FG’s tough task

Fine Gael face tough task in Ballina

Michael Commins

THE Ballina six-seater electoral area looks set to provide plenty of political intrigue in the run-up to next Council elections which are now just 22 months away. Fine Gael pulled off a remarkable coup in 2004 when they sensationally won four of the six seats with Fianna Fáil’s Brian Golden losing out to Jarlath Munnelly (FG) while Stephen Molloy (FF) also lost his seat to party colleague Johnny O’Malley.
Fine Gael will be under intense pressure to hold their four seats when the next election comes around. The odds appear to be stacked against them repeating such a performance but a lot will depend on the mood of the country and the standing of Fianna Fáil in public opinion at the time. With all the indications pointing to a major slowdown in the Irish economy and with the fall-out from the Shannon controversy unlikely to go away, Fianna Fáil could be in for a pretty gruelling election in 2009.
Michelle Mulherin, following her excellent performance in the General Election, will have a hugely increased profile going into the 2009 contest in the Ballina Electoral Area. She must be regarded as a “cert” to lead the Fine Gael team. Seamus Weir from Knockmore, who polled exceptionally well three years ago, will also be in a strong position and is the current chairman of Mayo County Council.
Eddie Staunton has been a solid vote catcher for Fine Gael in the general Crossmolina region and has been around the course a few times. It is possible that Jarlath Munnelly could find himself under the most pressure going into the next election and he will certainly need a decent slice of the ‘constituency’ to retain his seat, operating from his Killala base.
There was considerable disgruntlement in Ballina Fianna Fáil circles after the last election in 2004. Stephen Molloy and Brian Golden both lost their seats while newcomer Johnny O’Malley put in a real grassroots performance to storm home in style. Annie May Reape, as expected, headed the poll for Fianna Fáil.
With Dara Calleary now a sitting TD in the region, he will be most anxious to see Fianna Fáil gain a seat here next time out. Annie May Reape is the nearest thing to a certainly for Fianna Fáil while Johnny O’Malley has worked hard and has certainly consolidated his position over the past few years.
It is unclear as to whether Stephen Molloy will launch a bid to regain the seat he lost in 20004 while there is plenty of speculation that young Michael Moffat will seek a nomination on this occasion. Michael put in a strong campaign to secure the party’s nomination for the recent Dail election but lost out to Dara Calleary.
Sinn Fein and the PDs may also have runners in the field while a strong independent based in the Ballina town region could also make life difficult for candidates of the established parties. Either way, there is certain to be a lot of internal strife and wrangling in both the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael camps in the run-up to the elections in 2009.