Letterkenny Councillor Ciaran Brogan will contest the next General Election as an independent candidate – with or without a Fianna Fail nomination, party sources have told donegaldaily.com.
Sources close to Cllr Brogan’s backroom team is confirming a decision has been made to go it alone if the party does not select a candidate from Letterkenny.
However Cllr Brogan said he has been nominated to contest the election for Fianna Fail, and until a selection convention takes place, he will make no decisions.
He declined to comment on claims that he will go it alone in the election if he does not receive the nomination.
Cllr Brogan also declined to comment on claims that senior officials at party HQ in Dublin have been trying to persuade him to step aside in return for a Seanad nomination or a place on State boards.
However, his supporters are reported to have said he will not be bought off, claiming that the current course of action being pursued by HQ of imposing one candidate in the Letterkenny and Milford area will run the party’s Letterkenny organisation into the ground.
It’s widely believed that the party will seek to go with a two candidate strategy in Donegal North East, with Deputy Niall Blaney joined on the ticket by a candidate from Inishowen.
However today a party source said: “There is only one seat left in this constituency for Fianna Fail. Ciaran could do damaged to Niall and Niall could lose his seat.”
Ends
