Veteran John Boyle dubbed the 'Comeback Kid' as he returns to fight for a Donegal Council seat

Veteran Donegal county councillor John Boyle (77) is back in the local arena after he got the nod at a well- attended Fine Gael convention in the Central Hotel, Donegal Town.

The man from Bruckless was rightly described as the “comeback kid” by his outgoing colleague Barry O’Neill who made a memorable 'Slan agus Beannacht' speech.

John Boyle was first elected to Donegal County Council in 1999 and lost out narrowly in the last local election in 2014 by just 80 votes.

He defeated Joe Harley from Frosses and Bernard McGlinchey from Lough Eske after a vote before a crowd of upwards on 130.

Mr Boyle told the large crowd that he had spent a life in politics.

“It is my life, it’s been a good life and I will be in it until the day I die”.

While Mr Boyle is the Fine Gael candidate for the local elections, some party sources have suggested that another name might be added to the ticket from the south of the county.