‘Shocked’ Murphy weighs up Bantry defeat

AONTÚ candidate Patrick Murphy said he is disappointed with the election results which saw him pick up just 304 votes in the Bantry Electoral Area.

The candidate, who had also thrown his hat into the ring as a possible EU MEP for Aontú, said: ‘I am shocked at the way the people have voted.

‘We are seeing a lack of housing, migration being a huge topic, and the fishing industry being wiped with 16 boats taken out of Castletownbere, yet the public seem to be happy enough with the political parties.

‘They are saying that in huge numbers,’ said Mr Murphy who commented on the strong turnout for Fine Gael in particular.

‘It’s back to the way it was before so I am surprised. But you have to abide by the will of the people. If this is what they want, this is what they’ll get,’ he added.

‘Maybe I didn’t get the message out,’ said Patrick, who is chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, the offices of which are based in Castletownbere.

‘We have lost a lot of our fishing industry, even the inshore people are saying how much they are losing out, but they didn’t seem to come out and vote. I might not have had a big profile here, but I certainly do in Europe,’ he said.

Patrick Murphy said he is not going to rule out any further election attempt. ‘I can’t because I have to fight for my fishers,’ he said.

On a lighter note, Patrick said he lost a whopping three stone in weight, having gone from 17 to 14 stone over a 12-week period.

He said he did it because he is hoping for a new scheme to be introduced to look after the mental health and fitness of fishermen who are in despair over the way their industry is deteriorating.