Date confirmed for Fianna Fáil convention in Donegal town

More than 300 Fianna Fáil members in the Donegal Municipal District will gather on Sunday week, July 16th at a Donegal town hotel to select a replacement for the late Cllr Sean McEniff.

The vacancy on Donegal Council as a result of Cllr McEniff's death in April has generated considerable interest in political circles with four candidates confirmed as contesting for the vacancy.

As previously reported Cllr McEniff's daughter, Elizabeth McIntyre, Bundoran was nominated by her local cumann. At one stage there was a possibility the co-option process would see her going into the post uncontested.

However, as reported by the Donegal Democrat, this was soon very clearly not the case as names of others interested in seeking the seat emerged.

Micheál Naughton, a hotel manager working in Letterkenny, living in Laghey, confirmed to this newspaper that because there was going to be a contest, he would be involved in that contest. Former Ballyshannon town councillor, Billy Grimes, told the Donegal Democrat he was giving the possibility of contesting for the seat "serious consideration" and has remained in the race.

The emergence however of electrician Roger Meehan from Dunkineely, took some by surprise and he has also recently reaffirmed his intention to contest. The fact that three of the four candidates are located from Donegal town to Bundoran has generated lots of speculation about the possibility that geographically Mr Meehan, located away from the other candidates, is in a strong position to take votes from members from Glencolmcille to Inver.

After nominations closed on June 23rd it was confirmed that there were indeed four seeking the seat and the Democrat understands that all four contestants have spent considerable time on the road seeking support from paid up members of the party who will have a vote on July 16th when convention takes place in the Millpark Hotel from 6pm on July 16th.