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Belfast, N. Ireland – A former Sinn Féin senator who loudly promoted the tenets of so-called “anti-fascism” in Parliament was forced to resign over an underage texting scandal involving young boys, reports say.
As a result, the party has now been accused of orchestrating a systemic coverup of the incident, which had quietly unfolded in September of last year.
According to reports, Niall Ó Donnghaile—the former Lord Mayor of Belfast and left-wing Sinn Féin apparachik who suddenly resigned in 2023—texted at least two individuals in a “physical” and inappropriate manner, including a fellow party member who was just 17 years old.
Politically, many consider Ó Donnghaile to be an “Antifa hardliner” for his leftwing extremist views and policy proposals. In the Irish parliament, the 39-year-old University of Ulster graduate once stated that he was “very proudly anti-fascist” and “very active, where I can be, in that anti-fascism.”
Ó Donnghaile’s “heavy involvement” with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland’s largest sporting organization, merely exacerbates these allegations. Reports indicate that the organization was never notified of the texting scandal and that the antifascist Ó Donnghaile has remained in the GAA as a “senior member” of a club with underage teams.
Sinn Féin’s Niall Ó Donnghaile is “very proudly anti-fascist” and “very active, where I can be, in that anti-fascism”.
— Fella Writes (@fellawrites) March 13, 2024
This attitude is likely why Sinn Féin funded AFA Ireland, a group that assaults and slanders peaceful Irish citizens who dissent against immigration policy. pic.twitter.com/RxJGzJG6LJ
On social media, however, Ó Donnghaile has become the target of “pedophile” accusations from many Irish citizens.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald confirmed the bombshell allegations to the Irish parliament on Tuesday afternoon, further clarifying that the information was withheld from the public for more than a year out of respect for the accused’s “mental health.”
McDonald stated that Sinn Féin—a political party that has strayed from its nationalistic origins to become yet another vector for Western neoliberalism—first received complaints of Ó Donnghaile’s alleged misdeeds on September 11, 2023.
McDonald claims the party initially acted by suspending Ó Donnghaile on the 13th and notifying the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and social services in line with “child protection guidelines.”
Two weeks after contacting the PSNI, however, authorities informed Sinn Féin that “no formal investigation” would be conducted on Ó Donnghaile, as the teenage victim was “satisfied” with the actions taken by the party.
On October 5, party officials met with Ó Donnghaile, who stated his intention to resign from both the Seanad and Sinn Féin. Later, they admitted that they found his actions “unacceptable.”
Ó Donnghaile’s resignation was publicly announced on December 21, 2023, citing a mysterious set of so-called “health reasons.” The alleged texts to minors or the subsequent disciplinary process were never mentioned until now.
McDonald said the decision to withhold these allegations from voters was due in consideration to Ó Donnghaile’s mental health at the time, and the potential emotional damage the allegations could cause him. She then acknowledged his “important contributions” to public life.
Ó Donnghaile himself would later confirm his involvement in the incident and apologize for his actions. He then noted that no offenses had officially occurred since the PSNI had not criminally charged him. He then asked for “privacy” as he continues to “focus on improving his mental health.”
It would not be the first time a member of the modern iteration of Sinn Féin has faced severe accusations of impropriety with minors. In August of 2021, party press officer Michael McMonagle was arrested for child sex offenses. Despite these charges, Sinn Féin figures issued employment references to McMonagle, allowing him to secure a position with the British Heart Foundation, a cardiovascular research charity, sparking outrage.
The allegation that a high-ranking member of the left-wing Sinn Féin party had been inappropriately texting young boys comes at a time of political unease across the Emerald Isles. Traditionally, left-wing issues—such as unfettered mass immigration and the furthering of “LGBTQ rights”—have come under increased scrutiny by the Irish public, especially in places like Newtownmountkennedy and areas of Dublin.
A pedophile scandal could very well erode trust in the already desperate Sinn Féin, a party which, according to the Jacobin, is struggling to maintain support among an increasingly right-wing Ireland. Polls indicate the party’s popularity has fallen to just 18%, a figure halved since October of 2022.
Additionally, the anti-White extremism movement, commonly referred to as “Antifa,” continues to play a formative role in the often violent and tyrannical political atmosphere on both sides of the Irish border.
In April, Irish nationalists successfully repelled an Antifascist ambush in the town of Coolock. The resulting melee inadvertently revealed systemic collusion between local “Antifa” and Irish/UK journalists after one of the attackers dropped his cell phone.
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