The Labour senator going up against Tipperary's Phil Prendergast for the party's nomination in Ireland South believes a contested convention will be good for her campaign.
John Gilroy was speaking on Tipp Today ahead of the selection process next month.
Meanwhile Carlow Kilkenny Fine Gael deputy John Paul Phelan has confirmed he won't be in the running for the European Elections.
Late last year it emerged that Cork Senator John Gilroy was going to put his name forward to challenge the incumbent MEP Phil Prendergast for Labour's nomination in Ireland South ahead of May’s European elections.
Speaking on Tipp Today he says he took the decision after being approached by a number of party figures -including some TDs and higher ranking Labour representatives.
The party's convention is due to take place on March 9th and just one candidate will be chosen to go forward.
Senator Gilroy accepts Phil Prendergast has done very well in Europe – but he feels there is no harm in competition which he feels will be benefit them both
Phil Prendergast – who lives in Clonmel -took the European seat in 2011 when North Tipperary's Alan Kelly vacated it to run for the Dáil where he is now a junior minister.
She says she is confident that she has the support of the majority of the party but isn't complacent about her chances of being elected.
However speaking at Labour's convention in Thurles on Friday last to select candidates for the local elections – the MEP feels she also has support across Munster
Meanwhile,
Fine Gael's John Paul Phelan has confirmed that he will not be a candidate in the European elections.
The Carlow Kilkenny Deputy says he did consider it after former IFA President John Bryan revealed at the weekend that he would not be seeking the Fine Gael nomination for Ireland South.
Deputy Phelan contested Ireland East in 2009 but despite polling well he wasn't elected and has now decided not to give it another try.
