My address to the Tom Johnson Summer School

"In order to grow the party we need to move beyond the "comfort zone" of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Wicklow and Wexford.  We are forever doomed to be a 20 seat party if we don't reach into new constituencies and breadth life into old ones.

 

We dream of another "Spring Tide" of 33 seats when we should be aiming even higher to a day when we are the main party of government.

 

A dream of 33 seats is to sell ourselves short, to ourselves, our own membership and to the country.  As long as we are content to solidify our base we condemn ourselves to the doldrums."

 

The above is an extract from my address to the Tom Johnson Summer School in the Menlo Hotel, Galway last weekend.  I shall have the full address published up here with some photos very shortly.

 

I really enjoyed the school and the debates and discussions were very interesting.  I look forward to building on the links I made at the school and will continue my campaign for more party resources and attention here in the west of Ireland.

 

I am also pleased that Galway East Councillor Colm Keaveney has rejoined the party as of today.  I have already called and welcomed him back to the fold.  Colm, like me, believes passionately in the development of the west of Ireland as fertile ground for the party to grow.