The son of Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran is to face opposition from Mr Moran's brother in the local elections next month following a surprise move announced by the Renua Party.
20-year-old Jamie Moran was last week announced as a candidate by his father to contest the council seat he once held in the Athlone municipal area.
But today Renua leader John Leahy confirmed that Tony Moran will stand against his nephew and several other candidates.
The move follows criticism in the Athlone area of the decision to put Deputy Moran's son forward for the election.
Responding to suggestions that Jame Moran is too young for political office, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran told the Athlone Topic newspaper that Jamie "has worked with him on different projects since he was a young boy" and "has been harshly criticised in his view for standing as a candidate".
"As everybody across Athlone knows, Jamie and my son, John, have always helped out with various voluntary projects I was involved with over the years.
"They always came with me to the flooding incidents along with all the voluntary workers".
Kevin 'Boxer' Moran was elected to Westmeath County Council in 1999 but stepped down from the local authority after he was elected to the Dáil in the last general election.
Ailish McManus, a teacher in the Athlone area, was co-opted to take the council seat.
But after the Athlone municipal area was extended into a new electoral area recently, Minister Moran announced that his son Jamie would contest the local elections alongside Independent candidate Michael O'Brien and former Sinn Féin general election candidate Paul Hogan under the Independent Alliance umberella.
