Ex-GAA player Shane Curran to run for election

Former GAA goalkeeper Shane Curran is to run as a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Roscommon-Galway constituency in the general election, The Irish Times has learned.

Mr Curran will be added to the party's ticket in the constituency alongside Cllr Eugene Murphy, who was chosen at a selection convention late last year.

Party sources have said the addition of Mr Curran will cause increased tensions in the constituency.

One member said: “Shane did not run for convention. I don’t even think he is a member of the party.

“[Party leaders] would undo everything if they did that.”

Speaking to the Irish Times on Sunday, Mr Murphy said he had no knowledge of the impending addition.

He said: “I don’t expect it to happen on the basis that when the constituency committee held the convention they said there would be one candidate that would contest the Roscommon-Galway constituency, and I won that 2:1 on the night.

“I have my campaign up and running and am moving ahead.”

However, party sources confirmed that the addition of Mr Curran to the ticket would be made in the coming days.

Ten candidates

Ten candidates had initially put their names forward to be selected to run for the party in the constituency.

However, just two, Mr Murphy and Sean O’Higgins, the chairperson of Ógra Fianna Fáil, competed for a place on the ticket at the selection convention.

Mr Curran did not go before the convention or put his name forward for nomination.

The Roscommon-Galway constituency will elect three TDs.

Independent TDs Michael Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten are seeking re-election.

Incumbent Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan is stepping down from his position, but Cllr Maura Hopkins is seeking to secure the seat for the party.

Mr Curran played Gaelic football at an inter-county level for Roscommon and at a club level for St Brigid’s.