Search Results for 'Caroline Nevin'

The Westport area is under the spotlight this week with this area being one to watch out for in the forthcoming local elections. This week I’ll have a look at the candidates. Those on show for Fine Gael in the electoral area are Councillor Peter Flynn, Cllr John O’Malley and Cllr Austin Francis O’Malley, while Cllr Keith Martin will be running for Labour and Dave Keating (Sinn Féin) will contest for Mayo County Council elections.

Westport has one of the smallest fields running in the county for the June 5 election, with eight candidates putting their hats in the ring for the four seats. The major shift on the political landscape from the last local elections is the absence of one Frank Chambers from the ticket. The Newport based auctioneer has been a mainstay of politics in this area for a number of years, but with the redrawing of the boundaries seeing half the town of Newport being given over to Belmullet, Chambers decided to step away from the political circle. That leaves the three sitting councillors, Margaret Adams, Austin Francis O’Malley and John O’Malley, fighting it out with five others for the seats. The other declarations for the election are Caroline Nevin (Fianna Fáil), Peter Flynn (Fine Gael), Keith Martin (Labour), Dave Keating (Sinn Féin) and independent candidate Andy Wilson.

Total poll: 8,356

Like marathons, election campaigns are long journeys more often suited to the long distance runner then to the sprinter. As on all long journeys events can happen and change predictions that seemed definite at the outset, this is especially true when it’s a political journey. Bear that in mind as we begin the coverage of the local election campaign scheduled for next June. If Madame Editor allows, this scribe will return to my predictions when the ballots are cast and counted to see how wrong (or right!) I was!