Mary Hanafin loses Fianna Fáíl nomination battle in Dún Laoghaire
Mary Hanafin has been beaten in her bid to gain Fianna Fáil’s nomination to run in the general election.
The former minister topped the poll in the convention in Dún Laoghaire but was narrowly beaten on transfers.
Over 130 Fianna Fáil members voted in the constituency convention held in Killiney this evening, with Mary Hanafin topping the poll on the first count.
She held a 9-vote lead over Councillor Cormac Devlin, but based on transfers from Kate Feeney, her unhappy running mate in last year’s local elections, Devlin prevailed to win the nomination - by 68 votes to 64.
But the close outcome could be the worst possible outcome for Fianna Fáil - in a constituency where every vote will count.
Given her national profile, her performance this evening, and her gender, Mary Hanafin will almost certainly be added to the Fianna Fáil ticket.
But in a fiercely competitive three-seater with no sitting Fianna Fáil TD, the addition of a well-known face could fatally split the vote.
