Fianna Fáil election candidate resigns

Brendan Murphy, a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Nenagh area in the last local elections, has announced his resignation from the party.

Citing his reasons for leaving, Mr Murphy, a manager with a telecommunications company, said he felt that the level of support he was currently receiving from Fianna Fáil was not sufficient to enable him to build upon his election result of last May.

Mr Murphy, a first time candidate, polled 492 first preference votes in an election where Fianna Fáil failed to secure a single seat in the Nenagh Electoral Area, once a major stronghold for the party. Mr Murphy said lack of support from the party would not place him in a good position to win a seat in the next local elections and he had therefore decided to operate as an Independent.

"I felt in order to have a decisive impact I should think beyond being a party member. I felt it was imperative to get myself into a position of influence where I could be of service to the people in my community," he said in a statement.
He said he had decided to become involved in politics because he felt there was scope for change in the local community and wider society.
"When I joined Fianna Fáil I was never going to stand on the sidelines with my arms folded, that is not my style. It was inevitable that I was going to roll up my sleeves and serve my community in any capacity that was needed," he said.

While he said he remained honoured to have secured the nomination to contest the last election for Fianna Fáil, the election campign early this year "ushered me out of my comfort zone". Mr Murphy added: "Despite the fact that I did not get elected, I was heartened by a very respectable showing for a first-time candidate. Most importantly I learned a great deal from the privilege of running for public office.
"During the months since the election, I have naturally evaluated my performance and given much consideration to my future direction in politics. I feel that the level of support I am currently receiving from the Fianna Fáil party is insufficient to enable me to build upon my election result.
"This, therefore, would not place me in a good position to win a seat in the next local election, fulfilling my ambition to represent the people of the Nenagh Local Electoral Area. For this reason, I have decided to resign from Fianna Fáil. I will, however, continue on my mission to one day serve my community as an elected local representative as an Independent.
"I am indebted to the large number of people who have supported me on the journey this far. I hope that you will continue to put your faith and trust in me by maintaining your support into the future. I begin the next exciting chapter of my life in politics with as much energy and determination as ever. I will maintain my level of community involvement in the months and years ahead. This is just the beginning."