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Originally from Cornaher, Kilbeggan in Co. Westmeath but famously now the owner of a number of pharmacies in South Dublin, Kathleen O'Connell has at least two sisters, Theresa Newman, an adviser to the Higher Education Minister Patrick O'Donovan, and the wife of Sunday Times journalist Hugh O'Connell, and Mary Newman Julian, previously a Fine Gael candidate in Tipperary but now working as a vet.
A TD from 2016-20, and although very high profile as a Fine Gael member she actually hasn't always had it easy there. She said about the resignation of Leo Varadkar that it was the:
She also famously feuded with Barry Walsh a prominent member in Fine Gael at the time, and it was also said when she lost her seat in 2020:“end of a dark enough chapter in my life and the start of perhaps something new”.
(https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...pointed-to-cabinet-adviser-job/a53473114.html .)
At any rate yesterday the Irish Independent ran a prominent story about a sister of a high profile politician been attacked by her sibling, and numerous hints and clues on twitter later, it appears that is none other than Kate O'Connell:"This weekend, Kate O’Connell was, it is generally agreed, the victim of a so-called “shafting” by her own party, when she was unceremoniously dumped from the party’s so-called “inside” slate for the Seanad elections. The “inside” candidates are those who FG councillors are expected to vote for in the Seanad election, ensuring their election. O’Connell’s name did not appear, despite, apparently, assurances being provided to her that it would. Others, like Councillors James Geoghegan and Emma Blain, are considered to be firmly in the frame for her spot on the Fine Gael ticket the next time there is a general election."
( https://gript.ie/profile-kate-o-connell-fine-gael/ .)
View: https://x.com/Nialler6767/status/1847589030998753313
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As such it seems political rather than real, because obviously Fine Gael will be annoyed at such a high profile candidate running against them in the election in Dublin Bay South, ever since she declared she has left the party to run as an Independent there.