Three names have been nominated to contest the Laois Fine Gael General Election convention early next month.
Councillors Conor Bergin from Borris-in-Ossory and Willie Aird from Portlaoise as well as the Mountmellick-based Paddy Buggy have all been formally nominated to seek to replace the void left on the Fine Gael party ticket following the retirement of the long-serving Charlie Flanagan.
For the next General Election – which can be no later than next March and could be as soon as late October/early November – Laois will be back as a three-seat constituency and no longer as Laois-Offaly.
Nominations closed on Friday last and the candidates and local councillors have been informed by party headquarters of who is in the running.
The convention is scheduled to take place in the Killeshin Hotel on Thursday, September 5, and local Fine Gael members will receive notification in the post in the coming days.
Fine Gael HQ will announce on the night how many candidates they will select – and if there are any stipulations in terms of the members having to choose from any particular geographical area.
It’s understood that there are approximately 350 members of Fine Gael in Laois and they must be registered for at least two years to be eligible to vote.
On the night of the convention, a Fine Gael TD from outside the county will be brought in to chair the meeting.
With three men nominated, there may also be a move after convention to add a female candidate, potentially opening the door for someone like Cllr Vivienne Phelan from Stradbally or former councillor and 2016 General Election candidate Thomasina Connell.
“I’m nominated, my name is in the hat,” confirmed Willie Aird, a county councillor in Laois since 1985 and a town councillor prior to that since 1979.
“It’s the first time ever there is a seat available. Charlie Flanagan obviously has been there since the 1980s and his father Oliver J was there for a long time before him.
“There is a seat available to be won for whoever gets the party nomination. There was never an opening there before in Fine Gael.
“Sometimes you have to serve your apprenticeship in politics and sometimes you don’t. I’ve topped the poll in the last five Local Elections so I don’t know what more I need to put on the CV.”
“Since my re-election to Laois County Council last month, I have been overwhelmed with encouragement from constituents, and Fine Gael members, across the county to contest the selection convention for the nomination in the newly reformed Laois constituency for the next General Election for Dail Eireann,” said Conor Bergin when he formally announced his bid last month.
“I feel I am a strong candidate and having discussed matters with my family, friends and supporters, I have decided to seek nomination to be the party candidate in the upcoming convention.”
“It has always been my ambition,” said Paddy Buggy, who received over 1,100 first preference votes in the Borris-Mountmellick Municipal District in June but missed out on the final seat.
“There has never been a chance before but there is an opportunity now with the retirement of Charlie Flanagan. My name in the ring gives people a choice.
“Timing is everything in politics. There are some great people who never get the chance. There is an opening now. This is a good time for Fine Gael, there is a great new leader and Charlie Flanagan is leaving the organisation in a strong position locally.
“There are strong candidates going forward and I’d expect it to be tightly contested and when it’s all over we’ll go fully in behind whoever is chosen.”
Currently there are 15 outgoing Fine Gael TDs not seeking re-election.
On the other side of the old Laois-Offaly constituency in Offaly, there are openings for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil candidates.
Barry Cowen’s election as an MEP means the party must now decide who to run for the Dáil while Fine Gael members will choose between sitting councillors John Clendennen and Neil Feighery at their convention on August 29.
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