Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Aontú’s latest local election recruit in Galway hails from a family steeped in Fianna Fáil.

As reported in the news pages of this newspaper last Friday, Pádraig Lenihan has been chosen by Peadar Tóibín’s party to run in Galway City Central in next June’s poll.

The University of Galway lecturer in history is a former Army Captain who has lived in Newcastle for over 30 years.

Perhaps his surname was a giveaway but his familial links to Fianna Fáil are not well-known.

Pádraig’s aunt and godmother is political powerhouse, Mary O’Rourke, the former Minister and TD who served the people of Westmeath and Longford for over four decades.

Pádraig’s cousin was the late Brian Lenihan, who became Minister for Finance in 2008 just as Ireland’s economy crashed. Another cousin, Conor Lenihan, Brian’s brother, was a Minister of State during the Bertie Ahern era.

Pádraig’s father was the late Paddy Lenihan, a Roscommon County Councillor who represented Fianna Fáil but was later aligned with Niall Blaney.

His grandfather was Patrick James Lenihan, who served as a Fianna Fáil TD in Longford-Westmeath in the 1960s.

With such impeccable Fianna Fáil credentials, the Soldiers of Destiny in Galway City were surprised that Pádraig Lenihan chose to run for Aontú.

Pictured: Pádraig Lenihan, the Aontú candidate is a University of Galway lecturer and former Army Captain. His FF roots are impeccible.