On the day when the 30th Dáil was finally dissolved and the election day set for February 25th there were plenty of goings on in both Donegal constituencies, but once again Donegal North-East was where the bulk of the action was taking place.
The day started of course with the fall-out of last weekend’s Fianna Fáil convention still hanging in the air, but it was widely expected that, by evening, Letterkenny-based councillor Dessie Larkin would be added to the ticket.
That, it would seem, is still the expectation, but it will be tomorrow now before it is confirmed and councillor Larkin was dismissing suggestions today that the party had approached a non-elected person to possibly run as a second candidate.
Second candidates seemed to the main theme of the day with Fine Gael also in the news regarding a second candidate in Donegal North-East.
Joe McHugh had already been selected as the party’s sole candidate in Donegal North East, but Inishowen party members were keen to have John Ryan added to the ticket and according to Donegaldaily.com tonight he has now been selected as a second Fine Gael candidate in Donegal North East.
If that is the case (if you can find confirmation of it on Fine Gael’s horrendous new website then great for you) then Inishowen will be one hell of a battlefield for the coming election with Padraig McLochlainn, Charlie McConalogue, Ryan Stewart and John Ryan all slugging it out for votes there.
Throw into the mix independent candidate Betty Holmes from Newtown on the fringe of the peninsula but in the Inishowen electoral area and the fate of the three North East seats could well lie in how the votes in Inishowen go.
In the South West meanwhile the Green Party have indicated that they will run a candidate again although there has been no indication yet as to who that person might be.
The storm clouds hanging over the Labour Party are probably still lingering with the Donegal on Sunday reporting at the weekend that some members had stormed out of their ‘clear the air’ meeting last week, but in public at least things seem to have calmed down.
Of course the gloves really don’t come off until the race gets under way in earnest – and that has happened now we have a date for the contest and the Dáil is dissolved.
The race is well and truly on – but expect a few twists and turns yet before the six Donegal winners get past the post.
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