Mayo TD among favourites to be next Fianna Fáil leader

MAYO Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary is among the favourites to succeed Micheál Martin as leader of Fianna Fáil according to a leading bookmakers.

The Ballina-based TD has been backed as the third favourite to succeed Micheál Martin as the leader of Fianna Fáil behind party heavy hitters Jim O'Callaghan who is second favourite and Cork TD and Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath who is considered the favourite for the job.

Leading Irish bookmakers, BoyleSports make the Minister for Finance 7/4 favourite overtaking Dublin-based TD, Jim O'Callaghan with Dara Calleary now third favourite on 5/1.

Calleary who is the current Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation is the only west of Ireland TD on the shortlist to replace Micheál Martin, whose position as party leader remain under pressure, with Fianna Fáil languishing 12 points behind Sinn Féin in a new Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll.

Calleary is well regarded in the parliamentary party after rebuilding his reputation after he stepped down as Minister for Agriculture in August 2020 after becoming embroiled in the 'Golfgate' controversy.

The Ballina TD was among a number of people who attended an Oireachtas Gold Society dinner in Cliden which led to a public outcry at a time when Covid-19 restrictions were still in place. Calleary had only been a member of the Cabinet for a month when he resigned the day after the story broke after admitting he made a mistake and should not have gone to the function.

Calleary also stepped down as deputy leader of Fianna Fáil at the time with many political commentators claiming his political career was in tatters.

However he has steadily rebuilt his reputation within Fianna Fáil and regained the confidence of party leader Micheál Martin who said that Calleary had 'paid a high price' for resigning his position. Following the resignation of Robert Troy last August, Martin chose Calleary to replace him as Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation.

There was controversy within Fianna Fáil when some party members recently passed a motion calling for a deputy leader to be appointed when Mr Martin was absent while on Government business. Mr Martin says he still plans to lead Fianna Fáil into the next General Election but he is also being tipped as Ireland’s EU Commissioner in 2024.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports commented: “Fianna Fáil have some catching up to do if the opinion polls are anything to go by and of the potential big hitters jockeying for position, more and more punters are now siding with Michael McGrath.”