The longest serving councillor on Galway County Council looks set to attempt to dip his toe into national politics once again. Well known Ardrahan representative Michael Fahy has hinted he is about to announce himself as a candidate for the 2016 General Election.
The Independent councillor will hold a press gathering at his home in Ardrahan on Tuesday morning where it is anticipated he will declare his intention to run. Cllr Fahy has said before he most likely would have run in the 2011 General Election, if not for a high profile court case which he was involved in at the time.
Councillor Fahy has held his seat on the local authority since 1979. He was first elected under the banner of Fianna Fail but subsequently left the party. He unsuccessfully contested a Dáil seat as an Independent candidate in 1987.
It is certainly going to be a hotly contested, and intriguing election in the Galway East constituency. There are four sitting TDs representing the area - Fine Gael’s Ciaran Cannon and Paul Connaughton Jnr and Fianna Fáil’s Michael Kitt and new party recruit Colm Keaveney. However the constituency has now been reduced to a three seater following a revision of boundaries.
Speaking to the Galway Advertiser Michael Fahy said he believes the General Election is wide open. “Nobody’s seat is safe, especially following the boundary changes, it is going to make things very interesting. I have never seen a greater opening for the people of South Galway. There has not been a TD based in this area since before Frank Fahy departed to Galway West.”
Cllr Fahy is one of the most vocal members of the county council and is a passionate advocate for rural Ireland. He says if he is to run in the election he will not be aligning himself to the Shane Ross led Independent Alliance or Lucinda Creighton’s Renua, as he “won’t be selling my soul to anybody.”
