With the Fine Gael selection convention on Friday night opting for Shane McEntee and Regina Doherty to run in the forthcoming general election, the Meath East ticket has largely been complete.

How do people think the third seat will fall?

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Any background detail on Regina Doherty?
Looks like one to FF ( Wallace) one to FG ( McEntee) with Labours Hannigan in the driving seat for the third seat.
Heard rumours that Brian Fitzgerald is thinking of running as well.

Yeah I think that is a fair read. 1-1-1. The race is between FF and Hannigan for the last. Brian Fitzgerald will probably run but will be hampered by a few things.

He isnt getting any younger, and is largely unknown by the new electorate of Meath East. These people are not buying the Meath Chronicle and probably don't even know who the Chairman of Meath County Council is, presuming they are aware that they know they live in Meath.

Their main political contact will be their doorstep, so whoever is out canvassing and leafletting at this time will do well. Brian Fitz isnt out knocking on doors so everyone else will have stolen a march on him. His base vote is now heavily diluted and where once the Fitzgerald name meant something it now means little.

I think his time has gone.

The only question about Fitzy, is not whether he will run, I have no doubt he will, is what level of damage he might do to Hannigan. I understand Hannigan has been canvassing pretty much full time since before the by-election so he will be well ahead. Will he lose ground to Fitzy in the Dunshaughlin Area? No doubt. But I think the vote that fails to come back will be negligible.

On a minor point Brian has gone from been a once excellent speaker to a droning bore. His speeches seem to wander on for ever and a day without any real end in sight. His 44 minute speech at the Sean Boylan Banquet was an example of this. On and on and on and on.......

Had FG selected someone like Matt Bruton or Mairead McGuiness then a 2nd FG seat was on the cards here, but very much looking like 1 FF 1 FG 1 LAB now. Big question is: who will take the FF seat?

Wsa Matt Bruton even up for the ticket?

Well Wallace is a shoe in for the FF seat, she was supposed to assist her new junior partner, Thomas Burns, who is rapidly becoming known as Mr. Negative from Drogheda...all he does is attack other people and parties...Wallace isn't giving him a look in, even failed to mention his name in a recent radio interview, and is attending events in places like Slane where Byrne needs to make an impact to have even a slight chance.

Neither Bruton or McGuinness were on the slate for convention, Bruton is probably waiting for next election, McGuinness is touted to be going to run in M. West....FG chose Regina Doherty, she is based in Ratoath, probably a dry run for locals and she will drag down Wallace's vote as she is based here.

SF have selected an unknown from Bettystown, bit of a surprise as they overlooked their sitting councillor Gallagher.

We should know soon if Fitzgerald is running, he said he would make up his mind when he stepped down as chair of Meath CC...but he hasn't a hope, he got 3,000 in 2002 when climate for independents was better and he has lost a lot of his vote to Meath West.

Hannigan has been working the constituency very well and is the favourite for the last seat, but FF will probably run him close.

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"Your guilty conscience may move you to vote Democratic, but deep down you long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king"
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This week's Phoenix is confirming that Brian Fitzgerald, who didn't run in the by-election, is contesting Meath East. When I was in Meath for the b-election the rumour was he wasn't running in it because knowing he couldn't win he was saving his financial resources for this general election, which would be his last tilt at a Dáil seat.

I don't know Meath that well, but looking at the figures hard to see him winning, but could his running prevent Hannigan taking the seat?

On another Hannigan related matter, I heard a rumour that a Drogheda local newspaper, not the Independent the other one, printed a really offensive and bitter letter attacking him because of his sexuality that was written by a Drogheda Labour member. Is this true?

YE Brian confirmed that he will be running in the General Election and its probable that it could stop Hannigan taking the 3rd seat. It opens it up for FF to take 2 seats.

Didnt hear about the article in the Drogheda paper, will try and check it out?

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The second FF candidate is a total non-entity, just like Mary Wallace wants it. Two seats for the Rainbow, one way or the other

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Such an anonymous letter from someone claiming to be a Labour Party member was printed letter some months ago. I understand the Drogheda Labour Party doesn't believe the person who wrote it is a member.