Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is set to attend the party’s selection convention in Laois on Monday night where Maria McCormack looks likely to be chosen as their General Election candidate.
Following the hugely controversial fallout from Brian Stanley’s decision to resign from the party, the Portlaoise-based Maria McCormack now looks certain to be running for Sinn Féin in the General Election.
McCormack was a candidate in the recent Local Elections in the Portlaoise area as Caroline Dwane-Stanley’s running mate though didn’t poll strongly and was eliminated early on.
A native of Ballyroan, she is settled in Portlaoise where she lives with her husband and young family.
Initially it was though that Aaron Kelly from Graiguecullen would be the most likely option but he has stepped back in favour of Maria McCormack, who is also backed by the party’s other recent Local Election candidates, including Helen Campion from Rathdowney and Lorna Holohan-Garry from Mountmellick.
Nominations opened today and will close on Sunday – with the convention then to take place on Monday night. It’s believed that McCormack will be the only nominee.
“I can confirm that I am seeking a nomination from my local party membership,” said Ms McCormack in a statement.
“If successful I will be honoured to go forward as the Sinn Féin candidate in Laois and look forward to the campaign.
“There are serious issues in the county such as the lack of affordable housing, sky-high rents, lack of investment in our hospitals, local health centres, mental health services and the expansion of schools for both mainstream and special needs classes and only Sinn Féin can bring the change needed for Laois in the coming election.”
“The rumours of Sinn Féin being gone in Laois is absolutely not true,” added Maria, whose great-grandfather, Jim Lewis from Morette in Emo, was one of Sinn Féin’s first councillors in Laois.
“We have been completely overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received in Sinn Féin in the last couple of weeks. There has always been a core Sinn Féin vote and we have to give the voters that option.”
Sinn Féin had an election breakthrough in Laois in 2011 when Brian Stanley won a seat for the party at the expense of John Moloney of Fianna Fáil.
Stanley was subsequently elected in 2016 and 2020, when he comfortably topped the poll. He has confirmed that he is running as an ‘Independent Republican’ on this occasion. He had unsuccessfully contested the General Election in 2002 and 2007. Prior to him, John Carroll had contested the General Elections in 1992 and 1987.
Veteran Sinn Féin members Andrew McCartney from Derry and Sean Hughes from South Armagh have attended meetings in Portlaoise in recent weeks, though Maria McCormack said that “this isn’t a new thing … they visit a lot of counties at election time to help with campaigns and supporting candidates”.
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