Two more presidential hopefuls join Meath County Council list

By Paul Murphy

 

The number of people seeking to lobby Meath county councillors for a nomination for the Presidential election is on the way up.

Two more people - Athlone woman Maria Goretti Moylan, who volunteers, likes music and golf and wants to be an ambassador for the Midlands, and Patrick Feeney, a retired Aer Lingus worker who is campaigning for "a break from the status quo" - joined the list of potential candidates who asked Cathaoirleach Cllr Tom Kelly to allow them to be heard when the 40-member council meetings for a "lobbying session" on Monday morning. Along with Ms Moylan and Mr Feeney, six other hopefuls will also address the councillors - businessman Gavin Duffy, musician and composer Jimmy Smyth, artist Kevin Sharkey, Senator and Pieta House founder Joan Freeman, Roscommon farmer John Groarke, and singer, burlesque performer and Trump superfan Sarah Louise Mulligan.

The petitioning session is scheduled to start at 10am when each candidate will be given 20 minutes speaking time and 10 minutes to answer questions. There will be a 30-minute break at 12.45pm and the session will resume at 1.15pm and will be brought to a close at 2.45pm. The speakers will run in this order - Smyth, Duffy, Freeman, Groarke, Sharkey, Mulligan, Moylan, and Feeney.

Proposals for nomination of a candidate will be taken at the county council's statutory meeting on 3rd September. County councils can nominate just one candidate.

Fianna Fail Cllr Wayne Harding said he is supporting Sean Gallagher when he declares himself as a candidate. He said he had supported his candidacy in 2011 and felt he was an excellent candidate.The number of people seeking to lobby Meath county councillors for a nomination for the Presidential election is on the way up.