Questions over Fianna Fail leader's future
There are questions being raised already about Michael Martin’s future as leader of the Fianna Fail based on this General Election showing in Cavan-Monaghan, with Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council Seamus Coyle pulling no punches when stating his party has “a lot of soul searching” going forward.
Cllr Coyle accepted that the main story emerging from the Cavan Count Centre is the emergence of a strong Sinn Fein vote spread across both candidates, Matt Carthy and Pauline Tully.
“Its a huge increase. The people have spoken. The mood was there for change,” he told The Anglo-Celt.
Cllr Coyle believes the confidence-and-supply agreement that saw Fianna Fail prop up a Fine Gael government for the past four years is a primary reason for the turnaround, where Sinn Fein found themselves as the defacto main party in opposition nationally.
“The confidence-and-supply agreement has cost Fianna Fail dearly, it has cost Fine Gael,” he said, adding his feeling that Fianna Fail perhaps did not either receive or claim the positives from recent successes in government.
“Fianna Fail got absolutely nothing, and it wasn’t seen that Fianna Fail had put the national interests first.”
Looking forward, he stated: “Fianna Fail have now been nine years in opposition, a very turbulent period with the economic collapse, and they haven’t come out of that. A lot of soul searching is needed. A lot needs to move on with the Fianna Fail party, the organisation, leadership ecetera.”
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