Confirmed - Larkin won't run as an independent

Letterkenny-based politician Dessie Larkin has tonight confirmed that he will not contest the election ending rumours that he would stand as an independent candidate.

There had been speculation that councillor Larkin would stand as an independent in Donegal North East after he failed to be added to the Fianna Fáil ticket following Niall Blaney's shock decision not to contest the election.

However, speaking on Highland Radio tonight, councillor Larkin says there is no doubt that his party requires a review and "a lift from the grass roots up," but said he hopes to be able to do that from within the party.

Fianna Fáil will be hoping that their members get fully behind the campaign of their single candidate Charlie McConalogue now, but many have tipped Labour's Jimmy Harte to gain significantly from the fact that councillor Larkin is not running.

The entry into the field of independent candidate Dessie Shiels - a Letterkenny-based solicitor - may however mean that he could now take some of the vote that may well have gone to councillor Larkin.

Candidates have until 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday) to hand in their nomination papers.

Harte to benefit as FF go for one?

Letterkenny has only one declared candidate for the forthcoming election following the decision by Fianna Fáil to run Charlie McConalogue as their sole candidate in the constituency.

Charlie McConalogue (FF)

Labour's Jimmy Harte is now Letterkenny's sole candidate and will be hoping for a positive bounce from the fact that local Fianna Fáil councillor Dessie Larkin has not been given the nod to run in Donegal North East.

Jimmy Harte (Labour)

Dessie Larkin (FF)

The former Fine Gael councillor left the party following their decision to run just one candidate in the last General Election and ran as an independent. He switched to the Labour Party last year and has been canvassing strongly in the Cathedral Town and in other areas of Donegal North-East since before Christmas.

Blaney won't run for FF

Niall Blaney has told a Fianna Fail selection convention tonight that he will not seek re-election to the Dáil, leaving the way for Charlie McConalogue to run as the party's sole candidate in Donegal North East.

Councillor McConalogue was selected at an 'unofficial' FF selection convention in Inishowen on Thursday night and delegates there were determined that he would be selected as a Fianna Fail candidate.

It was widely believed however that, if we were selected, he would run alongside the sitting TD Niall Blaney.

It is understood that Fianna Fail will make a decision tomorrow on whether or not they will seek to add a second candidate to the ticket.

Former Deputy Cecilia Keaveney who did not attend the convention tonight (Sunday) or the unofficial Inishowen convention last week has already indicated that she will not be seeking a nomination.

The news that Niall Blaney will not contest the election is set to send shock waves across the electorate in Donegal who have a long association with the Blaney dynasty in the county -  and adds yet more drama to an already interesting election battle in Donegal North East.

And we're off...

If it seems like only a few weeks since we've had an election here in Donegal, well it's because...it's only a few weeks since we've had an election.

But the bye-election in Donegal South West before Christmas and the General Election to come following the dissolution of the Dáil on Tuesday - are two different ball games.

For a start, both constituencies will get to go the polls this time around and before a vote has been cast at all by the masses, the fun and games have begun in both constituencies with some public in-party squabbling.

In the South West, the Labour Party have re-iterated their support for Frank McBrearty as their candidate following claims last week by Thomas Pringle that he had been approached by Labour - and offered a Seanad seat if he would run.

That led to all sorts of claims and counter-claims over the week, but the local Labour Party were due to meet on Wednesday night to clear the air and get their head back in the game before the election race kicks off again.

There has been no news as yet from that meeting, but no doubt over the coming days something will emerge.

Meanwhile there are all sorts of fun and games in the Fianna Fáil camp Donegal North East. With the selection convention due to take place this Sunday night, an 'unofficial' convention held in Inishowen on Thursday night has selected councillor Charlie McConalogue as the peninsula's preferred candidate.

That convention was not attended by Senator Cecilia Keaveney who, it would appear, will no longer be a Fianna Fáil politician for long following the events of the past week.

But what will happen if party HQ - decide to run a single candidate? According to reports in Friday's Donegal News, Councillor McConalogue has the backing of Letterkenny FF supporters, suggesting a the rift between Niall Blaney and Fianna Fáil supporters in Donegal North East outside the Milford area.

If the party HQ choose Deputy Blaney as a single candidate - could he rely on FF support in Inishowen or would councillor McConalogue run as an independent?

Fine Gael's candidate in Donegal North East - Deputy Joe McHugh - is also based in the Milford Electoral Area - and while he has been selected by the party as their single candidate, reports on inishowennews.com recently suggested that Fine Gael members in the peninsula are also unhappy with this strategy and would like to see councillor John Ryan added to the ticket.

Sinn Féin have had no such controversies, Pearse Doherty following his romping success in the bye election will run again in South West, while the party will be very hopeful that Padraig Mac Lochlainn will take a second seat for them in the North East.

Throw into the mix suggestions that Brian O'Domhnaill could possibly pip Mary Coughlan in Donegal South West, the independent concerns of Thomas Pringle (SW), Betty Homes (NE), Ryan Stewart (NE) and Anne Sweeney (SW) and Jimmy Harte's switch to Labour in Donegal North-East and this has the makings of one very interesting general election in Donegal this time around.