Pearse sets his sights on a seat

It seems that Sinn Fein is fully loaded and ready to fight - for the next by-election at least.

We have hardly had a chance to breathe since the last two by-elections in Dublin Central and Dublin South, and now the Shinners are anxious to strike while the anti-government sentiment is right in Donegal.

Because Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher was elected to the European Parliament last month, his departure to the tasty gravy train of
Brussels politics leaves a vacancy for a new TD to replace him in Donegal South West.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen knows that this by-election is looming in the future but the odds are that he will put it to the back of his mind for as long as is humanly possible.

So back to Sinn Fein - the party’s dapper Senator Pearse Doherty is gagging at the bit for a run at a seat which he could easily win if the by-election were to be held sooner than later.

Yesterday (WED), the party’s Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain published a motion on the Dail Order Paper on behalf of the Sinn Fein TDs calling for the writ to be moved for the holding of the by-election in Donegal South West.

Doherty is a good performer within the Seanad and is a man with his sights set as a career politician.

He ran for Sinn Fein in the 2007 general election and polled exceptionally well - however the final seat escaped him despite his healthy vote.

With anti-Government sentiment still boiling over following the local elections, the time could be right for Doherty to win the seat in a by-election.