*Cllr Tony O’Brien & Mike Enright. Photograph: Joe Buckley
A SENIOR FIGURE in Fianna Fáil in Clare has called on the party’s TDs ‘to push Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) aside’ following Jim Gavin’s (FF) controversial withdrawal from the Presidential election.
On Sunday night, Gavin pulled out of the Presidential election after a report in The Irish Independent revealed that a tenant in a property Mr Gavin owned 16 years ago did not receive a refund they had sought after an overpayment of rent amounting to €3,300.
Former Mayor of Clare, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) told The Clare Echo, “A bottle of gaviscon (sic) won’t sort the heartburn that some of the Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators have”.
Stronger words have been issued by Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Mike Enright, a former Chairman of Fianna Fáil’s Clare Comhairle Dáil Cheantair. He said the position of Taoiseach Micheál Martin “has become untenable” in the wake of the controversy.
He told The Clare Echo, “Over the coming days Micheál will throw Jim under the bus, Jack Chambers will do the same, all with one goal in mind, to deflect and distract from their own culpability in making the unilateral decision to put Jim Gavin on the ticket. For the third presidential election in a row, the biggest political party in the country has no candidate on the ballot paper.
“Like the story where the little boy called out the emperor for wearing no clothes, I am encouraging our other 47 TDs to open their eyes and do the right thing by the membership of the party. The leaders position has become untenable, if he won’t stand down, then push him aside”.
Enright said TDs did what they were told in backing Gavin over Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher (FF) to get the party’s nomination. “Back in 2012 Micheal Martin and Sean Dorgan came to Ennis and promised us an all-inclusive membership built on the notion of one member one vote. Since 2012, we have had local election and general election conventions, where grass roots have selected candidates which have gone onto enjoy success at the polls. For this presidential election, the first we were going to contest since 1997, Michael Martin made the unilateral decision to parachute in a celebrity candidate. While he can argue, the Parliamentary Party made the decision on a 41 to 29 majority, the reality is TDs did what they were told”.
There is an anger amongst Fianna Fáil members since Gavin’s withdrawal. A hugely successful gaelic football manager, both of his parents hail from Co Clare. “Jim Gavin was one of the greatest football managers in GAA history and most members I know wish him and his family well. Most members I am talking to, up and down the country are frustrated and angry like all hell, with the position the leadership have put us in. The party had three potential candidates in Bertie Ahern, Mary Hannafin and Billy Kelleher. However, Micheál Martin and Sean Dorgan, in effect decided they were not good enough to carry the Fianna Fáil flag and went for a celebrity candidate who underwent no due diligence”.
