Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam has been selected by Fine Gael as its candidate in the Dublin Central byelection.
The party held its selection convention in the Ashling Hotel on Monday night but the outcome was a foregone conclusion as McAdam (42) was the only person seeking the nomination.
A native of Co Cavan, McAdam has been a member of Dublin City Council since 2009 and has also been leader of Fine Gael on the authority.
He was the first Fine Gael councillor elected in his local electoral area (LEA) in 20 years when he took a seat in 2009, and topped the poll in the LEA in the 2024 elections.
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The upcoming byelection was triggered after former minister for finance Paschal Donohoe resigned his seat last autumn to take up a senior role with the World Bank. McAdam has been a close political associate of Donohoe throughout his career and worked as his assistant for a time.
Speaking after his selection, McAdam said: “This campaign is about the future of Dublin Central. It is about stronger communities, a more vibrant city, and practical leadership that gets things done.”
Party leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris said McAdam was a decent hard-working politician who cared passionately about Dublin Central.
“He has championed those communities for 17 years. Whether as a councillor or Lord Mayor of Dublin City, Ray has always demonstrated his desire to deliver for his constituents,” he said.
A number of candidates have already been confirmed to run in the byelection in May including Cllr Janice Boylan (Sinn Féin); Cllr Daniel Ennis (Social Democrats); Cllr Janet Horner (Green Party); Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (PBP); Malachy Steenson (Independent); Gerard Hutch (Independent); Ian Noel Smyth (Independent); Ruth O’Dea (Labour); Paul Fitzsmons (Ireland First); Andrew Kelly (Centre Party).
