Gráinne Seoige omits key rival from mock ballot paper on election literature

Outgoing independent TD Catherine Connolly says she is "bemused" after her election rival Gráinne Seoige omitted her name from a sample ballot paper distributed to homes in Galway this week.

The Fianna Fáil candidate's leaflet lists the names of 16 candidates hoping to win one of five seats in the Galway West constituency in this Friday’s election, urging the public to give their number one to Ms Seoige, and second preference to running mate John Connolly.

However, there are 17 candidates standing for election in the constituency, and the mock ballot paper omitted the name of Catherine Connolly, who is a key rival in the former TV presenter’s native area of Connemara.

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Speaking to the Irish Mirror today, Ms Connolly said she was “bemused” and rejected the possibility that her name could have been left out by accident.

“I think it speaks for itself, really,” she said. “All the candidates are there except for myself, you know, I don’t think it could be an accident.

“I had a mixture of bemusement and, I can’t describe the other feeling, when I saw the leaflet. It’s quite pointed,” she added.

Ms Connolly, who served as leas-cheann comhairle in the last Dáil, said someone who brought Ms Seoige’s election literature to her attention suggested she had been “annihilated” from the ballot.

“That’s what they’ve done, which is very interesting,” she added.

She shared an image of the election literature on social media today, along with the comment "Guess who's missing?"

Ms Connolly, an Irish-speaker who has polled well in the Gaeltacht region of Connemara in previous elections, is expected to grow her vote in the area following the retirement of long-serving Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív.

Spiddal native Ms Seoige is also scrambling to retain as much of Mr Ó Cuív’s vote in Connemara for the party with a view to securing a seat in Friday’s election. Her party running mate, John Connolly, is based closer to Galway city.

Catherine Connolly is currently second favourite to win a seat in Galway West with odds of 1/4, while Gráinne Seoige is fourth favourite at 4/9. The bookies are also predicting seats for independent Noel Grealish, Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton, and Sinn Fein’s Mairead Farrell.

Ms Seoige could not be reached by phone and did not respond to messages prior to publication. The Fianna Fáil press office have also been asked to comment.

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