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Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Eamonn Coghlan will contest the Dublin West by-election for Fine Gael

Coghlan will join the race (sorry) after being nominated tonight.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPION middle distance runner Eamonn Coghlan will contest the Dublin West by-election for Fine Gael.

Coghlan has served as a senator since 2011, when he was nominated by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

He will contest the seat in his local constituency, which was vacated by Independent TD Patrick Nulty in March.

Coghlan had been set for a showdown with local councillor Kieran Dennison, but Dennison withdrew from the race shortly after both were nominated.

Coghlan was nominated by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar in front of an all-star Fine Gael crowd. Health Minister James Reilly and European Parliament candidate Brian Hayes were among those in attendance in Castleknock.

Nominating Coghlan, Leo Varadkar said he believes that Coghlan can take a second seat for Fine Gael in the constituency.

“Eamonn was once asked what was so special about indoor running. He replied that it was the ‘tightness of the track’.

“He loved that ‘the crowd is right on top of you’. Over the next few weeks Eamonn will experience this feeling more than in any race, the crowd will be right on top as never before.

“But he will love it, and they will love him. Because this is someone who is never beaten – he is a true sportsman, a giver, and a true patriot – and let’s hope that we can support him in his new quest – and help ensure that we bring his Olympian spirit to the Dáil.

“We need politicians like Eamonn Coghlan, and I am honoured to be able to nominate him tonight.”

Coghlan’s nomination rounds out the ballot papers for most of the major parties, with Labour chair Lorraine Mulligan, Fianna Fáil councillor David McGuinness, Sinn Féin local representative Paul Donnelly and Socialist Party councillor Ruth Coppinger all already confirmed, along with independent David Hall.

Read: Labour is running its party chair in the Dublin West by-election

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68 Comments
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    Mute Mareesa O Dwyer
    Favourite Mareesa O Dwyer
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    Nov 24th 2011, 12:02 PM

    I am an Irish woman working in the UK researching physical activity trends, motor skills and play behaviours of preschool age children. The statistics are frightening. The bottom line is children are not active enough to benefit their health, they do not have the fundamental movement skill development they should have by the age of 5-6 and their parents are under the impression that they get their physical activity from school – this is most definitely not the case. In the same way children learn their ABC’s to read and write, they must learn the ABC’s of movemnt (catch, throw, hop, strike). This will contribute to life long participation in sport and physical activity. I am delighted to see Eamonn Coghlan take a stance and raise awareness during a Seanad sitting, especially given the research produced by the ERSI this month from the Growing up in Ireland study.

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    Mute BustingMyAss
    Favourite BustingMyAss
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    Nov 24th 2011, 12:20 PM

    In terms of bang for your buck, I think field sports are well catered for in Ireland. If the Government are serious about improving health, then they need to focus on the people falling thru the net, i.e. the non-sporty types. Money should be spent on developing walking/jogging tracks, more swimming pools and gyms (outdoor and indoor) to capture the percentage of the population who want to be active but don’t like competitive sport.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
    Favourite Cormac Flanagan
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    Nov 24th 2011, 1:13 PM

    I agree. Was lucky to have both field sports (hurling) and an athletic club and a (outdoor) swimming area. Most don’t. With the growth of the GAA, rugby and women’s football the government (as stated above) should put money into pools, tracks etc. also encourage more cycling to school.

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    Mute David Paul Beehan
    Favourite David Paul Beehan
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    Nov 24th 2011, 5:12 PM

    Look how few of them are there at work!! Why are we bothering to pay these people??

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    Mute Conor Graham
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    Nov 24th 2011, 7:06 PM

    It’s pretty bloody tough to stand on one foot with your eyes closed even in good physical shape!

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    Mute Paige C Harrison
    Favourite Paige C Harrison
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    Nov 24th 2011, 6:50 PM

    Great opportunity for Enda if he wanted to show a new politics. On his next cabinet reshuffle replace James Reilly with Eamonn as minister for health.

    In one action you would put someone who believed and lived health promotion into office; would show non-partisan politics and the relevance of senate.

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    Mute Colm Fitzpatrick
    Favourite Colm Fitzpatrick
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    Nov 24th 2011, 5:09 PM

    Its funny looking around the room at politicians and senators who look like the least healthy people in the country trying to get us to do the right thing. I have to say in my experience if you’re trying to convince people to make what are big behavioural changes you need to lead by example.

    Why do we have the least healthy looking cabinet member as Minister for Health?
    Why do we send overweight people to give advice to the public at healthy living classes or clinics on Diabetes or indeed anything to do with diet?

    Answer : Because its just all a game. We don’t believe it ourselves so we don’t do it.

    Thanks Eamonn for raising the subject. You have the look of the right person to tell us to how to do the right thing but you need to put on about 50kg before you can be ever a candidate to work in Health Promotion.

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