As many as 300 delegates are expected to attend the Fianna Fáil selection convention for the Galway West byelection on Sunday night, with three councillors seeking the nomination.
Galway City Cllr Alan Cheevers, Máirtín Lee from Tír an Fhia in Connemara and Cillian Keane from Oranmore are all seeking the nomination for the byelection triggered by the election of Catherine Connolly as President.
The convention will be held at 7pm in the Galway Bay Hotel.
On Thursday, Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard also announced his intention to stand in the election, which will be held in May.
READ MORE
The Independent councillor said his campaign would centre on a “Galway first” message.
Cubbard (40) said Galway needed a stronger voice in national decision-making, one that could secure funding for the city and county.
Cubbard is from the city’s Westside area and has topped the poll in Galway City Central in three successive local elections since being first elected in 2014.
Was Seán Lemass really Ireland's greatest taoiseach?
He said, if elected, he would judge an issue on its merits. “If the Government asks for my support, I will judge every decision on whether it is good for Galway. If it is, I will back it. If it is not, I will not support it,” he said.
Eleven people, including Cubbard, have already declared as candidates or have been nominated by their parties. They are: Mark Lohan (Sinn Féin); Seán Kyne (Fine Gael); Helen Ogbu (Labour); Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland); Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich (Social Democrats); Niall Murphy (Green Party); Denman Rooke (People Before Profit); Sheila Garrity (Independent); Tom Welby (Independent); and Orla Nugent (Aontú).
