McBrearty added to Fine Gael ticket for Donegal County Council election

Cllr Frank McBrearty has been formally named as a Fine Gael candidate to contest the local elections in the Stranorlar municipal district.
It ends weeks of speculation that he had been seeking to be added to the ticket. Amid comment on McBrearty's proposed move, senior Fine Gael sources had insisted that he would be welcome in the party.
Fine Gael have now three candidates in the electoral area with sitting councillors Martin Harley, Frank McBrearty and new candidate Garvin Connolly contesting the six seats.
The electoral area has six sitting councillors all of whom are seeking re-election: Martin Harley, Frank McBrearty, Fianna Fáil’s Patrick McGowan and Gerry Crawford as well as Sinn Féin councillors Gary Doherty and Liam Doherty.
They will be joined on the ballot paper by Garvin Connolly, Alan McMenamin, (Ind) and Maghnus Monaghan (Renua).
Efforts yesterday to contact Cllr McBrearty for comment proved unsuccessful.
Earlier this month when the speculation on McBrearty's addition to the ticket first arose, the sitting Fine Gael councillor Martin Harley said that he would consider his position.
Speaking yesterday he said: “That is exactly what I have done. I went back to the grassroots and without exception, they urged me to remain within the party.
“Many made the point to me that this would be Cllr McBrearty’s third change in party allegiances in such a relatively short political career and found the party decision hard to fathom.
“I have been an active and loyal member of Fine Gael since I was a child and that is where I remain.
“I will be out there knocking on doors asking for the vote as and from today and am delighted with the messages of support from across the political spectrum.”Meanwhile, in Inishowen Cllr Mickey Doherty has said that he is considering his options in relation to contesting his seat for Fine Gael.
Cllr Doherty was a sitting councillor from 2009 to2014 and was co-opted to the council to replace John Ryan who stepped down last year.
“The whole MICA situation in Inishowen has not been resolved and unless it is addressed I cannot ignore the people who elected me,” Cllr Doherty said.