Bradley joins Councillors Canning and McDermott on Inishowen Fianna Fáil ticket

Fianna Fáil has selected Buncrana schoolteacher, Fionán Bradley, to contest the local elections in South Inishowen along with outgoing councillor, Paul Canning.

The party also selected a sitting councillor, Martin McDermott, to run in North Inishowen. Bradley will seek to retain the seat being vacated by long-serving Fianna Fáil Councillor, Rena Donaghey, who announced recently that she is not seeking re-election.

Thursday night’s convention in the Lake of Shadows Hotel in Buncrana was chaired by Senator Robbie Gallagher, and attended by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, Senator Niall Blaney, and Fianna Fáil regional organiser, Rory Guerin.

Speaking after his selection, Bradley said he was “very heartened” by the support he had received from party members.

Paying tribute to Cllr Donaghey, he said: “Rena has been involved in politics for 30 years. It’s only in the years after Rena retires that Donegal, Inishowen, and Buncrana will see the contribution she has made, and it really has been immense. If I am lucky enough to be elected on June 7th and manage to do one-tenth of what Rena has done, that will be some volume of work.”

Bradley urged his Fianna Fáil colleagues to sell the party more when canvassing.

“We need to sell our achievements more. We have a minister here in the peninsula for the first time since the foundation of the state. The volume of money Minister McConalogue has brought into Inishowen for so many projects in Moville, Greencastle, Carndonagh, and Buncrana is phenomenal. That is a big selling point, and no other party in Inishowen has that,” he commented.

Encouraging those who will be out on the canvass with election candidates to listen more, he added: “Fianna Fáil’s election success always came from the fact that we listened to the voters. We genuinely had our ear to the ground, listened, and delivered what the people asked for.”

Mr Bradley also paid tribute to his wife, Carol, for her support.

“I am humbled and honoured by the support I have received tonight. I really hope I do all of you proud, and most importantly, and especially Rena, proud on election day. Please God we’ll hold the two seats,” he said.

Newtowncunningham native, Paul Canning, has been a councillor for 13 years. He replaced Charlie McConalogue in Lifford Chambers after the current Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine was elected as a TD for the first time in March 2011.

Looking ahead to the June elections, Cllr Canning said: “It’s going to be good to get back on the canvass trail again. I’m sorry that Rena is stepping down, and I’d like to acknowledge the enormous contribution she has made in her long and distinguished. It’s going to be a challenging election this time around. I’m looking forward to calling to the doors and listening to the concerns of the people. A lot of positive work has taken place in South Inishowen over the last five years, and the objective is to get re-elected and get the opportunity to carry out that work on.”

Martin McDermott from Glengad was first elected in 2014 and topped the poll in Inishowen in 2019 with 2,501 first preference votes. He, too, is keen to retain his seat and continue to help the people of North Inishowen.

“Every election has its challenges, and I have no doubt this year’s election will be no different. I have enjoyed representing the North Inishowen over the last ten years, and I hope the party will return three seats in Inishowen in June. I’d like to wish my party colleague, Cllr Rena Donaghey, all the best, and thank her for her 30 years as a hardworking public representative,” Cllr McDermott commented.