Labour and Greens seek seats on council dominated by FF, FG and SF

COUNTY COUNCIL PROFILE: LEITRIM:LABOUR AND the Green Party are attempting to break through the traditional political dominance of Leitrim County Council.

Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Independents currently share the spoils, with Labour and the Greens without representation despite their prominence in other local authorities.

Labour’s John Feely and the Greens’ Garreth McDaid are contesting the highly-competitive seven-seat Carrick-on-Shannon electoral area. Boundary revisions mean that it has been increased by one seat, paving the way for a possible newcomer. Fianna Fáil currently has three seats, Fine Gael two, with one Independent.

Independent councillor Enda Stenson is expected to retain his seat, while Fine Gael is hoping for a gain, given the downturn in Fianna Fáil’s fortunes.

A native of Carrick-on- Shannon, Mr Feely (63) began his involvement with Labour in University College Galway, having been recruited by the then Roscommon TD, Jack McQuillan, and Dr Noel Browne.

He was election agent for former president Mary Robinson when she contested a general election, and was director of elections for Dublin West TD Joan Burton.

For the past five years, he was the party’s regional organiser for Connacht-Ulster.

He has worked with General Motors and Intel in the US and is currently running his own training consultancy company.

Mr McDaid, who lives near Leitrim village, is the son of Donega Fianna Fáil TD and former minister Dr Jim McDaid, but he never had involvement with that political party.

Mr McDaid contested the 2007 general election in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency, securing 836 first preferences, and has been active at community level since. He believes that, apart from unemployment, planning is a major issue in the county.

One of the outgoing Fine Gael candidates in Carrick-on- Shannon is former TD and Senator Gerry Reynolds, whose family has been involved in politics, for generations.

Ballinamore was the base of the late John Joe McGirl, who was elected as a Sinn Féin TD in 1957. Outgoing SF councillor Martin Kenny topped the poll in Ballinamore in 2004 and is building a base for a Dáil seat.

He polled 3,876 first- preference votes in Roscommon- South Leitrim in the last general election.Among the Fianna Fáil candidates in Ballinamore is Caillian Ellis, brother of Senator and former TD, John Ellis.