Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice has confirmed he will run in Roscommon-Galway in the general election, after months of speculation about his political future.
The Glinsk man had been considering moving to Galway East because of a redraw of the constituencies.
But he has opted to stay in Roscommon-Galway, while his party colleague, Councillor Declan Geraghty, will run in Galway East.
The Roscommon-Galway constituency involves 16,000 fewer people from east Galway than in the last election.
Fitzmaurice says running in Galway East would have been an easier task.
He said: “I’m not running from a challenge. I’m standing by the people who stood by me over the past ten years.
“From Roscommon to Galway, and south Leitrim before that, the support I’ve received has been nothing short of humbling.
"I have worked hard to deliver for these communities and will continue to do so, whatever the result.”
Fitzmaurice was first elected to the Dáil in the Roscommon-South Leitrim by-election in 2014, and was elected in the general elections in 2016 and 2020 in the Roscommon-Galway constituency.
Ballinasloe councillor Geraghty, who lives in Roscommon town and Williamstown, said: “With my roots here in Williamstown and my business firmly established in the heart of Galway, I know the constituency and I know the issues people face every day.
“I’m honoured to step forward for Galway East and to work for sustainable growth, for our rural communities, and for the values we share across the west.”
