Connemara Sinn Féin member Máirín Mhic Lochlainn has said she is not worried about disciplinary action initiated against her following her criticism of the party’s candidate in the Galway West by-election.
Last week, it was reported that Sinn Féin had initiated proceedings against Ms Mhic Lochlainn following her criticism of the party for not selecting a Connemara-based or Irish-speaking candidate.
During the campaign, Mhic Lochlainn told the Advertiser that it was “shameful for Sinn Féin in particular - a republican party - not to have someone with Irish, not to have someone from Connemara.”
Mhic Lochlainn also told this publication that Mary Lou McDonald had “no interest” in republicanism following false statements from the party leader that Sinn Féin’s by-election candidate, Mark Lohan, was capable of doing an interview and debate in Irish.
Mr Lohan subsequently confirmed that he was not, in fact, capable of debating through Irish.
Speaking to the Advertiser this week, Mhic Lochlainn was asked if she was worried about the disciplinary action being taken against her by the party.
“That’s one thing I’m not. I don’t care. Whatever way it will come, it will come and that’s that,” she said.
“They want me to answer questions...I’m going to answer the questions I got and that’s that, and I haven’t done so yet.”
However, the former local election candidate said she was saddened by the matter due to her decades-long involvement with the party.
“It was sad. From when I was with the Civil Rights [Movement], I’ve been with Sinn Féin throughout my life from that time.
“It will be sad for me, but at the same time I only want for people to be honest and to stand with the thing that they are saying. That’s it.”
The proceedings against Mhic Lochlainn have triggered more internal dissent among party members in Connemara.
In a press release issued this week, Spiddal-based Sinn Féin member Kevin O’Hara – who ran for the party in the 2024 local elections and also sought to be the party’s by-election candidate – said there was “neither rhyme nor reason” to the disciplinary actions against Mhic Lochlainn.
“Clearly Sinn Féin’s leadership is more interested in finding a scapegoat for the disastrous collapse in Galway, instead of looking to rebuild,” he said.
“Who benefits from expelling a long standing republican like Máirín Mhic Lochlainn? We would be better served by coming together to rebuild and move forward.”
Sinn Féin’s candidate, Mark Lohan, finished in seventh place in the Galway West by-election with 6.7 per cent of the vote share – approximately half that achieved by the party’s sitting TD, Mairéad Farrell, during the 2024 general election.
The race was ultimately won by Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne, although Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas topped the poll on 20.9 per cent.
During the by-election campaign, Mhic Lochlainn was asked by the Advertiser if her criticism of Sinn Féin might affect her own standing in the party.
“I suppose they won’t be too happy, but I have to tell them the truth,”
