So we’re all getting ready for the general election
in Roscommon and around the country too. There is a small bit of fun watching
Fianna Fáil run around Roscommon Galway chasing their tail.
Eugene Murphy the party stalwart of many years has
to the best of my knowledge 30 years experience as an elected representative in
Roscommon. That’s some feat, to represent the people of East Roscommon for over
28 years and the last two he represents the North and East of the County.
Eugene is on Shannonside FM, has a high profile as well as representing the
people from Arigna to Tarmonbarry all the way across to Ballaghaderreen. “Eug”
is not wanted it seems!
What about Ivan the favoured son last time? He’s
well regarded by Roscommon movers in the party we hear. He’s also connected to
the constituency boss Mary Devine O Callaghan. Her brother is married to his
sister. Something is happening and it appears that Ivan is not wanted this
time. Of course he was highly critical of Micheal Martin last year. Remember
Christmas and what he said? A lot in
Fianna Fáil have fallen out with Ivan, even Rachel Doherty has turned against
Ivan and is full square behind Eugene Murphy.
John Keogh is another Fianna Fáil councillor who
wants to run. I don’t know John but I do know he’s involved in a bit of a
disagreement with Paddy Kilduff another FF councillor and traditional party
loyalist whom I know for many a year and reckon he was the power behind Fianna
Fáil in Roscommon in previous years.
So what’s the point of this first blog of the
General Election 2016 campaign? Well it’s this. I’m watching Fianna Fáil travel
over to Belmullet to get a Mayo GP to run in the Senate by election in a no
hope election. He’s up against Labour’s Maria Cahill who is running for the
seat won by Jimmy Harte (son of the former Fine Gael TD for Donegal and peace activist
Paddy Harte) in the last senate election.
Jimmy had a
bad fall a couple of years ago and has never properly recovered so he’s decided
to retire. This seat should be won by Maria as the tradition is that Fine Gael
and Labour will vote for the Government candidate! Yes that’s Maria.
This Mayo GP has been promised that he will be
candidate in the General election in Roscommon, and he might get elected. “Didn’t Fitzmaurice get elected in Roscommon
Leitrim the last time and he was from Galway” the Mount St crew will claim.
They’ll also say he was only elected a councillor a few months previously so
experience is not important.
“It’s all profile and we’ll build the Dr’s
profile”. It’s all about the hospital
we’ll make sure we picture him with a stethoscope round his neck! Health and
Reilly are what we’ll remind the people of Roscommon about. This doctor I predict will be seen as the
saviour of health services in Roscommon. He’s going to be Tom Foxe and Denis
Naughten rolled into one he’s going to be what Dr. Greg Kelly was not allowed
to be, he’s going to have the Dublin crowd behind him and the senior local figures.
Do you know what though?
He’ll not
have the Rossies nor the Galway crowd either cause he’s a Mayo man parachuted
into the constituency. He’s not Eugene, he’s not Ivan, he’s not Doherty! In
Castlerea he’s not Pascal he might have
come from Castlerea once but he’s
definitely not Greg. The doctor North Roscommon wanted but establishment Fianna
Fáil did not.
Anyway from what I’m hearing, grassroots Fianna Fáil
are not happy but then are they ever?
I
reckon they still, just might pick him!
