Fianna Fail has decided on a broader geographical spread in its two-candidate ticket at the next general election, as part of a strategy to retain its Kerry North seat. It has been recommended by party headquarters and communicated to the local organisation by the party's general secretary, Mr Martin Macken, and Mr P.J. Mara at a recent private meeting in Tralee. The strategy, which envisages one candidate from the Tralee end of the constituency and the other from the northern end, is likely to spark a bitter battle for a nomination between the Foley and McEllistrim political dynasties, who share a Tralee base.
The party, with a declining general election vote in the constituency, is under threat from Sinn Fein's Mr Martin Ferris. ail base.
In the 1997 general election Fianna Fail saw its sitting TD, Mr Denis Foley, out-polled by Mr Ferris in first-preference votes, but eventually retaining his seat with the help of Mr Thomas McEllistrim's transfers. The FF vote fell to 26.31 per cent, a decline of 10.2 per cent on 1992.
The other two seats in the constituency are held by the former Tanaiste and Labour leader, Mr Dick Spring, and Fine Gael's Mr Jimmy Deenihan.
In 1997 Mr Foley and Mr McEllistrim, a son of the late Tom McEllistrim, a former minister of State, triumphed at the selection convention, to the exclusion of a northern candidate. With Mr Spring also based in Tralee, it left it open to Mr Deenihan to claim that he was the only TD living in the northern end of the constituency. Earlier this year Mr Foley resigned from the parliamentary party, after the revelation that he was the holder of an Ansbacher account. A subsequent Dail suspension ended last week, when Mr Foley returned to vote with the Government on Labour's no-confidence motion.
Although he has not publicly confirmed it, Mr Foley is expected to retire from national politics at the next election, making way for his daughter, Ms Norma Foley, who has completed a successful and high-profile year as chairwoman of Tralee Urban Council. Ms Foley and Mr McEllistrim are now likely to engage in a bruising battle for a nomination. Mr Ted Fitzgerald, of Tralee, the first chairman of the new county council, may also throw his hat in the ring.
Front-runner for the other nomination is Senator Dan Kiely, from Tarbert, who did well in the Listowel electoral area in the county council elections, securing the next-highest first-preference vote to poll-topper Mr Deenihan. Other contenders for the nomination could be county councillors Mr Ned O'Sullivan, from Listowel, and Mr John Brassil, from Ballyheigue.
Some months ago there was a rare show of unity on the part of the local organisation, when it resisted a plan by party headquarters to secure a Seanad vacancy for the chairman of the county GAA board, Mr Sean Walsh, from Moyvane, with a view to have him standing in the general election. The unity was based on self-interest. Appeals by Mr Macken and Mr Mara for a unified approach to the general election, to fight off the Ferris challenge, are likely to fall on deaf ears.
