Fianna Fáil has selected Senator Marc MacSharry and former TD Eamon Scanlon to contest the general election in Sligo-Leitrim.

The constituency which now takes in parts of south Donegal and West Cavan.

The choice of two Sligo-based candidates has provoked concern among party grassroots because the same MacSharry-Scanlon combination was blamed for the party’s dismal performance at the last election when it failed to take a seat. The split in the vote on that occasion meant many questioned whether a one candidate strategy would have been more effective.

But huge pressure is now being put party headquarters to add a third Leitrim-based candidate to the ticket.

At Friday night's convention, Leitrim councillor Sinead Guckian came in third place winning a large proportion of the MacSharry transfers

Just under 600 delegates voted at the convention which was chaired by Clare TD Timmy Dooley, the party's spokesman on transport.

Former TDs Ray MacSharry, Mattie Brennan and John Ellis were among those in attendance.

The fourth candidate was Cavan-based solicitor John Paul Feeley.

With pressure on party leader Micheál Martin to run more female candidate , speculation is growing that Clllr Guckian will be added to the ticket despite resistance in many quarters to fielding three candidates.