Sinn Féin confident of Galway breakthrough

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams officially launched a number of the party's candidates for the local elections in Galway on Friday last.

He was on a visit to Galway City promote his latest book, Hope and History, and to attend a public meeting in Salthill.

Sinn Féin candidate Daniel Callanan, introduced the candidates and said: "We are confident of making a significant breakthrough both in Galway city and throughout the county and this will be a major development in the political landscape here. Sinn Féin are already the third largest party in Connacht and will increasingly provide the effective opposition to the tired old Fianna Fail and Fine Gael axis that has so obviously failed the people of the West of Ireland for decades."

Sinn Féin candidates for far declared for Galway are:

Daniel Callanan, East Ward, Galway City; Ann-Marie Carroll, West Ward, Galway City; Joe Desmond, Tuam Town Council; Kathleen Galvey, Tuam, County Council; Jason Devlin, Ballinasloe Town Council; Eoghan Mac Cormaic, Loughrea Town Council and County Council.

The party will be holding conventions in Ballinasloe later this month and is expected to announce a candidate for the County Council there and still actively pursuing options in the South Ward of the City and in the Headford area.