Resurgent Fianna Fail comes calling for Grealish in Galway West

Date Published: 27-Mar-2013

High level approaches are to be made to a Galway West TD to join the ranks of Fianna Fail following the party’s recent resurgence in the opinion polls.

Independent TD Noel Grealish is to be approached by senior figures within Fianna Fail in the hope that he will join up and boost their chances of possibly taking three seats next time out.

Almost four years ago the Carnmore based TD was hotly tipped to join the party but when their support plummeted in the polls, he announced that he had no intention of becoming a member of FF.

But in the past week, it has been learned that there is about to be another concerted effort on the part of FF to try an recruit him on the basis that he has solid core support which has enabled him to comfortably retain his Dail seat.

Grealish was first elected to Dail Eireann as a member of the PDs back in 2002 and five years later he retained his seat by significantly increasing his first preference vote. He increased his vote again as an independent in 2011.

However, there was strong speculation before the last general election that Grealish was on the verge of joining Fianna Fail but in late 2009 he ruled out this prospect. Around the same time he had also been approached by Fine Gael but also spurned their advances but it seems that he will be under some pressure to again align himself to a political party.

It would be a risky move for Grealish who have established a core support based on the fact that he is an independent voice – although he did support the last Fianna Fail led Government for much of the term before distancing himself from that coalition.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.