Golden likely to declare in Trim as FF prepares for conventions

The chairman of Trim Town Council, Cllr Trevor Golden, looks likely to announce his candidature in the general election in the coming days, as politicians and parties prepare for an anticipated March polling date. Cllr Golden will stand as an independent candidate in the election in the Meath West constituency, the face of which has changed dramatically since Trim TD, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, announced he would not be contesting the next election. The Trim councillor is understood to be organising a campaign team in the run-up to the announcement. He was elected to Trim Town Council for the second time on the first count in last year's local elections, and also polled strongly in the county council election for the Trim area, surviving until the last count when his elimination elected Willie Carey and Tracy McElhinney. He had taken 1,225 first preferences. Fianna Fail is also preparing for its selection conventions in Meath East and Meath West. The Meath East convention is to be held on 14th January in Ashbourne and the Meath West meeting on 17th January in Athboy. Nominated to run for a Fianna Fail nomination in the east of the constituency are sitting TDs, Thomas Byrne and Mary Wallace, as well as Ratoath councillor Nick Killian and Fianna Fail national executive member, Sharon Keogan, Duleek. Cllr Killian, nominated by the Batterstown cumann, has been very critical of Taoiseach Brian Cowen's leadership both at national level and as leader of Fiann Fail, and believes that the grassroots of the party were ignored completely. “The opinions and views of councillors, regarding his communication within and with the general public since becoming Taoiseach, was not good enough,†Cllr Killian said. He has also been highly critical of the slow pace of the Croke Park agreement and the “snail's pace†approach to public service reform. It is because of these criticisms he said he was putting his name before the Fianna Fail Meath East convention. Sharon Keogan also believes that there should be a convention and is putting her name forward. “There hasn't been one since 2004 and, as a democratic party, we whould be allowing the members have a say,†she said. “I have no doubt the sitting TDs will emerge as the candidates.†Ms Keogan is partner of independent Meath County Councillor, Seamus O'Neill. In Meath West, following the departure of Noel Dempsey, party headquarters has asked interested parties and the organisation to put forward names to join Johnny Brady in the list of nominations. The joint Navan cumainn of Fianna Fail, which had previously supported Noel Dempsey, are understood to have put the name of Navan Town and Meath County Councillor Shane Cassells forward for selection, following a meeting over the Christmas period. Cllr Cassells was the party's candidate in the Meath by-election of 2005, the last election in the old Meath constituency, and he is the Fianna Fail party chief whip on Meath County Council.