FF finalise Trim and Dunshaughlin tickets

Former Fianna Fáil councillor Conor Tormey has been included on the ticket for next year"s local elections in the Dunshaughlin electoral area, joining the three sitting councillors, while in the Trim area, young hopeful Ronan McKenna has been added to the Fianna Fáil party ticket there. Mr Tormey, chairman of Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA club, lost his seat at the last election. Mr McKenna, a Fianna Fáil activist, is engaged to Aileen Dempsey, daughter of Transport Minister Noel Dempsey. Fianna Fáil has adopted a different method of selecting candidates for the 2009 local election, a spokesperson for the party press office explained. 'Each local electoral area is being done on a case by case basis,' the spokesperson stated. 'Following the loss of 80 seats in the last council elections, it was realised at national executive level that 40 of those losses were due to selecting bad candidates. It was decided to instigate an interview process to look at individuals on a case by case basis.' Party headquarters said this worked well for the last General Election, where candidates such as Thomas Byrne emerged in Meath, Dara Calleary in Mayo and Cavan/Monaghan TD Margaret Conlon - candidates who may not have necessarily come through a party convention. Party general secretary Sean Dorgan travelled to every county to meet with party members and prospective candidates have been undergoing interviews in the Mount Street headquarters. 'The interview process is ongoing in Meath at the moment,' the spokesperson explained. 'Sitting councillors, naturally, have the option to run again and, while they"re not being interviewed, they did meet with the selection panel to put across their views in a general discussion.' On Monday, Fianna Fáil headquarters announced candidates for the Trim and Dunshaughlin areas. Four candidates have been selected by Fianna Fáil to contest the Dunshaughlin electoral ward. Three sitting councillors, Oliver Brooks, Nick Killian and Noel Leonard, will be joined by Conor Tormey on the ticket. Cllr Oliver Brooks, Dunshaughlin, became a member of the council when he replaced Mary Wallace in 1997 on her appointment as a junior minister. Cllr Nick Killian of Ratoath was first elected to Meath County Council in 1999 and Cllr Noel Leonard, Dunboyne, has been selected to re-contest his seat after first being elected in 2004. Conor Tormey, Ashbourne, was a Meath county councillor from 1999 to 2004 and will seek re-election next June. In the Trim Electoral Area three candidates will contest the local elections for Fianna Fáil. Cllr Jimmy Fegan has been a member of Meath County Council since 1999. Cllr Seamus Murray, Rathmolyon, is a member since 1987, when he was co-opted to Minister Noel Dempsey"s seat and Ronan McKenna is a native of Trim, who works as an auctioneer with Raymond Potterton.