Kelly goes against party top brass who meet in Nenagh this Thursday and Friday

North Tipperary Labour Party TD Alan Kelly has set the tone for what is likely to be a fiery “Think-In” by the party’s top brass in Nenagh on this Thursday and Friday over his decision not to tow the party line to support Independent candidate Caterine Connolly in her bid to become the next President of Ireland.

The Nenagh based TD looks set to be the subject of fierce criticism from his Parliamentary Party colleagues at their two day meeting in the Abbey Court Hotel following his highly controversial announcement that he is not going to back Ms Connolly.

Deputy Kelly's stance has been followed by expressions of support among members of the party across Tipperary who hold similars view to him in relation to Labour backing Ms Connolly for president.

These developments are a major embarrassment for the party's bosses, exacerbated by the fact they are now coming to Mr Kelly's home town of Nenagh for one of their most important meetings of the year - the dates of which were fixed before the North Tipp TD went public on his views in relation to Ms Connolly.

Deputy Kelly criticised his party’s decision to back Ms Connolly, saying he will not support the Galway West TD in the contest on voting day, likely to take place in November.

Since making his views known, another of his Labour colleagues in Tipperary has rowed in, claiming that the decision by the party to support Ms Connolly has not gone done well with party members in the county.

Cllr Michael Chicken Brennan told Tipp FM that a lot of party members feel the same as Mr Kelly about the decision of the parliamentary party to back Ms Connolly in the race for the Áras.

Cllr Brennan said party members had contacted him saying the “weren't too happy” that Labour didn't have its own candidate. “And they asked  if we didn't have their own candidate that we should be staying out of it and not getting involved,” said Cllr Brennan.

The Labour Party Parliamentary Party decided to officially back Ms Connolly in July as the candidate of “The Left”, but Mr Kelly came out last week and claimed that there was a “large cohort” within Labour who would not be backing her.

Speaking to local radio station Tipp FM on Wednesday last, Mr Kelly said: “I’m not sure what Catherine Connolly did to deserve our support . . . I respect everybody’s views in the party, but I was against this.”

The stance taken by Mr Kelly follows earlier similar criticism by another high-profile Labour member, Fergus Finlay, who said he was “very disappointed” to see Labour supporting Ms Connolly.

He described the decision as “a mistake” and said he did not understand why the party was backing her for president.

Mr Finlay said Ms Connolly’s relationship with Labour had always been one that bordered  “on contempt” - ever  since the party top brass prevented her bid to be a running mate with Michael D Higgins in the 2007 general election in Galway West.

Outlining his own personal stance on Ms Connolly, Mr Kelly was critical of  her views on international relations, mentioning Syria, Russia and the European Union, as well as her association with former Independent TD and MEP Mick Wallace.

‘OLD-SCHOOL LABOUR’

Mr Kelly said he was “old school Labour” and that while he believed in cooperating with the left, he was “not a far-left TD”.

He said the “biggest issue” for him was Ms Connolly’s support of controversial figure Gemma O’ Doherty over President Higgins in the 2018 Presidential Election.

“I don’t think it’s possible for many people in the Labour Party, in all conscience, with self-respect, to support a presidential candidate who, seven years ago, thought Gemma O’ Doherty was worth nominating  against him,” Mr Kelly said.

Kelly added: “I respect everybody’s views in the party  but I was against this. I voted against it. I will not be nominating Catherine Connolly.”

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik stated her support for Ms Connolly in a video posted online on the same day Mr Kelly went public with his controversial stance.

Ms Bacik said: “We in Labour are so proud to support Catherine’s campaign for the Áras and for the presidency - we know you will make a brilliant candidate, a brilliant president.” Meanwhile, Mr Kelly could well be set for a dressing down for his public stance from his senior party colleagues when they meet in Nenagh this Thursday and Friday.

Nevertheless, as a former Labour deputy leader, leader and MEP, his stance is bound to strike a chord with many of the party faithful.