Son of outgoing Fianna Fáil TD and former Minister of State John Browne, the 40-year-old had been a member of Enniscorthy Town Council and, later, Wexford County Council prior to his election as a TD. From Enniscorthy, he is a qualified barrister who studied at Waterford IT, UCC and the King's Inn. Browne worked in Germany and the US as part of an expansive career prior to becoming a public representative, and his poll-topping performance in the 2014 local elections saw him become firm favourite to replace his father John who last year announced that he would not be seeking the party nomination. He came through a controversial Wexford selection convention where a party directive to split candidate selection between the north and south of the county caused division among delegates, and goes on to continue a strong Fianna Fáil tradition in the southeast. CIARÁN D'ARCY