Louis O’Hara breathing down Anne Rabbitte’s neck

Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

Can you feel that, Minister Anne Rabbitte? That’s the sensation you get when Louis O’Hara is breathing down your neck. And not in a good way!

O’Hara, the Shinners’ shiny hope in Galway East, has been re-selected as Sinn Féin’s general election candidate in the constituency.

The Athenry man, an NUIG graduate, came close in 2020, almost causing a major upset in the three-seater and surprising many, even himself.

If the opinion polls are to be believed and materialise, then O’Hara will take a seat in Galway East next time out.

The consensus, again based on polling, is that Fianna Fáil be the likely losers, after plummeting to 8% in the latest poll of voting intentions in Connacht/Ulster by Red C.

Minister for Disability, Rabbitte – everybody’s favourite Fianna Fáil TD in Galway East – is certainly most at risk of the three sitting TDs; the other two incumbents are Ciaran Cannon (FG) and Seán Canney (Ind).

But there’s a long way to go. And Portumna’s political powerhouse is unlikely to bow out without a fight in a constituency that has always returned a Fianna Fáiler.

O’Hara is cutting his political teeth since last year’s general election, and is working with Midlands-North-West MEP, Chris MacManus.

We’re told that SF’s selection convention held on Zoom last Monday, was “well-attended”. No numbers given.

We’re also told that O’Hara beat party colleague, Tuam-based Stiofán de Lundres O’Dálaigh, in a postal vote of party members in the constituency.

The party said the results of the ballot won’t be made public, other than to confirm O’Hara’s selection, presumably by a landslide. That’s the easy bit; unseating Rabbitte will require more than just showing up though.
For more Bradley Bytes, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.