It is looking increasingly likely that Cllr Brian Walsh will be the sole candidate for Fine Gael in the Galway City East ward in the 2009 Local Elections.
The party planned that Cllr Walsh will have two running mates in the ward. The plan was for Cllr Walsh to retain his seat thanks to his own base in the area and transfers from his running mates. FG also felt it could take a second seat if transfers between the three were strong enough and Fianna Fáil took a hit from an electorate still sore over Budget 09.
However the party is having difficulty finding candidates they think are electable and difficulty convincing potentially electable candidates to don a blue shirt. It has created the scenario whereby if no one is found by January, Cllr Walsh will be running on his own.
Cllr Walsh is one of the ‘big names’ in Galway City East and can be confident of retaining his seat in June. However he knows that transfers played a huge part in his election in 2004 and that he needs them again in 2009.
With no running mate he will be dependent on whatever he picks up from other candidates - always a less sure bet than when there are two or three from the same party running.
As of now the Fine Gael team for next year’s locals will be Cllr John Mulholland and Hildegarde Naughton for Galway City West; Mayor Padraig Conneely in Galway City Central; and Cllr Brian Walsh in Galway City East
