This article is from page 3 of the 2006-03-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE Fine Gael party has seen a 2,000 per cent increase in its membership in Shannon town in the past year, while membership has increased three-fold across the county.
The Shannon town branch has swollen to 21 and a half times its original size, from 24 to 516 in the run up to its election convention, which is pencilled in for mid-May.
Across the county, the party has increased to more than 2,400 members as the preparations continue for the one-member one-vote general election candidate selection process.
The new branch of Ennis Central, set up after the last General Election, has increased its figures by almost 600 per cent, growing from 23 members to 161. The second Fine Gael branch in the county town, Marie Connolly branch, increased its figures from 16 to 90, an increase of 460 per cent.
The membership in Kilrush town stood at 24 in 2005 and is now at 47, while Balynacally who had just over a dozen members in 2005 now has 124.
With the membership growing, the selection convention is estimated to attract at least 1,800 delegates.
It is now expected that sitting Fine Gael TD Pat Breen along with councillors Joe Carey, John Crowe, Tony Mulcahy and Madeleine Taylor Quinn will learn their fate on May 14, the weekend after the Fine Gael Ard Fhéis.
This date has not yet been confirmed officially, but all indications are that the convention will take place then.
There are currently 2,126 Clare adults registered with the Fine Gael party in Clare with approximately 300 young Fine Gael members also having a vote at the selection convention.
Last year, the party registered just 793 members in the Banner county.
The increase has been attributed to the party’s selection process.
Cllr John Crowe, who put his name forward for consideration in the run up to the 2002 election, said he was looking forward to the convention and just wanted a date to be set at this stage.
Cllr Joe Carey is also looking to the selection convention, saying the country needs a change in government.
“We need a new direction and new team for the Clare. I represent that new energetic, youthful approach,” said the youngest candidate in the running.
Cllr Mulcahy agreed new blood was welcome.