After months of intense speculation, Fine Gael city councillor Brian Walsh has formally declared that he will be seeking a nomination to stand for the party in Galway West at the next General Election.
Cllr Walsh has this week sent out a letter to FG members in the constituency explaining his reasons for wishing to stand but also the reasons behind his controversial decision to pull out of the 2007 election.
In his letter, seen by the Galway Advertiser, Cllr Walsh begins by explaining why he chose not to contest the 2007 election, a decision which earned him much criticism within the party at the time.
“In early 2006, some 18 months in advance of the 2007 General Election, I made it known publicly that as a newly elected councillor I would not be seeking a nomination to contest the election,” he wrote. “At the time, I felt it would be of benefit to me to spend a full term on the city council and, at the age of 33, I felt I was still young enough to contest future elections.”
However Cllr Walsh said he was “forced to revisit that decision” following the “unexpected announcement” by Dep Pádraic McCormack that he would not be contesting the election.
The decision forced Cllr Walsh onto the ticket but he ultimately declined to run and Dep McCormack was persuaded to stand again. The party went on to hold its Galway West seat.
“The fact that I had just married Fiona and that our first child was due at the height of the campaign were the sole reasons why I arrived at this decision,” wrote Cllr Walsh. “Many of you will be aware that I went on to play a leading role in the campaign as Pádraic’s director of elections.”
Many Fine Gael members were supportive of Cllr Walsh’s decision but “others were disappointed and questioned my commitment to the party”.
As a result, in his letter Cllr Walsh said he wishes to “assure members that my commitment to Fine Gael has never waned.”
He outlines he has been actively involved in this party “from a very young age” and canvassed with his late father Paschal in 1982 when Fine Gael last secured two seats in Galway West.
“I have worked tirelessly for Fine Gael at every local, national, and European election since then,” he wrote. “In recent times, I played a leading role in organising our very successful race night which raised much needed finance for the party locally.”
Cllr Walsh’s letter concludes by saying he will be putting his name before members at the selection convention “to seek a place on the Fine Gael ticket for the next General Election”.
“As a city councillor and former mayor, who was born and reared in Galway city,” he writes, “I believe I can play a leading role in working with other candidates to achieve our aim of winning two seats in the next Dáil.”
