Senator Seán Kyne says he intends to fight a positive campaign in the Galway West by-election, expected in mid May, to secure a second seat for Fine Gael.
The confirmed entry of the Moycullen man has tightened odds in the Dáil race, as he is expected to draw votes from the same Connemara pool that bookies’ favourite, Councillor Noel Thomas (II ), relies on, along with Oughterard candidate, Councillor Thomas Welby (Ind ).
In the 2024 general elction, Fine Gael won the highest proportion of the vote share in Galway West, with 18.8 per cent of first preference votes split between Kyne (8.85% ) and Hildegarde Naughton TD (9.97% ).
Kyne (50 ), a former TD for the constituency from 2011 to 2020, was selected at a Fine Gael convention held in Salthill, on Sunday.
In his presentation before party members, Galway’s first ever leader of the Seanad outlined a long list of local and national achievements as a former minister, and declared “that he had never objected to a house in his life”.
A vote of local members with two years standing approved Kyne, a fluent Gaeilgeoir, over former Young Fine Gael President, Eoghan Gallagher. Around 170 people attended the invitation event in the Galway Bay Hotel.
Galway city councillor, Eddie Hoare, dramatically pulled out of what was expected to be a three-way contest at the last minute. His name was still on ballots, printed last Friday, and officials said they had already produced some leaflets with Hoare’s name on them, in case he won.
The former county footballer addressed the Fine Gael faithful: “I have been in contests in business, sport and politics, and I know the time, effort and energy necessary to win,” he said, adding that on reflection, he realised “this was not my time”.
“Ireland deserves a strong centrist choice with more populist groups on the Left now,” he added, to applause.
City Councillor Shane Forde, who nominated Claregalway’s Gallagher, said he did so in accordance with Fine Gael’s spirit of democratic competition. “We’re not the Royal Family,” he quipped.
In her speech, Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, praised Kyne’s long record of achievement as her former constituency colleague. Directly addressing Hoare, she declared: “Eddie, we’ll see you here in the future, when the time is right for you.”
Naughton said Fine Gael could secure two TDs for Galway West again, and criticised other parties. “The Left can’t even unite. Where is their unified candidate in this election? I don’t see it.”
Senator Kyne made a point of outlining his long-held support for the Galway City Ring Road, and in Béarla agus Gaeilge, reeled off a long list of schools from Inverin to Clifden to Oranmore he had sought and obtained supports for.
His director of elections, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, said: “by-elections do matter. They really can set the scene for an entire Dail.”
Kyne began canvassing this week, with a rapid series of visits to Galway city centre, Parkmore, Salthill and Aerfort Chonamara in Indreabháin, where he spoke of the importance of connectivity to the Aran Islands.
People Before Profit also selected its candidate this week: well known commercial artist, anti-racism campaigner and Trade Unionist, Denman Rooke.
“I will be calling for ‘vote left, transfer left’ based on commitments to the right to housing; disability justice; a national health service; defence of neutrality; radical and just climate action; and against racism and discrimination,” he said.
This brings the list of candidates to nine so far, with Councillor Helen Ogbu (Lab ), Niall Murphy (GP ), Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich (SD ), Orla Nugent (Au ), and Sheila Garrity (Ind ) also declared, plus Thomas, Welby, Kyne and Rooke.
Sinn Féin postponed its selection convention from this week, to a date to be determined next month.
On Tuesday, Fianna Fáil appointed Dara Calleary, Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, as its director of elections for Galway West.
The Mayo TD said he was looking forward to working with Fianna Fáil in Galway West “to build a robust and energetic campaign in the coming months ahead.”
