Local election candidates selected

West Cork

At its Local Election Convention held at the Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway, on Saturday 1 November, Sinn Féin selected its candidates to contest next June's Town and County Council Elections throughout Cork Southwest. For the first time since the 1920s, voters in every part of West Cork will have the opportunity to vote for Sinn Féin in local elections. A large number of delegates representing Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty and Skibbereen Cumainn were in attendance, and the convention was chaired by Sinn Féin Árd Chomhairle member for Munster, Ken O'Connell.The convention selected four candidates to contest three Town Council and three County Council areas.

John Desmond will contest Bandon Town Council and County Council area. Cllr. Anne O'Leary will contest Bantry Town Council and County Council area. Cllr Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin will run for Clonakilty Town Council and Skibbereen County Council area, while Paul Hayes will also stand for Clonakilty Town Council.

A candidate to contest the Skibbereen Town Council Election will be selected before Christmas.

All the nominees were selected unanimously and congratulated by all.

Listowel

Over 100 Sinn Féin members from all over North Kerry gathered in the Listowel Arms Hotel last Friday night to select candidates to contest next year's Local Elections in the Listowel electoral area of Kerry County Council and Listowel Town Council.

They adopted a two candidate strategy for both areas with former councillor Robert Beasley of Ballybunion and Cllr Risteárd Ó Fuaráin of Ballyheigue for the County Council election. Sitting Town Councillor Anthony Curtin was selected again to contest the Listowel Town Council along with Listowel native Redmond Shine.

Attending the convention, North Kerry TD Martin Ferris said:

"Sinn Féin has selected an excellent team of candidates for next year's local elections in Listowel. We stand a great chance of capitalising on Sinn Féin's growing popularity throughout the entire island, especially after our outstanding performance in last year's general election in this constituency. I think the establishment parties will have reason to fear all Sinn Féin candidates, particularly in light of the government's and the main opposition parties' miserable performance to date."

Sinn Féin is expecting to select its candidates in the Tralee area in the next couple of weeks and they are looking at potential candidates in the south and west of the county.