ONE OF the Donegal South West by-election candidates who was omitted from TV3's Tonight with Vincent Browne last Monday claims to have had the last laugh despite his initial anger about missing the national TV debate.

Labour's Frank McBrearty, Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, Fianna Fáil's Brian Ó Domhnaill and Fine Gael's Barry O'Neill appeared on Browne's programme last Monday night for a heated debate.

It has been known for over a year that Independent candidate Thomas Pringle would contest the by-election but he did not appear on the late-night show.

Pringle told the Sunday Tribune this weekend that he was annoyed at having received only a "last minute" invitation to appear on the show.

"I was annoyed that I didn't get a chance to go on and debate with the other candidates on national television," Pringle told the Sunday Tribune. "I was out canvassing in Convoy when I got a phone call at 6.10pm from TV3 asking me to go on that night's Vincent Browne show. It was too late at that stage for me to go home, get changed and get down to Dublin for 11pm so I was not able to go. I appeared on TV3 news before to talk about the by-election so they should have known I was running."

Pringle said in the end he was quite happy to have missed the debate as none of the candidates performed particularly well. One observer remarked after the debate that it was "some advert for gombeen politics".

"I was initially annoyed but after watching the show I felt that my absence was a blessing in disguise," said Pringle. TV3 has promised to have him on the show before polling day but Pringle has not heard from the station since Monday.

Meanwhile, it has been suggested that Fianna Fáil was pleasantly surprised about the reaction Ó Domhnaill has received on the canvass. One Fine Gael TD even remarked: "Don't be surprised if Fianna Fáil wins the by-election."

ONE OF the Donegal South West by-election candidates who was omitted from TV3's Tonight with Vincent Browne last Monday claims to have had the last laugh despite his initial anger about missing the national TV debate.

Labour's Frank McBrearty, Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, Fianna Fáil's Brian Ó Domhnaill and Fine Gael's Barry O'Neill appeared on Browne's programme last Monday night for a heated debate.

It has been known for over a year that Independent candidate Thomas Pringle would contest the by-election but he did not appear on the late-night show.

Pringle told the Sunday Tribune this weekend that he was annoyed at having received only a "last minute" invitation to appear on the show.

"I was annoyed that I didn't get a chance to go on and debate with the other candidates on national television," Pringle told the Sunday Tribune. "I was out canvassing in Convoy when I got a phone call at 6.10pm from TV3 asking me to go on that night's Vincent Browne show. It was too late at that stage for me to go home, get changed and get down to Dublin for 11pm so I was not able to go. I appeared on TV3 news before to talk about the by-election so they should have known I was running."

Pringle said in the end he was quite happy to have missed the debate as none of the candidates performed particularly well. One observer remarked after the debate that it was "some advert for gombeen politics".

"I was initially annoyed but after watching the show I felt that my absence was a blessing in disguise," said Pringle. TV3 has promised to have him on the show before polling day but Pringle has not heard from the station since Monday.

Meanwhile, it has been suggested that Fianna Fáil was pleasantly surprised about the reaction Ó Domhnaill has received on the canvass. One Fine Gael TD even remarked: "Don't be surprised if Fianna Fáil wins the by-election."