Trevor Quinn
Two independent candidates have brought the number of candidates who will appear on the ballot paper in Mayo to fifteen as Castlebar native Dermot McDonnell and Sean Forkin from Cloontia, Charlestown joined the race.
The two independent candidates entered their submissions before the deadline on Wednesday last. Mr McDonnell is a renewable co-operative society chairman while Mr Forkin is a farmer and an electrician.
Mr McDonnell issued a press release this week. “Mayo is united in its determination to develop its natural resources for the benefit of its community and our nation,” he said.
McDonnell was born in Moygownagh before moving to Rathbawn Drive, Castlebar as a child. He attended St Gerald’s College, Castlebar and later at 19 graduated from University College Galway with a degree in Physics and Maths.
McDonnell says he got the boat to London “like so many other young people at the time” and secured employment with an investment bank before returning from the UK to Castlebar after his father died ten years ago.
Since then he has become very active in promoting renewable energy. He invited the former national power company of Japan, J-Power to Mayo. In early 2009 Mr McDonnell founded the civic group ‘Spirit of Ireland’ which promotes wind and storage.
