TWO Fine Gael branches are set to miss a council selection convention on Friday night.
The Kilcar and Frosses branches have decided not to attend the function at the Bayview Hotel in Killybegs which will see Senator Manus Boyle’s brother installed as the new councillor for the Donegal Electoral Area.
The Boyle family’s Bruckless branch alone has more members – and therefore more votes – than all of the other branches in the electoral area put together.
And with the branch set to back Ardara-based Michael Boyle, he is certain to be elected.
It means branches affiliated with John McNulty and Jason Harley have decided it is “pointless even turning up” according to Fine Gael sources.
Ballyshannon man Barry Sweeny, who lost his seat at the last local elections in June, has decided to run against Michael Boyle despite the overwhelming odds against him.
Sources say Mr Sweeny will point out at the Killybegs meeting that Senator Manus Boyle will need support in the Ballyshannon and Bundoran areas at the next General Election if, as expected, there will be a new three-seater Donegal South-West constituency.
But he has already accepted that he will lose the vote due to the Bruckless membership numbers.
The decision will also formally end an electoral pact which had existed between Kilcar-based McNulty and the Boyles’ branch.
“The Kilcar branch feels the Boyles should have honoured the pact and that the Boyles should have made contact with John McNulty and offered him support for the council seat,” said one Fine Gael source.
“The whole thing is a mess now and basically it is cutting off both Ballyshannon and Kilcar Fine Gaelers from the party and will sound the death knell for any hope Senator Manus Boyle might have had at taking a Dail seat the next time around.”
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