Duffy selection is a 'snub' to Fine Gael councillors in Mayo - Kilcoyne

Independent Mayo councillor Michael Kilcoyne believes the decision by Fine Gael to run Independent councillor Mark Duffy as a general election candidate as a 'snub' to the party's sitting councillors.

Ballina based councillor Mark Duffy was elected to Mayo County Council as an Independent candidate in the last two local elections but announced this morning that he will run for Fine Gael in the general election.

Cllr Duffy has been a high profile member of the council's Independent group since he was first elected in 2019 with many expecting him to run a Dáil campaign as an Independent.

Castlebar-based Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne expressed surprise at the announcement and questioned if it was the right move for him.

“It was a bit of a surprise and I did not feel he had much in common with Fine Gael. I wish him well and I hope some of his policies as an Independent will rub off on Fine Gael but I doubt it,” Cllr Kilcoyne told The Mayo News.

Fine Gael plans to announce on Thursday that Duffy and CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Martina Jennings will join sitting TD Alan Dillon and Westport-based candidate Keira Keogh on the party ticket for the next general election which is expected to be held in November.

Current Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr John O'Hara who topped the poll ahead of Duffy in the Ballina Municipal District was overlooked by Fine Gael party headquarters for consideration after initially withdrawing his name before the party selection convention last month.

Kilcoyne feels that by choosing candidates who are not Fine Gael councillors is a snub to the party's sitting councillors on Mayo County Council.

“Fine Gael likes to pick high profile names to run for them even if they have no political experience. Here in Mayo they have chosen another high profile candidate in Martina Jennings while in Ballina they have gone for someone who is not a member of the party and was an Independent councillor. To me that is a snub to all the other councillors they have on the council who they decided to overlook,” he commented.

Duffy received 2,325 first preference votes in the local elections in June and Cllr Kilcoyne believes that he would be elected to the Dáil if he had run as an Independent.

“I thought to myself that he would run as an Independent and if he had I feel he would have had a good chance of getting elected. I think the next government will be made up of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independents and whoever was an Independent would be in a position of power. The Independents got 30 percent of the votes in the local elections and that was only three months ago.

“At the moment the Fine Gael ticket is very crowded with four candidates going for five seats and it is my view that they will not get more than two,” he added.

The next meeting of Mayo County Council is scheduled to take place this Monday and Cllr Kilcoyne said he expects Cllr Duffy to join the Fine Gael ranks at the meeting.

“It is a matter for himself on what he wants to do but if he has expressed confidence in Fine Gael then he better join them.”