This article is from page 10 of the 2011-01-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
FIANNA Fáil selected two candidates to contest the General Election in Clare on Sunday last.
Just ten days after the party was thrown into turmoil with the shock announcement that Minister for Defence and Fianna Fáil TD for Clare for 19 years Tony Killeen was to retire, the party had regrouped and appointed two candidates unopposed.
Joining sitting TD Timmy Dooley on the ticket is Dr John Hillery, son of the late Clare Fianna Fáil TD, Minister and President of Ireland Paddy Hillery.
While some delegates quietly grumbled that the Dublin-based and Spanish Point-born doctor had been parachuted in at the last minute, for more the reality that there was no other strong candidate willing to put their name on the ticket hit home.
For the majority Dr Hillery is the great Fianna Fáil hope – he is eager to serve, comes from a strong political pedigree and is geographically well placed between north and west Clare.
Following a week that had seen the party panic that a candidate to fill Minister Killeen’s shoes could not be found, it had hit the jackpot.
At the opening of the convention the chairman of the Comhairle Dáil Cheantair said “the cream rises to the top and that is what we have here today”, as the two men were nomi- nated unopposed.
The nominees to the convention were originally made up of Minister Killeen, Deputy Dooley, Cllr Bill Chambers, Marian Coughlan Flynn and Marina Keane. All but Deputy Dooley withdrew their nomination before the convention began. As the candidates had pulled out before the convention, the name of Dr Hillery could then be added and he with the sitting TD was selected unopposed.
Supporting the nomination of Dr Hillery, delegate John O’Rourke said, “he has an outstanding ability that will deliver stability for our party in Clare. He is a candidate with new ideas.”
Outgoing TD and Minister for Defence Tony Killeen told the delegates he was confident that the two candidates would secure two seats in the four seater constituency and said his decision “or the decision made for me” to step down would be vindicated if this were to happen.