Former Minister for Agriculture, Barry Cowen has been selected by Fianna Fáil to contest the upcoming European elections.
The Laois-Offaly TD was voted by party members to run for the June elections in the Midlands-North-West constituency at a party convention in Mullingar, Co Westmeath last evening (Monday, February 5).
Senator Niall Blaney, Senator Lisa Chambers and Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher had also been nominated for selection. However, when nominations closed Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher had withdrawn.
Barry Cowen, a brother of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, was a county councillor for 20 years and has been a TD for 12 years.
Deputy Cowen was appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in June 2020, but was sacked by then Taoiseach Micheál Martin just 17 days later, due to a drink driving offence, which Cowen described as a “stupid mistake”.
European elections
Speaking following his selection last night, Barry Cowen said: “It is a great honour and privilege, and I’m most delighted, to be endorsed by this organisation to fight to win back a seat that has been out of this constituency for too long.
“We will work as hard as we possibly can to ensure Fianna Fáil wins back a seat in the Midlands-North-West. I’m delighted that party members have seen fit to endorse me.
“In the coming weeks and months we will make a huge effort to take the seat. It will be the precursor possibly for a general election in the autumn or next spring.
“It is imperative we create the sort of momentum that will allow us to be in a position to make an impact, to make a mark, locally, nationally and in Europe.”
Fianna Fáil Director of the European Elections, Minister Darragh O’Brien added: “Deputy Cowen has a proven track record as a dedicated and committed Parliamentarian and will, if elected, represent Fianna Fáil as a strongly pro-European candidate in the Parliament.
“I look forward to canvassing with Deputy Cowen over the coming weeks and months.”
It is understood that Fianna Fáil will add another candidate to the ticket in the constituency in the coming months ahead of the election.
Last month, sitting Dublin MEP Barry Andrews and Cork MEP Billy Kelleher were selected to run for the party in the Dublin and Ireland South constituencies respectively.