Tipperary Fine Gael stalwarts to battle for General Election party nomination

Senator Garret Ahearn and Cllr Murphy announced this week that they intend to seek the Fine Gael nomination to deliver a Dáil seat for newly elected Taoiseach Simon Harris

placeholder image — Senator Garret Ahearn and Cllr Murphy announced this week that they intend to seek the Fine Gael nomination to deliver a Dáil seat for newly elected Taoiseach Simon Harris

Senator Garret Ahearn and Cllr Michael Murphy announce their intention to go for nomination

The battle is on for the Fine Gael nomination to contest the General Election in the Tipperary South constituency.

This week Senator Garret Ahearn and Cllr Michael Murphy, both former Mayors of Clonmel, announced their intention to seek the nomination.

The party selection convention will take place in the county on Monday April 29.

That leaves Senator Ahearn and Cllr Murphy less than three weeks to canvass the membership of the party in the constituency which stands at just over 700.

Senator Ahearn is Fine Gael’s Seanad spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment and he is also Vice-Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

“It’s going to be a difficult election nationally but I certainly think we have a real chance here in Tipperary South,” said Senator Ahearn.

Senator Ahearn contested the last General Election in 2020 when he picked up just over 6,200 first preference votes but missed out on a Dáil seat in the Tipperary constituency.

He finished with 11,499 votes on the last count, which was the highest vote in the county for someone not to be elected.

His mother, the late Theresa Ahearn, served as a Fine Gael TD for the Tipperary South constituency from 1989 to 2000.

Cllr Michael Murphy said this General Election will be very important for Fine Gael, particularly in Tipperary where the party has not held a Dáil seat since 2016.

“I will be asking the members of Fine Gael in the constituency to place their trust in me to be their standard bearer in the next General Election and, more importantly, to be a winning candidate,” he said.

Cllr Murphy, who was elected as a councillor in 2009, said he had used his terms as Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council and as Mayor of Clonmel to promote the county at national and European level.