Aengus O'Rourke selected as McCormack and Keena withdraw from FF race
“It’s true to say you’ve all been working like Trojans!” quipped Fianna Fáil’s Aengus O’Rourke this evening (Tuesday) at The Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar, as he thanked the party for his selection as its candidate in the by-election caused by the death of the late Nicky McFadden.
For those who didn’t get the joke, “this is the same venue,” he said, referencing the famous occasion when his mother, the former deputy Mary O’Rourke, at a previous convention, thanked her team for “working like blacks”.
Two other candidates had been nominated – Ballymore man Vinny McCormack, who is also running for a seat on the county council, and long-time Athlone county councillor, Frankie Keena, bidding to retain his seat.
Both withdrew from the race in favour of Cllr O’Rourke.
Deputy Robert Troy, at the convention, acknowledged that there was disappointment in Longford over not having an opportunity to put forward their own candidate as a result of the decision taken by the constituencies commission.
Longford Fianna Fail man, Pat O’Rourke, confirmed there was disappointment, and formally proposed that Fianna Fáil add a Longford name to the ticket, to run alongside Cllr O’Rourke.
The suggestion is to go back to the party’s head office, although it was stated that it is unlikely that the party would agree to run two candidates in a by-election.