Boland selected for Fine Gael in new Fingal West consituency

Grace Boland has been selected by Fine Gael to represent the party in the newly-created constituency of Dublin Fingal West.

Boland is the daughter of former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet member John Boland who served in various roles such as Minister for the environment, education, public services and health during the 1980s.

Boland has no previous electoral experience and runs a law firm in Skerries.

She said she was “incredibly honoured” to be nominated by party members to contend the general election, seeing off competition from councillor Eoghan Dockrell.

Boland is the latest to declare their candidacy for Dublin Fingal West, joining Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly, Joe O’Brien of the Greens and local Labour councillor Robert O’Donoghue.

Boland said “I am incredibly honoured to have the confidence and support of the party members and to be Fine Gael’s candidate for the new constituency of Dublin Fingal West.

“As a native of Fingal, where I live and established my law firm, I deeply understand the challenges our community faces—from accessing stable housing and education to supporting seniors, local businesses, and farmers.”

“My background as a lawyer, business owner, and community advocate has given me the insight and determination needed to address these issues effectively,” she said.

Boland pointed to the legacy left by her father in his time as TD, who served as TD between 1977 and 1989 when the constituency was known as Dublin County North and Dublin North.

“His work in Fingal—establishing resources like Ardgillan Demesne, Skerries Red Island, Skerries Mills, Malahide Castle, Newbridge Demense and many playing fields and resources for the people of Fingal—has left a lasting impact, and I am committed to continuing this tradition of public service,” she said.

With Alan Farrell running for the party in Dublin Fingal East, as well as the party running two candidates in the nearby Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael are looking to run eight candidates across each of the Northside Dáil constituencies.

In 2020, when the constituency was a five-seater known as Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael’s share of the vote drop to 15% compared to their 20.1% haul in 2016.

Alan Farrell was Fine Gael’s successful candidate on both occasions, with former Minister for Health James Reilly losing out on both occasions.

The headline story in the constituency was Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly getting elected on the first count with nearly 25% of first preferences, tripling her share of the vote compared to 2016.

With the constituency now split in two, the stakes have been raised for all parties involved.

The three-seater nature of Dáil constituencies generally favour those with either a major personal vote in the area or parties with strong local support.

The area is made up of the Rush-Lusk and Balbriggan constituencies and part of the Swords constituency at a local level.

Fine Gael were successful in getting candidates elected in all three constituencies in June’s local elections.

Tom O’Leary was successful in winning re-election in Balbriggan, Eoghan Dockrell won a seat for the party in Rush-Lusk after the party fell short in 2019, while Luke Corkery was among one of three candidates to be elected on the first count in Swords.

Corkery was elected alongside Independents4Change’s Dean Mulligan and Fianna Fáil’s Darragh Butler in Swords, with the western half of Swords falling within Dublin Fingal West at a Dáil level.

With our analysis of June’s local elections showing that Labour and the Greens prove transfer-friendly when Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil votes are distributed, their transfers could make all the difference in a tight three-seater.