Several unsuccessful General Election candidates in Galway’s three Dáil constituencies are lining up to take seats in the Seanad.

Galway County Councillor Noel Thomas, the last candidate standing in Galway West not to win a seat, has been nominated to contest the Agriculture Panel for Independent Ireland.

So too have two of his County Council colleagues, PJ Murphy (FG) and Cillian Keane (FF), while Senator Aisling Dolan, who failed to win a Dáil seat for Fine Gael in Roscommon/Galway, was also nominated to contest on the Agriculture Panel.

Former two-time TD for Galway West, Fine Gael’s Sean Kyne, has been nominated to contest on the Cultural and Educational Panel – despite indicating after not taking a seat in Galway West in the General Election that he was calling time on his political career.

Fianna Fáil County Councillor in Loughrea, Shane Curley, has been nominated to contest this panel, too.

Former Fianna Fáiler-turned-Independent, Eugene Murphy is nominated on the Administrative Panel, as is Niamh Madden, who was unsuccessful for Fine Gael in Galway East.

Fianna Fáil Senator Ollie Crowe is nominated on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, as is Portumna’s Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurant Association of Ireland.

The Portumna native, CEO of RAI for 15 years, has declared he will contest a seat on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, as an Independent. That will see him go head-to-head with sitting Senator Crowe (FF) who is contesting again following a nomination by the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

Mr Cummins secured nominations for his campaign from representative bodies including RAI, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, and Irish Hospitality Institute.

Pictured: Once more into the fray…Senator Sean Kyne, pictured here at the Galway West count. Photo: Brian Harding.