Sinn Féin’s Lisbon Treaty campaign director Councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn has been selected as the party’s north west candidate for next year’s European elections.
The event, held in Sligo with 500 party members and supporters in attendance and addressed by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MLA, National Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald MEP, and Senator Pearse Doherty, marked the party’s final European convention.
Speaking at the event Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams described Cllr MacLochlainn as “an exceptional candidate who has served the people of Donegal and Sinn Féin with commitment and energy. I am confident that with Padraig’s record of exemplary work, and a good organisational campaign by Sinn Fein, that we can look forward to a successful European election campaign across the island.”
Addressing the convention Cllr MacLochlainn stated that the people of the 11 counties of the constituency deserved stronger and more effective representation in Europe than that provided by the three sitting MEPs, who he said had all supported the Lisbon Treaty. He said in contrast to the three sitting MEPs, Sinn Féin were in tune with their concerns and hopes for the future during that campaign and moving forward. He expressed his belief that Sinn Féin have a real chance of winning a seat in the constituency and that they would work flat out in future months to win the people’s support.