This article is from page 11 of the 2011-01-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
SINN Féin will not be running any General Election candidate in Clare.
The republican party did not even consider any candidate for the constituency, believing the time was not right to offer a candidate from the party to the people of the county for consideration.
The decision was taken when it emerged the structures were not in place to field a strong candidate, as the party is currently reorganising in Clare.
The decision by head office was met with disappointment in some areas, particularly by supporters of Spancillhill Garage owner Joe Corbett who hoped to be put forward as a candidate.
Sinn Féin last ran a General Election candidate in Clare in May 2007, when then student and Enniswoman Anna Prior represented the party.
Two years later and the then 24year-old stood in the Galway local elections under her married name Anna Marley, having moved to Oranmore.
Ms Prior secured 1,929 first preference votes in the 2007 General Election for Sinn Fein in Clare.
It had been 15 years before this when the party last ran a General Election candidate, when Mike McKee contested the election of 1992.
He received 459 votes and was eliminated in the first count.
Since then, Sinn Féin has had some success in elections in Clare having secured a seat on Shannon Town Council in 2009.
Cllr Cathy McCafferty (SF) was the seventh councillor to be returned on the nine-member council.
Sinn Féin has already selected 16 candidates to contest the General Election in other parts of the country.
It currently has five TDs in the Dáil including Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Arthur Morgan, Martin Ferris, Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Pearse Doherty.