Fine Gael Election Candidate in the Wexford Constituency Bridin Murphy has expressed disappointment and shock over a targeted campaign supporting her running mate Cathal Byrne for the upcoming election.
Letters have been received across County Wexford endorsing Byrne as the primary Fine Gael candidate, which she found disrespectful and undemocratic.
Ms Murphy emphasized that it was wrong for outgoing Deputy Paul Kehoe and former Deputy Liam Twomey to endorse one candidate over another. She felt this undermined her campaign and was shocked by Paul Kehoe’s public support for Cathal Byrne, especially as she had not been informed of the letters.
The councillor clarified that despite this issue, her campaign has been positive, with significant backing from local Fine Gael members. She also rejected the notion of leaving the party, stressing that her frustration was directed at the actions of specific individuals rather than the party as a whole.
Bridin Murphy also shared her belief that such behavior, which she likened to an “old boys’ club,” should be exposed to encourage more women in politics.
She criticized the letter’s disrespect, especially as it was sent to areas where she had worked hard as a local representative.
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Meanwhile, former Deputy Liam Twomey gave his response to the letters saying that whilst Bridin Murphy is a capable and hardworking candidate, Fine Gael needed to secure as many government seats as possible in County Wexford, particularly to counter Sinn Féin.
He argued that the party could only realistically win one seat in the county and that backing Cathal Byrne was the best option to maintain a government TD. Twomey admitted the decision was difficult but stressed it was necessary to avoid splitting the vote and potentially losing all seats.
