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A ROW OVER the selection of a Sinn Féin candidate to run in the general election has resulted in the party’s Dublin chairperson temporarily stepping down while an internal inquiry is carried out, TheJournal.ie has learned.
Eamonn Nolan, the chair of Sinn Féin’s Dublin Cúige (province), stepped down from his role in recent weeks. It follows controversy over the selection process for a candidate to run alongside sitting TD Dessie Ellis in Dublin North-West at the next election.
Sinn Féin councillor Noeleen Reilly complained to party headquarters after failing to win the nomination of her own cumann, of which Nolan is a member.
The party subsequently launched an internal inquiry and Nolan stepped down in order to prevent any perceived conflict of interest. Attempts to reach Nolan were unsuccessful.
A well-placed Sinn Féin source explained that Nolan stepped down following the row over who would be the party’s second candidate in Dublin North-West. A party spokesperson subsequently confirmed this was the case.
It’s understood party members in the constituency favour the selection of Finglas-based councillor Cathleen Carney Boud as the second Sinn Féin candidate.
They believe her presence in the Santry and Whitehall areas would give the party a better chance of taking a second seat in the three-seater. Ellis is seen as stronger in areas like Ballymun.
However, Ballymun-based councillor Reilly has also been vying for the selection. Having failed to win the nomination of her own Ballymun cumann, she subsequently complained to headquarters and an internal inquiry was launched.
“There was a complaint made and an inquiry initiated. It is winding up in the next week or so,” a Sinn Féin spokesperson confirmed.
Neither Carney Boud nor Reilly had responded to TheJournal.ie at the time of publication. The Sinn Féin source who initially confirmed the story spoke on condition of anonymity.
They said that Nolan felt he should step down temporarily in order to avoid any perceived conflict of interest between his role as chair of Dublin Sinn Féin and a member of the Ballymun cumann. They added:
He thought it was the wise thing to do, to stand aside. But he should be coming back. It’s more or less sorted now and everyone is satisfied.
While the inquiry is still ongoing and expected to report shortly, it is now expected that Sinn Féin will select Ellis and Carney Boud as its general election candidates in Dublin North West.
The selection convention takes place on 15 May.
Sinn Féin policy means that in every constituency where the party is running two candidates, one of them must female, with the exception of Donegal where incumbent TDs Padraig MacLochlainn and Pearse Doherty are running.
Nolan was elected as the party’s Dublin chairperson in January and holds the post until next year.
Sinn Féin representatives in Dublin would not be drawn on the issue when contacted today. Strategist and Clondalkin-based councillor Eoin Ó Broin said: “I couldn’t comment on that, it’s an internal party matter.”
Another party source in the capital confirmed that they expected Nolan to return as chairperson within the next week.
- additional reporting from Nicky Ryan
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Polar vortex heading our way. Most of Europe will be in the minus teens next week. Ireland minus 2 and 3. Hopefully this is the last blast of Winter
@saoirse janneau: what a time to have an airlock in my radiators. Oil must have been nicked from my tank.. it seems it went from half full to empty in 4 weeks and I’m out Mon to Fri 9 to 5. Now I have oil and no radiators working :(
@Peter Cavey: easily enough to fix. Just google the name of the boiler and it usually involves loosening a screw until the oil comes out
@phil: Water comes out, oil doesn’t go into the radiators.
@Peter: Sometimes you need to bleed the boiler. If all of his rads are cold it’s his boiler that’s the problem.
-2° in Leitrim now, this has been a long chilly winter here!
@Dorothy Giselsson: at least it’s lovely though ;)
Next week could see significant snowfall in places. One of the Models took a step back this morning however. It will be bitterly cold with temps struggling to get above freezing during the day. If it snows it will be proper powdery not the wet shite we get from the Atlantic.
@phil: That’a a relief. Can’t be doing with that wet shore. Proper snow is what we deserve.
@phil: yeah cant have another episode of “the wrong type of snow fell” again
@phil: The year of the big snow in 1947 which I often heard the old people talking about, the snow didn’t hit till the end of February. Hopefully we’ll just have a light dusting.
A lot of comments moaning about Met Eireann issuing lots of warnings. I for one appreciate the forcasts and understand they can’t be 100% of the time.
I can’t wait for the yellow warnings when we hit temperatures with double numbers. Break out the sun screen!
God help the homeless! Hopefully all who can will be sheltered.
The beast from the east. However most people don’t believe it. Can’t blame them. Lows of – 10 and heavy snow is predicted. Met office UK gave a 30 forecast other day which was laughable at best considering most reputable weather monitoring stations give ten day forecast.
@James O’Brien: The UK met office always air on the side if caution regarding long range forecast.
@James O’Brien: they couldn’t get clarity 30 days especially after a ssw took place .peoole in east irl uk should prepare it’s going to get very messy this isn’t just 2 days this could last weeks last time we saw ssw was 2013 2010
It’s the Beast from the East!! Where’s Dwayne Johnson when you need him?? I think I’ll hedge my bets and wait and see what happens…. no panic buying on the tins of beans just yet.
I’d rather the porn vortex
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=porn%20vortex
I don’t get why February is considered spring in Ireland. To me it’s considered winter as in the rest of Europe. I don’t expect somewhat warmer conditions until March tbh.
Next 2 weeks of frozen hell?
have your say