This article is from page 8 of the 2011-02-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
THE war of the posters in Clare continued this week and this time within Fine Gael.
A directive was issued on February 11 from National Fine Gael director of elections Phil Hogan TD stating that canvassing in the Shannon Electoral area was to be left solely to local candidate and mayor of Shannon Cllr Tony Mulcahy.
However supporters of the mayor claim that his colleague Deputy Pat Breen (FG) continued to erect posters in the area well after the directive was given.
They pointed to a large poster declaring Deputy Breen’s support for the airport which they say was placed over a poster of the three Fine Gael Candidates in Clare – Deputy Breen, Deputy Joe Carey and Cllr Mulcahy. It also showed no preferences for the other candidates.
Speaking last night Deputy Breen said he took all of his posters out of the area after the directive was issued, and moved them to Ennis and the surrounding areas.
“We were told not to go into Shannon and I won’t go into Shannon,” he said.
Cllr Mulcahy said he was extremely disappointed by the issue.
“It wouldn’t be the Fine Gael way and it wouldn’t be my way. My reputation has always been as a team player within the party.”
When asked by The Clare People if he was canvassing the Shannon Electoral Area, Deputy Joe Carey (FG) said he did not want to comment.
In the 2007 General Elections Fine Gael returned two candidates in Clare having run four candidates.
The breakdown of the vote in the Shannon Electoral Area, which includes Kilkishen, Sixmilebridge and Meelick as well as Shannon town, saw Cllr Mulcahy taking the majority of the vote when the town of Shannon was included.
Eliminating the town however saw a vote of more than 700 for Deputy Breen, just under 600 for Deputy Carey, more than 400 for Cllr Mulcahy and 200 for fellow candidate Madeleine Taylor Quinn.
Posters have also proved problematic for two of Clare’s Independent candidates who were forced to take them back down from polls and lampposts around the county last month under the threat of a litter fine.
Both James Breen and Jim Connolly were told at the time that they were in breech of the litter act, as the election had not been officially called.
Last week Fianna Fáil candidates Timmy Dooley TD and Dr John Hillery reported to Gardaí that more than a thousand of their posters had been removed.