FF select area candidates
Three candidates have been selected to run for Fianna Fáil in the Kinnegad electoral area in the 2024 local elections – Niall Gaffney from Delvin, Alfie Devine from Castlepollard, and Shauna Coyne from Milltownpass.
Completion of the convention meant the Westmeath Fianna Fáil lineup for the local elections for three areas is now settled. The Moate convention has yet to take place.
Among those who attended the selection convention at Hotel Castle Varagh in Castlepollard on Tuesday of last week were Cllrs Paddy Hill and John Shaw, both of whom announced prior to the convention that they would not be seeking re-election.
Cllr Hill was first elected to the county council in 1974, and Cllr Shaw, a former hurler who captained Westmeath to success in the 2005 Christy Ring Cup campaign, has notched up 15 years of service.
The convention was chaired by Deputy Barry Cowen, TD, and other Oireachtas members who attended were Deputy Robert Troy and Senator Niall Blaney.
Alfie Devine, one of a family of 12 from Pakenhamhall Road in Castlepollard, is project manager with the prominent North Westmeath firm NJ Doyne Construction; he spent 14 years with the fire service and is a well-known intercounty referee, and is a former Westmeath hurler. He is also a county-level football and hurling referee.
Niall Gaffney, whose family are in the licensed trade and the funeral undertaking business in Delvin, is a barrister by profession. He has recently taken up the position of parliamentary assistant to Senator Aidan Davitt, and has just two weeks ago completed a two-year term as Uachtarán of Ógra Fianna Fáil.
Shauna Coyne is also a qualified barrister, and is chief operations officer with the Milltownpass firm SkyClad Ltd, which manufactures modular housing. She ran for election in the last local election and polled impressively.
Warm tributes were paid to outgoing representatives, Cllrs Hill and Shaw, for their many years’ service for the area within the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District and also within Westmeath County Council. Both men also spoke and extended thanks to all who had supported and assisted them during their respective terms of office.
The constituency was divided into three areas for the convention. As there were four people interested in becoming candidates, delegates had to vote between Shauna Coyne and Carmel Gallagher, also from Milltownpass.
It had originally been anticipated that there would also have to be a vote for the Coole area as well, but the second potential candidate for that area, Andrew Dermody, withdrew his name from the race.
Announced already as running in the Mullingar area are the three incumbent councillors, Ken Glynn, Aoife Davitt, and Bill Collentine. Athlone’s two candidates are also its sitting councillors, Frankie Keena and Aengus O’Rourke.
The elections are expected to take place on Friday June 7 and the European elections are taking place the same day.