In the end there were just three candidates for two tickets.
But this evening Fianna Fail delegates have decided that Minister Charlie McConalogue and former MEP Pat The Cope should stand for their party in the upcoming election in Donegal.
Originally six candidates had been nominated to contest tonight’s convention at the Clanree Hotel in Letterkenny.
But when Senator Niall Blaney pulled out of the race in recent days, he was soon followed by Termon’s Ben Harkin and then Glenswilly’s Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly.
Fianna Fail headquarters the announced the selection process would be carried out on a regional basis meaning the county was split in north and south.
With both Harkin and then Kelly pulling out in the north of the county, sitting Minister Charlie McConalogue entered the contest this evening as the only candidate going forward for selection for North Donegal.
This left the only contest down to veteran Pat The Cope Gallagher and county councillor Michael Naughton.
Many commentators thought that it was the former Junior Minister and MEP who had the numbers.
And so it proved as Pat the Cope came out on top on a vote of 169 to 96 for Councillor Naughton.
