Sinn Féin members in Laois are set to meet this week to discuss their next steps following the decision of TD Brian Stanley to resign at the weekend and end his 40-year association with the party.
There are five local Sinn Féin branches in Laois – Portlaoise, Portarlington, Rathdowney, Mountmellick and Graiguecullen – encompassing about 200 members.
It is understood that a selection convention to rubber-stamp Brian Stanley as their General Election candidate was postponed some time ago and has not been rescheduled.
Stanley has been a TD since 2011 and had previously contested General Elections in 1997, 2002 and 2007.
Caroline Dwane-Stanley, Brian’s wife, is a councillor in Portlaoise but hasn’t given an indication as to her intentions. Only two weeks ago she was photographed with Mary Lou McDonald at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Athlone.
Sinn Féin’s other councillor Aidan Mullins resigned from the party in August.
Speaking with LaoisToday, Sinn Féin candidates in the recent Local Elections have indicated that they will be sticking with the party and multiple grassroots resignations aren’t expected.
Aaron Kelly from Graiguecullen, who performed strongly in the Local Elections without winning a seat, is thought to be the leading candidate to emerge to stand in the General Election.
“From a personal point of view, I am sticking with the party,” said Kelly. “Brian’s comments on a ‘Kangaroo Court’ were totally unfair. I can’t discuss the complaint (in question) – but all parties are aware of the procedures.
“The focus now in Laois is to move forward. The convention hasn’t been called but it will have to be done soon.”
Kelly said that his focus was to contest the next Local Elections in 2029 but accepts an opportunity may arise now far sooner.
“My long-term goal was to run in the next Local Elections and see how it goes but someone has to step up now.”
“I’m definitely with the party,” said Portlaoise-based Local Election candidate Maria McCormack, who emphatically said that she won’t be interested in running.
“Brian Stanley is going to be a big loss. I know he has done great work over the years. But I don’t like the way he left the party. It was a disappointing statement and I don’t like the way he threw mud as he was leaving.”
“We will be sitting down this week as a party,” added Lorna Holohan-Garry, who is from Mountmellick but based in Clonaslee. She ran in the last two Local Elections, polling relatively strongly on both occasions without getting over the line.
“Personally I would prefer to stay working at a local level but we will definitely be running somebody. To the best of my knowledge we haven’t lost members.”
