Sinn Féin opt for all female strategy

Murray opts out as Sinn Féin goes for female strategy


Anton McNulty and Michael Commins

THE decision by Charlestown councillor Gerry Murray (pictured) not to put his name forward for the General Election was the biggest talking point of Sinn Féin’s selection convention which opted for a two candidate strategy.
Erris-based councillor Rose Conway-Walsh and Castlebar Town Councillor Therese Ruane were selected to contest the next General Election at the party’s selection convention held in Castlebar on Sunday.
Cllr Murray had been in favour of a single candidate strategy to fight the next election and after the local organisation decided to endorse the two candidate strategy, he chose not to seek selection. Instead he proposed both Cllr Conway-Walsh and Cllr Ruane, and no other candidate was proposed.
Cllr Murray, who topped the pole at the last Council elections, will act as Director of Elections in the constituency and despite a one candidate strategy, he said he was fully behind the organisation’s decision. He added the decision was a local one and not dictated  by party headquarters
“The party is fully behind this decision and we are confident that we can get our vote out. I am the Director of Elections and I am confident that we will be in with more of a fighting chance of getting a seat. I preferred a single candidate strategy but we had a very civilised debate and decided on two candidates,” he told The Mayo News.
However, one prominent party supporter and activist told The Mayo News that it was ‘madness’ to omit Cllr Murray from the ticket.
“One has only to look at Gerry’s geographical location to see why he would be the front runner for Sinn Fein. The only other candidate in that vast region of East Mayo and South Mayo is John O’Mahony of Fine Gael. John Carty is not running for Fianna Fail this time.
“The only way I can describe the decision to omit Gerry from the ticket is madness. Sinn Fein have a golden chance to win a seat if Gerry Murray is on the ticket. I would plead with the party’s top table in Mayo to approach him with a view to adding him to the ticket,” he said.
Sean Treacy from the Sinn Fein Press Office in Dublin says that head office does not interfere or issue guidelines in relation to candidate selection. “This matter is left to the party organisation in each constituency. They are the people on the ground.”
The decision to run two candidates in the constituency is seen as a big gamble for the party, who so have have only selected two candidates in one other constituency - in the Sinn Féin stronghold of Cavan/Monaghan.
Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh told The Mayo News that the party had lengthy discussions regarding their strategy and believe they have chosen the right one to claim a seat.
“Mayo is a big county and we thought it would be best to run two candidates in myself and Therese. It was a brave decision [to run two female candidates] and I don’t think any party has done this before. Myself and Therese are two different women but we will work as a team and help each other.
“Every vote will count just as Michelle Gildernew showed when she won her seat [in the Fermanagh/ South Tyrone constituency during the Westminster elections] by just four votes. I hope young people will register and I encourage them to go out and vote,” she said. Cllr Therese Ruane said that she is looking forward to the election and engaging with the public who she says are engaging with Sinn Féin’s policies.
“The public are annoyed and frustrated by the charade of politics they have witnessed in recent weeks. Here in Mayo people are engaging with Sinn Féin and they are taking time to talk to us and discuss our policies. People want change and will are ready to lead that change,”