Brennan on the run again in Dublin Rathdown

Fianna Fáil has selected councillor Shay Brennan as their general election candidate in Dublin Rathdown.

Brennan was Fianna Fáil’s candidate in the constituency in the 2020 general election, falling short of a seat with 10.7% of first preferences.

A contested convention saw Brennan beat off Gerry Horkan and Michael Clarke for the candidacy.

With the constituency going from a 3-seater to a 4-seater however, there are hopes within Fianna Fáil that they can win a seat that has eluded them since it came into existence in 2016.

At present, the constituency is made up of two Fine Gael TDs (Neale Richmond and Josepha Madigan) and 2020’s poll-topper, former Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin. 

The race has already seen a shake-up in the form of Madigan announcing she will not contest the general election as well as the entry of Social Democrats’ European candidate Sinéad Gibney into the race.

Brennan, for his part, has proven himself as a vote-winner after securing re-election to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council in June, increasing his vote share compared to 2019. 

Brennan placed 3rd in the competitive Dundrum constituency in June, with independent candidate Sean McLoughlin and Fine Gael’s Jim O’Leary both being elected on the first count.

Aside from Brennan’s 11.2% haul in the Dundrum local electoral area, Fianna Fáil were decidedly less successful in the Glencullen-Sandyford constituency in June.

Both Dundrum and Glencullen-Sandyford are the local electoral areas that fall within Dublin Rathdown’s Dáil constituencies, and Fianna Fail proved marginally weaker in Glencullen-Sandyford than in Dundrum.

Fianna Fáil attained 13.3% of first preferences between their two candidates in the area in 2019, but saw a drop to 9.8% in June, with Glencullen-Sandyford itself seeing a 6% jump in turnout compared to 2019.

Brennan ran in the 2009 by-election in what was then known as Dublin South, with the by-election triggered by the death of Brennan’s father, former Fianna Fáil Minister Séamus.

On that occasion, Brennan was unsuccessful with the by-election famously being won by RTÉ broadcaster George Lee (who subsequently resigned from the seat within 8 months of winning it).