Michael Sheehan leaves Fianna Fáil to run as an Independent in general election

Long-time Wexford Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Sheehan has left the party to run as an Independent candidate in the forthcoming general election.

Cllr Sheehan, who is based in the New Ross electoral area, has not been chosen as the second candidate on the Fianna Fáil ticket.

Instead, current Minister of State for Justice James Browne will run along with the country’s most decorated female referees and first time national candidate Michelle O’Neill.

The party announced her selection last Friday. Ms O’Neill, a retired FIFA soccer referee, failed to secure election as a councillor last June when she stood as a candidate for Verona Murphy’s Independent Alliance.

Cllr Sheehan, who is a former Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, has been a councillor for 25 years. He ran for the party in the last general election but failed to get elected.

The general election candidate said this morning: ”Serving with party colleagues has been an incredible journey, but the growing challenges facing our communities demand a more flexible, people-centred approach,” he said.

“My decision to run as an independent candidate reflects my commitment to putting the people of New Ross Town and District and the people of the Wexford constituency first, giving them real choice to vote for a local man born and reared in the town, if they choose to."

The number of seats up for grabs in the constituency are four and so far there are up to 11 candidates running in the forthcoming election tabled to be held later this month.

Informed sources indicate that Cllr Sheehan, who had sought selection from the party to run as the second candidate in this month’s general election, felt “badly treated”.