Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen named Midlands North West candidate for European elections

Kenneth Fox

Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has been selected as the party’s candidate for Midlands North West for this year’s European elections.

Voting took place for party across four polling stations in Galway, Sligo, Meath and Mullingar, Westmeath - where the selection convention was held in the Mullingar Park Hotel tonight.

As the Irish Examiner reports, Fianna Fáil Senators Lisa Chambers and Niall Blaney were hoping to be selected as the party’s candidate, but Mr Cowen came out on top.

However, Fianna Fáil sources have indicated the party will add a second name to the ticket closer to the elections in June. Sources have said it will likely be Ms Chambers.

Ireland will get an extra MEP after the elections in the summer after a review of constituencies recommended it be allocated to Midlands North West with the boundaries redrawn to include counties Laois and Offaly.

The Fianna Fáil party currently has no European Parliament seat in the now five-seat constituency.

Mr Cowen, a former agriculture minister, is now one step closer to becoming an MEP.

If elected to Europe in June, it would see the end of five decades of Cowen's representing the Laois-Offaly constituency in the Dáil following his brother and former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his late father Ber Cowen, who was first elected in 1969.

It would also trigger a by-election if Mr Cowen was elected an MEP.

The current MEPs in the Midlands North West constituency are Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Sinn Féin’s Chris McManus, Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh and Colm Markey.

Mr Markey replaced Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness as MEP when she was appointed European Commissioner. Ms McGuinness has confirmed that she will not contest the next European election.