Green gains in mind

The Greens have done well enough in polls of late that hopes of winning more than their current two Dail seats are very much …

The Greens have done well enough in polls of late that hopes of winning more than their current two Dail seats are very much in their minds. So much so, in fact, that one of their two MEPs, Dublin's Patricia McKenna, is considering running for the Dail. The problem is, she has left it too late and now has no constituency. Selection conventions have been held and candidates chosen in all the likely city areas such as South East (John Gormley); North (Trevor Sargent): Dun Laoghaire (Ciaran Cuffe); Mid West (Paul Gogarty); South Central (Christina McElroy); and South (Eamon Ryan). Canvassing is already under way and bases are being established. McKenna told Quidnunc she should have thought of it a while back but being in Europe continually it is difficult. Now, say colleagues, she has three options: to chose a nohope constituency, such as Dublin South West; to persuade an already nominated candidate to step aside in her favour; or to run outside her Dublin base but not, it is suggested, in her home area of Monaghan.