September.

A special meeting will then be scheduled to allow candidates to make their pitch to Galway County Councillors.

Pictured: Councillor Jimmy McClearn