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GRÁINNE SEOIGE IS expected to submit her name for the Fianna Fáil Galway West seat ahead of nominations for the constituency closing at the close of business today.
Outgoing TD for the constituency, Éamon Ó Cuív, who is not seeking re-election, told RTÉ last week that he had received a call from Seoige and that she intends to put her name forward.
Seoige is expected to be one of at least four people to seek a nomination in the five-seater constituency.
A candidate needs five ordinary members to nominate them or one party cumann backing them in order to be considered.
It is expected the selection convention for Galway West will be held early next month.
Speaking to The Journal, Ó Cuív said he didn’t want to speculate on the outcome but said that he had “great faith in the members of the party to give the best result for the constituency, and the best result for Fianna Fáil in the constituency, out of the process”.
Once nominations are closed today, it will be up to the ordinary members of the constituency to decide who they select as the party’s candidate, he said.
In her long career in broadcasting, Seoige has worked in TG4, RTÉ, Sky News and more recently on Virgin Media One.
Pressure is on the party to up its game in terms of gender equality, with Fianna Fáil coming in bottom of the class in terms of gender balance in the local elections with 25% of candidates being female.
In the general election, 40% of candidates must be female, meaning it is unlikely that there won’t be a balanced ticket in Galway West.
Seoige isn’t the only celebrity name being talked about in terms of entering a career in politics.
RTÉ and Rose of Tralee host Dáithí Ó Sé has also been mentioned after he declared he wouldn’t rule out a role in politics for himself.
When asked what she thought of Ó Sé running for election in Kerry perhaps, Education Minister Foley said yesterday:
“Well, everybody in Kerry loves Dáithí. Dáithí is fantastic. He’s a terrific ambassador for us in the county. He’s absolutely Kerry through and through. So if he’s considering it, he’d be very welcome,” she said.
Sources in Fianna Fáil have said Seoige is a “very serious” candidate for the party, while the speculation around Ó Sé is merely idle summer speculation.
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One wonders has Grainne and Daithi been life long members of the Cult FF
The Party of Bertie Kissers Omerta and Amnesia
@David Murray: she may as well go for it…she was looked after during the mortgage gate crisis when the FAI paid her mortgage when the Banks took other people’s houses and then legged it to south Africa …. probably doesn’t have a bank account so will get leader of the party eventually
So never even been a councillor all the people in ff that are councillors for years are told basically take a hike
@John Reynolds: Sound’s as if your out of Sorts as Pee Flynn once said.
Maybe you could take the Independent route
Hmm..how many blood diamonds fit in a brown envelope?
Fianna Fail’think .. ah sure , stick a celebrity in front of the electorate. They are thick enough to vote for “ someone they know” It does not matter whether they have any experience in politics .
Is that the way we want our country run .. by inexperienced faces ?
@BL Music: I think “experience in politics” is the root cause of much of what is wrong with our public services these days.
It’ll make a change to have someone with a track record for being intelligent.
@BL Music: They’re unfortunately right, especially with older voters. We’re taught to fear political change in Ireland so a familiar face who won’t “rock the boat” goes down well.
@Stanley Marsh: a track record for being intelligent? It sounds like she’s pretty ruthless and has done well in Ireland. Unreasonably so.
Grainne I would take, Daithi is just typical of what passes for talent in RTE these days, and defines the word bogger. Must be something in the water in Kerry
@The Firestarter: You take that back!!
@Alan Kennedy: have you written to illustrate what the Healy raes really represent? I have and not from Kerry, but have roots there. If people from Kerry want people to respect them, maybe they should respect themselves and others more instead of fetishizing the parish pump ..
Silly season or April fools
Christ…
Doesn’t she live in South Africa now?
I would give her one (Vote)
@Stanley darsh: staaaaaaaan daaaaaaaaaarsh!
Another clown
Best of luck to Gràinne…
Absolutely pathetic. Shows she’s the same as the vapid pair of Connaught Nina carberry and Maria Walsh and of course their legions of local election voters. Find something else narcissistic to do Grainne that doesn’t mean you get to pretend to represent the public.
Tv work has dried up christ above
have your say