Fianna Fail in Kerry has taken a real battering with the decision of four high-profile members – including three sitting councillors – to quit the party.
Former senator Dan Kiely and town councillors Tom Doherty, Johnnie Wall and Tom Walsh have all severed their ties with the organisation after failing to secure nominations to contest the local elections in May.
70-year-old Mr Kiely, based in Tarbert, was twice elected to Seanad Éireann but failed in four Dáil bids.
He said he left the party “with a very heavy heart” as the organisation had been ingrained in his DNA. Having consulted his supporters, Kiely has confirmed that he will contest the local elections as an independent.
Fianna Fail suffered another blow when long-serving Tralee councillor Johnnie Wall announced his decision to resign and contest the May elections as an independent candidate.
A former mayor of the town and an elected public representative since 1985, he was upset that he wasn’t added to the ticket after failing to win through at a convention.
“I feel very sore. It feels like I was dumped. If they wanted to run a 28-year-old or a 30-year-old I would have gladly stepped down but there were not too many under 50 at the convention,” said Cllr Wall.
In Killarney, meanwhile, Cllr Tom Doherty quit the party to contest the elections as a community candidate. A strong campaigner on disability issues and a member of several local organisations, Cllr Doherty is a long-serving town councillor who has been a consistent vote-winner at local level.
In Listowel, town councillor Tom Walsh resigned from FF after he lost out to John Brassil and Jimmy Moloney at convention. He said he has formed the opinion that Fianna Fail in North Kerry is in “disarray” and he confirmed he would be running as an independent in the Listowel electoral area.
In south Kerry, meanwhile, convention poll-topper Cllr Paul O’Donoghue – a brother of former Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue – withdrew his name from the race after a fourth candidate, John Francis Flynn from Castlemaine, was added to the ticket against his wishes. Cllr Michael O’Shea and Breandán Fitzgerald were also selected at convention. Schoolteacher Norma Moriarty has been selected to run in place of Paul O’Donoghue.
