Now McDonald gets dragged into Sinn Féin bullying row
Former driver makes allegations against the party which have led to internal probe
SINN FÉIN deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has been dragged into an extraordinary bullying row involving her former driver, the Irish Independent has learned.
The party has been rocked by “smear” allegations made by one of its longest-serving members, who worked for Sinn Féin in various senior positions over the past 30 years.
The Irish Independent can today detail how the woman at the centre of the case has enlisted a legal team which is handling a complaint of bullying against the party.
She claims that she was labelled a “c***” by a former Sinn Féin colleague in a row over printing during the 2014 by-election in Dublin South West, which was eventually won by Solidarity TD Paul Murphy.
The woman reported the issue to party bosses and made other claims that have fed into an internal bullying probe.
It’s understood the individual who allegedly called her a c*** has since left the party.
However, before his departure, he claimed that the woman openly spoke about having prepared a “file” on Ms McDonald, a TD for Dublin Central.
Well-placed sources say the woman is deeply upset by the claims, which she rejects outright. The woman later made a formal complaint to the party, which has been the subject of a long-running internal inquiry.
It’s understood that during the inquiry into alleged bullying, the woman was asked about the claims that she prepared a file on Ms McDonald.
She has said she is particularly upset over the claims, given that she worked for Ms McDonald for several years in a voluntary capacity as the TD’s driver. The pair have been described within the party as “Thelma and Louise” as they were seen as being very close.
Ms McDonald confirmed to the Irish Independent that the woman was her driver in a voluntary capacity. But she does not believe that she compiled a file on her. A spokesperson for the party said there was nothing further to add as it was an internal party matter. The woman at the centre of the case was not reachable for comment.
However, it has been confirmed that she is a current cumann chairperson. She has been in the party for years and even handed out leaflets for Bobby Sands.
The woman, through her legal team, has asked the party to formally explain who is behind the alleged smear.
She has also met the Sinn Féin inquiry team investigating the allegations of bullying, according to well-placed sources.
The woman’s case has been brought to the attention of party president Gerry Adams and is one of several being dealt with internally by senior Sinn Féin officials.
The party has repeatedly denied that it has a culture of bullying, despite several members resigning in recent weeks.
One of Sinn Féin’s most high-profile councillors quit the party this week amid claims that he and his family were subjected to “unfounded and untruthful allegations”.
Tipperary representative Séamus ‘Séamie’ Morris will now serve as an independent councillor after resigning over an alleged bullying culture.
Kildare councillor Sorcha O’Neill quit the party in April, claiming that she had experienced “bullying, hostility and aggression”.
The mother of Hollywood
actor Jack Reynor was thrown out over an internal feud.
Tara Reynor-O’Grady, who is a respected human rights activist, got a letter in July with a €5 note attached, detailing how her membership had been rescinded.
The letter was sent just days after Ms Reynor-O’Grady had represented three councillors in a dispute with party bosses.
On September 19, Sinn Féin
then expelled the three councillors – Gerry O’Neill, John Snell, and Oliver O’Brien – following an unresolved row at Wicklow County Council.
On September 5, the party’s youngest councillor, Lisa Marie Sheehy, resigned alleging there was a “hostile and toxic” environment in Sinn Féin, over what she claimed were bullying tactics used by some of her colleagues within the party.
In July, Paul Hogan, a Sinn Féin councillor in Westmeath, claimed he was bullied by party members after the break-up of a relationship.
Former TD Sandra McLellan effectively quit politics as a result of her alleged mistreatment. Ms McLellan served as Cork East TD but decided not to run in the last election amid allegations of a “vicious” campaign against her.