Mayoral election takes a twist as councillor subjected to abuse in rival’s Whatsapp group joins the race
Bad blood led to Green Party TD issuing apology
THE Social Democrats have selected Councillor Elisa O’Donovan to run against Green Party TD Brian Leddin in a bid to be Limerick’s first directly elected mayor this June.
The high-profile candidates have a coloured history. In August 2021 Mr Leddin, a TD for Limerick city, apologised for some comments he made in a WhatsApp group he set up which contained abuse and threatening comments about Ms O’Donovan.
In one message a member of the group said Cllr O’Donovan ‘must be ended’ and in another, a female member also called Cllr O’Donovan a four-letter word.
Mr Leddin did not make or comment on any of the abusive or threatening messages, first revealed by the Irish Mail on Sunday, made about Ms O’Donovan.
On another occasion in the group, he described the councillor as ‘unhinged’, saying ‘she craves fame’.
Ms O’Donovan made a formal complaint to gardaí in relation to the content of the messages in the group.
‘I just felt like I wanted to keep myself safe. One thing that I’ve learnt is that if you feel like you are in any way unsafe, you’re being harassed, then it’s very, very important to notify the guards so they know what’s going on. It’s difficult for the guards but at least they are aware what’s going on and they can keep a check on it,’ she told the Mail at the time.
In various exchanges in the WhatsApp group, members discussed ‘ending’ Cllr O’Donovan as suitable locations to bury her are discussed.
Other comments made by members of the policy-focused group, which included figures with prominent positions in Limerick, repeatedly referred to women they viewed as rivals with misogynistic abuse. In a statement at the time, Mr Leddin admitted he was a member of the group, which he said was made up of ‘a small number of men and women who were interested in planning and heritage issues in Limerick city’. He acknowledged ‘some of the language’ used by some of the members was ‘unsavoury and inappropriate’. Mr Leddin, who made history when he became the first Green Party candidate to be elected as a Limerick
TD in the 2020 election, added: ‘To be clear, I did not encourage such comments or engage with them but, on reflection, should have intervened to voice my unhappiness with such language.’
Deputy Leddin has since left the WhatsApp group and added he regretted his comment about Ms O’Donovan and that he has since apologised to her for it.
The ballot for mayor will take place in June on the same day as the local and European elections.
The mayor will take over all the powers of a city manager (which will now be known as a director general) outside of some administrative and electoral duties.
Several high-profile candidates have already announced they’ll be involved.
John Moran, the former secretary general of the Department of Finance, has confirmed his intention to run.
Earlier this week, Limerick Chamber’s chief executive Dee Ryan resigned from her role in order to enter the contest as a Fianna Fáil candidate.
Limerick businesswoman Helen O’Donnell also announced this week she would contest as an independent.
Sinn Féin will also field a candidate, but it is unclear who they will stand at present.