PRESSURE BUILDS TO ADD MCCARTHY TO LABOUR TICKET
A local campaign by some Labour supporters to have Fermoy town councillor and Cork County Council member, Noel McCarthy added to the official party ticket for the forthcoming general election gathered momentum with the appearance in this week’s Avondhu of an advert calling on supporters to contact the party’s head office with a plea to that affect.
The advert reads – ‘Noel McCarthy Labour councillor for Fermoy can be our local TD if you demand it. I’m a local business person and I’m fed up with TDs that destroyed Ireland. Noel has not got the Labour party nomination. Ring Labour head office and demand that he be nominated’.
The Avondhu spoke with the former mayor of Fermoy to get his response to the campaign to have him added to the Labour ticket.
“I cannot comment until I get a response back from headquarters. What I will say is that it is a great honour that people are even considering me. I am very conscious that Fermoy hasn’t had a TD representative since Myra Barry.”
REPRESENTATION NEEDED
Cllr McCarthy added, “Now, more than ever, the people of Fermoy/Mitchelstown need representation and this will be a very different election. I would like to add that there are already two great candidates selected in Deputy Sherlock and Cllr Mulvihill and I certainly wouldn’t be in my position today only for Deputy Sherlock.”
Meanwhile, Cork East Labour party TD Sean Sherlock has said that for the first time ever he believes his party has a real chance of taking two seats in the Cork East constituency.
SUPER COUNCILLOR
When asked how he feels about speculation that Cllr Noel McCarthy is to have his name added to the Labour party ticket for general election, the sitting TD, said, “Noelie Mac is a super councillor and I’m lucky to be on the same team as him. It would be great in theory to run three candidates.
"The Cork East Labour membership has already chosen me and Cllr John Mulvihill snr to run. This is on the basis that the Labour party has one full quota in this Cork East four seater. It’s a risky strategy running three because you might end up with none. I’ve discussed this with Noel. In fact we had a good open discussion.
"We’re always straight up with each other. It’s a great sign of the man when he is being inundated with requests to run but the ultimate decision rests with head office.”
HITTING THE TRAIL
“I look forward to hitting the campaign trail with running mate, Cobh based county councillor, John Mulvihill who was given the backing of Labour party members from across the Cork East constituency at the party’s recent selection convention held at the Midleton Park Hotel.”
Deputy Sherlock added, “The key priority for us is the creation of jobs and restoration of the economy in North and East Cork. Since the last local elections there has been strong co-operation between all Labour councillors in Cork. We strongly feel the time is right to challenge the status quo as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have dominated the political landscape in this constituency for far too long.”
PUZZLED AT PROCESS
Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan of Fermoy Town Council told The Avondhu that he was puzzled at the selection convention process, which took place recently in Midleton.
“It was more of a ratification process than a selection process as the two candidates, Deputy Sherlock and Cllr Mulvihill were already selected. Any political analyst worth their salt would acknowledge that this is the best opportunity ever of the Labour Party securing two seats in Cork East. If two Labour seats are to be realised, then maximising the Labour vote in Cork East is a prerequisite.”
Cllr O’Donovan went on to say, “Cllr Noel McCarthy is a natural choice as part of this strategy because of his geographical location In Fermoy, with Deputy Sherlock in Mallow and Cllr Mulvihill in Cobh. A request has gone in writing to headquarters to have Cllr McCarthy’s name added.”
Published:
Thursday 25th November 5:39pm
