By Paddy Clancy

Meath Gaelic football star Graham Geraghty is to run for election to the Dail for Fine Gael in next year’s general election.

The county’s former captain and All-Ireland winner is to stand in the constituency of Meath West, alongside sitting TD (Member of Parliament) Damien English, currently the youngest member of the Dail.

Geraghty, a father of three, said he was attracted to Fine Gael because he believed it was the party that was strongest on family values.

“Fianna Fail has let the country down as well as the constituency I live in. It’s time for a change and time for me to voice my opinion,” he said.

“This government has been there for the last 10 years and has squandered a lot of taxpayers’ money.”

Geraghty’s candidature, following persuasive lobbying by local party mandarins, wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Neither was Independent Member of European Parliament Marian Harkin’s decision not to defend her Dail seat in the Sligo-North Leitrim constituency.

The former teacher, a widowed mother of two boys, said she decided several months ago that she would concentrate on her role as the representative in the European Parliament of the people in the northwest constituency.

She was satisfied she had achieved her stated aim when she entered the Dail -– to raise awareness of issues in the northwest and to ensure it would no longer be the “forgotten region.”

She insisted her decision was not linked to a poll that predicted she would have a battle to retain her seat in Sligo-North Leitrim.

The Progressive Dem-ocrats, buoyed by the electorate’s warm reaction to the budget, are extending their challenge for Dail seats. They will contest the five-seat Carlow-Kilkenny constituency where they have not held a Dail seat since 1989.

Party leader and Tanaiste Michael McDowell an-nounced the candidacy of Walter Lacey, a member of Carlow County Council and the party's only councilor in the twin-county constituency.

McDowell said the party was "up for the challenge of winning a seat" and added that he was "currently looking at a number of people in Kilkenny" to find a running mate for Lacey.