Labour's prospects of winning an extra Dβil seat in Wicklow have been boosted substantially by local party agreement to accept independent councillor Mr Nicky Kelly as a candidate for the Labour Party.
A selection convention on December 2nd in Ashford is now expected to select Mr Kelly and the chairman of Wicklow County Council, Mr James O'Shaughnessy, to contest the constituency alongside sitting Labour TD, Ms Liz McManus, at the next general election.
The party leadership has supported Mr Kelly's candidature for some time but it was resisted by the Labour organisation in south Wicklow.
While Ms McManus's supporters, mainly the former Democratic Left organisation in the constituency, agreed to Mr Kelly's candidacy early on, supporters of former deputy Mr Liam Kavanagh resisted the proposal.
The differences have been overcome following talks which resulted in agreement to run Ms McManus, Mr Kelly and Mr O'Shaughnessy, who has been a close supporter of Mr Kavanagh for many years.
In the 1970s Mr Kelly was associated with the Irish Republican Socialist Party.
He was convicted of the 1974 Sallins mail train robbery but the conviction was later quashed.
He was released from jail, received a Presidential pardon and was given substantial damages by the State.
Mr Kelly became involved in local politics in his native Arklow, building up a substantial personal vote as an independent councillor.
With Ms McManus based in Bray in the north of the constituency and Mr Kelly in Arklow in the south, strategists in all parties believe they are in a strong position to win two seats in the five-seat constituency.
The sitting deputies are Mr Joe Jacob and Mr Dick Roche (both Fianna Fβil); Mr Billy Timmins (Fine Gael); Ms Mildred Fox (Independent), and Ms McManus.