Now that the main event has been done and dusted the small matter of the Senate elections is now gathering momentum as local candidates are chosen to run for office.
In Kilkenny, it is largely a family affair for Fine Gael as three of the four candidates chosen to run for the Senate are cousins.
Former councillor for Fine Gael Pat Crotty has been announced as a candidate along with his cousin and sitting councillor David Fitzgerald who will also be running for Fine Gael. They are both running on the Industrial and Commercial panel.
South Kilkenny councillor Ann Marie Irish has also declared her interest and has been chosen as a candidate also for Fine Gael. She is running on the Educational and Cultural panel.
While Pat O’ Neill is the fourth nominee to run for the Fine Gael party and he is running on the Agricultural panel.
Fianna Fail has also chosen a candidate from Carlow Kilkenny with Carlow councillor and former general election candidate Jennifer Murnane O’ Connor having accepted a nomination this week from her party headquarters. She will be running on the Labour panel.
It had been rumoured that Bobby Aylward who narrowly missed out on retaining his Dail seat in the recent elections, may have been considered as a candidate from Fianna Fail but this is now thought not to be the case.
There is no candidate running from the Labour Party in this constituency.
The candidates will now need to travel the country to canvass those eligible to vote on each of the panels for their vote. Polling closes on April 27 next.
