Behind bolted doors last week, there was a closely fought selection convention for Sinn Féin to chose its candidate for the Galway West by-election in May.
Some 200 Sinn Féin members voted at a private event held on the outskirts of Moycullen, last Thursday, where Mark Lohan emerged victorious from a four-horse race
Lohan, who previously served on the Galway City Council for almost three years, and is his party’s constituency chairman, says he was out canvassing the city centre and Salthill already, taking advantage of last weekend’s sunshine, accompanied by Donegal TD, Pearse Doherty.
He is an individual member of Tonn na Clé, and has been in contact with a number of other ‘Vote left, transfer left’ groups and political parties in Galway, although Sinn Féin HQ in Dublin has not yet sanctioned any formal alliances. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald TD is expected in Galway next month to formally launch Lohan’s campaign.
The Menlo resident hopes to take a second seat for the country’s main opposition party, after Mairéad Farrell topped the Galway poll at the last general election in 2024.
Deputy Farrell alone won more than 8,000 first preference votes in 2024 – 13.5 per cent of the vote – and if they all flow to Lohan for a by-election expected on May 22, he will be in the running to take the seat previously held by President Catherine Connolly on transfers.
Fine Gael won a much higher first preference vote than Sinn Féin in 2024, with Hildegarde Naughton TD, and the party’s current by-election candidate, Senator Seán Kyne, taking 18.8 per cent between them, while Fianna Fáil also pipped Sinn Féin, with 16.8 per cent of first preferences between John Connolly TD and Gráinne Seoige.
“I won’t underestimate the two other main parties [Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael] who have been established in Galway for a 100 years, but the people of Galway do not want to elect another Government backbencher,” Lohan told the Advertiser. “Turn-out will be key, as it often is around 10 per cent lower in a by-election, compared to a general, and I’m confident our organisation can get that vote out across the constituency.”
Lohan was selected after a four-way contest was confirmed, described by one attendee as “Competitive with a capitol ‘C’, but I’ll say no more.” Six candidates had initially expressed interest.
Unlike the meetings of most major parties, journalists were not invited to Sinn Féin’s selection convention, held at last Thursday night, March 19. Even its location, the gym at Wildlands adventure park in Ballyquirke, near Moycullen, was kept under wraps.
One senior member said this decision was arrived at to spare unsuccessful by-election candidates from unwanted media exposure, and another said everyone present agreed not to make the internal voting results public – a common policy in most parties.
The three unsuccessful candidates are all significantly younger than Mr Lohan (58 ). These are Spiddal-based activist Kevin O’Hara, Eoghan Ó Finn from Galway city centre, who works for Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, and Ballybane’s Patrick Kelly; prominent in Sinn Féin’s local student branch.
The vote was proportional, with members ranking their preferences 1 through 4. Lohan is understood to have polled well at each elimination.
Lohan was co-opted onto Galway city council in 2016, after the resignation of Councillor Anna Marley. He unsuccessfully ran for Sinn Féin in the 2019 and 2024 local elections.
The Cork-born trade union official says he has been a member of Sinn Féin for 40 years, since he moved home to Galway from the US, where he volunteered with Noraid.
“I’m looking forward to it, to be honest. I’m going to present myself as well as I can, and use my experience as a returned emigrant, a parent to three – now adult – children, who has faced all the issues of education and childcare; as a carer of an elderly family member; and – since Christmas – as a grandparent.
“We have solutions for the crises we face across Galway and Ireland, from a plan to build public and affordable homes on a scale that makes a difference, to fix our broken heath system, give families affordable childcare and to tackle the cost of living.
“Developing adequate infrastructure in wastewater, transport and roads must be prioritised. I have listened to Galway citizens who have great ideas on finding solutions, such as plans for small-scale housing developments in Connemara utilising the Udaras model for water treatment.
“Our city is in gridlock and crying out for transport solutions,” he added.
