Gearóid Ó hEára.
Former Mayor of Derry, Gearóid Ó hEára, is expected to be selected by Sinn Fein to contest the Foyle constituency seat in next May’s Westminster election.
Party members will meet in the Tower Hotel in the city tonight to select the candidate to contest the seat held since 2005 by the SDLP’s Mark Durkan.
It is understood Mr Ó hEára, Mayor of Derry from 2004-2005, will be elected unopposed as his the only name put forward when nominations closed on Monday last.
Born in 1953 in Derry city, he has a BA Hons degree in Irish Studies, a diploma in Further and Higher Education and an MBA.
A member of the Northern Ireland Police Board and an Irish language activist, he is the current chief executive of Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, winning praise for his role in staging the hugely successful All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil during Derry’s year as City of Culture.
During his time as a Sinn Fein councillor on Derry City Council from 1989-2005, he was a board member on the Derry Port and Harbour Commission (2001 – 2005) and Western Education and Library Board (1989-2000).
He is also a former board member with Arts Council NI (2003-2007).
He is chairperson of Derry Oireachtas na Gaeilge Committee, Derry Glór na nGael Committee and Governor og Gaelscoil éadan Mhóir in Derry and a board member of Ciste Infheistíochta Ghaeilge.
The Foyle constituency has been regarded as an SDLP “safe seat” since former party leader was elected in 1983.
However, following successful performances in May’s local government and European elections, Sinn Fein are confident they can overturn the 4,000-plus majority gained by Mr Durkan over Martina Anderson last time out and take the seat for the first time.
Since then, Ms Anderson was co-opted as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) to replace Bairbre de Brun, a seat the Derry woman retained in May last when she topped the poll with more than 131,000 first preference votes.
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