Penrose not contesting next election

BREAKING NEWS: Deputy Willie Penrose has announced that he is not running in the next election.

The Labour stalwart, who was first elected to the Dail in the so called 'Spring Tide' of 1992, is set to retire from national politics when the lifetime of the current government comes to an end.

A Labour spokeperson told the Westmeath Examiner that former inter-county GAA star Alan Mangan from Castletown-Geoghegan, who was a member of the Westmeath team that won the Leinster Championship in 2004, will run for the party in the next general election. His candidacy will be made official at a selection convention in Mullingar this evening, which will be chaired by Labour Party TD Jan O'Sullivan. Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin is also set to attend.