The former president of the Irish Farmers' Association has lost his bid to become a Fine Gael TD.
John Bryan had been widely expected to win the nomination to stand in the by-election in Carlow Kilkenny, but was defeated last night by councillor David Fitzgerald.
The result is a blow to the party leadership who were privately backing John Bryan, who had also been expected to run in last year's European elections.
The vote in Carlow-Kilkenny, to fill the seat left vacant by EU commissioner Phil Hogan, takes place in eleven weeks.
