Fianna Fáil Rejects Peter Casey, Renua Offers Him Its Party Leadership

While the reasons for Peter Casey’s surprise showing in last week’s presidential election are more complicated than the superficial analyses being offered by many conservative – or liberal – journalists and commentators, there is no doubt that the Derry-born businessman has created a bit of a buzz on the right wing of Irish politics. Having been roundly rebuffed by Fianna Fáil following his highhanded claims that he would join the party and eventually assume it leadership, the entrepreneur has moved on to teasing the media with suggestions of founding his own Berlusconi-style political movement. However a more predictable development is the apparent interest being shown in the would-be demagogue by the reactionary rump of Renua, Lucinda Creighton’s old party. From a report by The Irish Times:

The leader of Renua has said the party is going to reach out to Peter Casey in the coming days about joining the party.

Mr Casey has claimed he wants to join Fianna Fáiland take Micheál Martin’s job as leader of the party, but a number of senior figures have ruled out the notion.

However, Councillor John Leahy, Renua’s sole elected public representative said he would not stand in the way of Mr Casey taking over his party.

Renua was founded by former minister of state for European affairs Lucinda Creighton in 2015. She lost her Dáil seat in the 2016 General Election, having forfeited both her ministerial office and parliamentary party membership when she defied Fine Gael on abortion legislation in July 2013.

Mr Leahy said he had secured the contact details of the Derry businessman and hopes to meet him.

Given that Renua was essentially formed as a political paean to Lucinda Creighton’s overinflated ego, it’s no surprise that the minuscule grouping is reaching out to another egotist in an attempt to stave off its political oblivion. Even if that means submitting itself to the wayward whims of a bargain-bin Trump.