Alice-Mary Higgins, daughter of Labour president and former Galway West TD Michael D Higgins, is to seek a seat in Seanad Éireann.
Ms Higgins will be contesting the elections to the upper house of the Oireachtas, seeking a seat on the Seanad’s cultural panel. Her father served as a senator from 1982 to 1987 and will be making a bid for the presidency later this year.
There was intense speculation that Labour city councillor Niall McNelis would also seek a Seanad seat but he has decided against it.
“I enjoy being a city councillor and look forward to continuing representation for my ward and the city I love,” he said. “Due to my young family and business this was not the time for me. I will offer my full support to Derek Nolan and wish him the very best in his new role.”
A number of other Galwegians will also be seeking to retain their Seanad seats; Fine Gael’s Fidelma Healy Eames and the Green’s Niall Ó Brolcháin, both of whom were unsuccessful in thier attempts to wiun a Dáil seat last week, and Ronan Mullen. All three have sat in the Seanad.
