Fine Gael row erupts in Wexford amid claim of ‘old boys’ club’ favouring one candidate

A Fine Gael general election candidate has said she feels a “targeted campaign” is being run to “ignore” her candidacy in favour of her male running mate.
One of the party’s two election candidates in Wexford, Councillor Bridín Murphy, said she was “gobsmacked” to learn of a Fine Gael letter which has been sent out to households in the county and which urges people to vote for her running mate Councillor Cathal Byrne.
In the letter outgoing Wexford TD Paul Kehoe and former Fine Gael TD Dr Liam Twomey say “it is vital that the people of Wexford are represented in the next government. This can only happen by voting for a candidate that will be a government TD”.
The words “will be” were underlined. The letter says: “that candidate is Councillor Cathal Byrne for Fine Gael. But we need you to help us. To have a Wexford voice in government we must get as many number one votes for Councillor Cathal Byrne as we can. We cannot risk a situation where Wexford returns TDs that are not going to be a part of the next government. This would not serve the people of Wexford.”
The only mention of Ms Murphy comes at the end of the letter.
“We would ask you to please vote number one for Councillor Cathal Byrne on November 29th and number 2 for Councillor Bridín Murphy.”
Speaking to The Irish Times, Ms Murphy, who is the cathaoirleach of New Ross Municipal District, said she was “very surprised and disappointed”.
“There are a huge number of members of the public who have sent that letter to me last night and this morning, and it is being circulated around Co Wexford, and to me it is suggesting that there is only one viable Fine Gael candidate for Friday’s election. I do feel it is quite a targeted campaign to promote one candidate over the other, and that other candidate happens to be me. But I earned my right to be on the ticket in this election.“
She said she felt “ignored“ but that among local members she feels she has support. ”I was the underdog, but I will say the majority of Fine Gael members in Wexford have been supportive of me.
“To see a letter like this, I was gobsmacked. People who are sending it to me are angered and believe that it diminishes my possibility of getting a seat in their eyes. It is so disheartening but it won’t deter me. It will make me more determined to win. I have two young daughters and that is driving me on.”
She said she felt that elements of the letter “encapsulate the old boys’ club”.
When contacted outgoing Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe, who is retiring from politics, said he was giving Mr Byrne his full backing. “I am backing Cathal Byrne, and I am not going to make any apology for doing that. I am not sure what Bridín’s problem is. I am 100 per cent backing him. I think all the councillors in Wexford will be backing him too.”
He said he had canvassed for Ms Murphy three times during the local elections.