A third Independent candidate has thrown their name into contention for the upcoming general election.
Ennis woman Trudy Leyden will be on the ballot papers on February 8th.
Leyden is a Fine Gael activist but says that without a space available on the party ticket she has chosen to contest the election independently.
Fine Gael’s three candidates for this election are sitting TDs Pat Breen & Joe Carey and Senator Martin Conway.
Leyden’s addition brings to eleven the number of declared candidates – joining three Fianna Fail (Cllr Cathal Crowe, Timmy Dooley TD and Rita McInerney), one Green Party (Cllr Roisin Garvey), one People Before Profit (Theresa O’Donohoe) and two other Independents – former Labour TD Michael McNamara and the Beef Plan Movement’s Joseph Woulfe.
Sinn Fein are also expected to field a candidate – earlier Noeleen Moran withdrew her name for Saturday’s selection convention and it’s now expected that Violet-Anne Wynne could get the nod from the party.
Labour and Social Democrats will not be fielding candidates in the Clare constituency.
