Politics

Fine Gael select city and county-based councillors for bid to retain Coveney’s Cork seat

Shane O’Callaghan and Una McCarthy defeat Jerry Buttimer, Des Cahill and John Mullins for nominations

Simon Coveney announced he would not be running again in the seat he won after his father's death. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Simon Coveney announced he would not be running again in the seat he won after his father's death. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Barry Roche
Tue Jul 23 2024 - 22:59

Fine Gael have selected Cork city-based Cllr Shane O’Callaghan and Cork county-based Cllr Una McCarthy to run in Cork South Central as they bid to retain former Tánaiste Simon Coveney’s seat in the forthcoming general election.

Cllr O’Callaghan and Cllr McCarthy defeated Senator Jerry Buttimer, Cllr Des Cahill of Cork City Council and unsuccessful Ireland South Euro candidate, John Mullins to secure the nominations to run in the general election

Cllr O’Callaghan topped the poll in the Cork South Central Ward in Cork City Council with 1,870 votes to be elected on the first count in last month’s local elections and announced soon after he would be seeking a nomination to run in the general election.

A native of Bandon in west Cork, Cllr O’Callaghan, a barrister, was first elected to Cork City Council in 2019 when he took 1,234 first preferences. He served as Deputy Lord of Cork for 12 months from 2020.

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Meanwhile his general election running mate, Cllr McCarthy, a native of Rochestown now living in Carrigaline, Cllr McCarthy joined Cork County Council in October 2023 when she was co-opted to replace Cllr Michael Paul Murtagh to represent the Carrigaline Electoral Area.

The daughter of Cork All-Ireland winning Cork hurler Justin McCarthy Snr and the sister of RTÉ broadcaster, Justin McCarthy Jnr, Cllr McCarthy, who teaches in Passage West in Cork Harbour, held the seat for Fine Gael in last month’s local elections when she polled 1,092 votes.

Several party sources suggested to The Irish Times that they expect Fine Gael HQ will add a third candidate to the ticket to give the party a real chance of taking a second seat in the five-seater as Sinn Féin struggle in opinion polls.

Meanwhile, sitting TD Alan Farrell was also selected to contest Dublin Fingal East on Tuesday evening. Fine Gael has now chosen 22 candidates in 14 constituencies. It is expected to select candidates in half of its seats with departing TDs by the end of July as it ramps up election preparations.

Mr Coveney informed Fine Gael members in Cork South Central a fortnight ago that after 26 years in representative politics that he would not be seeking re-election in Cork South Central, which has become a five-seater constituency following the recent revision.

He was first elected in a by-election in 1998 following the death of his father Hugh Coveney and he held the seat until 2004 when he was elected an MEP for Ireland South before returning to domestic politics in 2007 when he was re-elected for Cork South Central.

A member of Cabinet since 2011, he lost out to Leo Varadkar in the contest to succeed Enda Kenny as Taoiseach in 2017 but he served as Tánaiste from then until the current Coalition was formed in 2020 and he moved from the Foreign Affairs to Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times