First elected as a Galway county councillor in 1979, he is the longest serving member of the council. He is a former member of Fianna Fáil but left the party in 2004 while being investigated by gardaí for allegedly misappropriating council funding. He was convicted but this was later quashed. This is his second time running in a general election, the last being in 1987.

I'm a member of Galway CoCo since 1979 and have been elected in seven successive local elections. I have the experience to represent the people of Galway East.

To revive rural Ireland and to put it back to where it has lived over the years as a vibrant community.

I would like to set about to renegotiate the common agricultural policy and update it for the benefit of the rural communities.