The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Clare Sinn Féin has been rocked by the shock resignation of its Ennis Local Election candidate, Cathal O’Reilly, over anti-Traveller comments he made three years ago. While Mr O’Reilly’s name will appear on the ballot sheet as a Sinn Féin candidate, he confirmed his resignation from the party in a statement to The Clare Champion on Wednesday evening. Despite this major setback, Sinn Féin is still hopeful of winning a council seat in West Clare or Shannon. The Clare Champion understands his decision to quit the party was made after anti-Traveller comments he made on social media on October 19, 2011, emerged this week. They were regarding “knackers being kicked up and down the dale”. The newspaper also believes he made derogatory comments about AIB, Xtra-vision and the Queen of England in separate posts. According to one well-placed source, Mr O’Reilly was told to quit after senior party figures were given a copy of other comments he made about local …
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