Boxty to run for Mayo Greens in General Election

The Green Party in Mayo have selected Erris-based retired businessman Micheál 'Boxty' Ó Conaill to run for them in the forthcoming General Election.

Micheál 'Boxty' Ó Conaill who unsuccessfully ran for the Green Party in the Belmullet Electoral Area in June's local election has been selected by them to contest the next General Election.

A native of Foxpoint, a village overlooking Broadhaven Bay, Ó Conaill was raised in Erris and managed an insurance brokerage in Dublin for many years, before returning to Belmullet, where he managed the well-known boxty factory.

He will be the second Erris-based candidate to announce their candidacy with sitting TD Rose Conway-Walsh also to defend her seat in the General Election.

The Green Party is part of the coalition Government along with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and according to Ó Conaill, they have delivered strongly for Mayo since 2020, and that he wanted to see this progress continue.

His campaign will be based around five key issues – warmer and healthier homes; strong public transport; decent incomes for small farmers; family friendly quality of life; and vibrant green jobs and economy.

“Many Mayo farmers have the most to gain from regenerative and nature-based farming solutions that pay well, which is what green agriculture is all about,” Ó Conaill said. “The ACRES scheme was a green vision and Mayo has the second highest county-wide sign-up. Mayo farmers now receive an adequate payment for growing organic food sustainably. There are new generous grants for forestry. In addition, the Greens pushed the national biomethane strategy, which will provide another way for Mayo farmers to diversify and strengthen their incomes.

“The Greens are the transformative party in government – the party of ideas and solutions that are all about improving people’s quality of life as well as helping the planet. Over the past four and a half years, we have delivered those solutions – like halving childcare and introducing the new baby boost, pushing for greater regional balance, making 1,000 homes a week warmer and more efficient or giving a basic income to our artists, for example.

“One of the areas we have had the greatest impact has been in public transport, and particularly rural transport. We reduced transport cuts for the first time in 75 years – really helping young people - and have rolled out a new or enhanced bus route every single week. In Mayo, this change is more than evident, with new bus routes, greater frequency and the greatest vote of confidence of all, full buses.

“Everywhere you look in this county there are signs of the Green Party’s thinking and impact. It’s good for people, it’s good for the pocket and it’s good for the planet, so let’s keep it going,” he concluded.