By MICHAEL McDONNELL
michael@northern-standard.ie
FIANNA FÁIL finally finalised its 2016 General Election ticket in Monaghan and Cavan last Thursday when Mike Durkan of Clones and Bailieboro-based Cavan county councillor Niamh Smyth were confirmed to run alongside Cavan’s long-established party flag bearer Brendan Smith TD.
The Monaghan end of the constituency had been left in cold storage following the party’s selection convention on 1st December, where all four original Monaghan nominees had withdrawn and where the only candidate ratified was Mr Smith, the former government minister, current frontbench spokesperson on Foreign Affairs & Border Region Development, and proven vote-getter on the Cavan side.
In Monaghan, Fianna Faíl is introducing Mr Durkan, a father of two and company accounts manager who turns 37 today (Thursday) and has been living in Clones for five years. He is described by the party as having played a key role in the 2014 local election campaign in Monaghan.
For her part, Bailieboro’s Ms Smyth had from the outset called on the party’s hierarchy to add her to the ticket despite being outpolled in a convention ballot of the Cavan members, and her tenacity paid off last week when she was officially added to the team.
Ms Smyth told the Northern Standard she was “thrilled to bits” with the confirmation of the three-candidate strategy, and was already well prepared for the campaign and “ready for action” in terms of bringing her …
