Conlan warned potential pub assault charge would result in removal from FG election ticket
By Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner Political Editor
Cavan Monaghan TD Sean Conlan was told he wouldn’t be ratified as a Fine Gael candidate for the General Election if he was charged in relation to his
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Mr Conlan announced his shock resignation from the Fine Gael party on local radio this afternoon.
He will run as an Independent in the forthcoming election. The controversial TD said he is leaving because of Fine Gael’s failure to listen to his constituent’s views on the North South Interconnector pylon project, which will see hundreds of pylons constructed in his constituency.
“You feel that you represent your party as best you can. My father, my grandfather were all involved in Fine Gael. You are always proud to be involved in Fine Gael and represent Fine Gael but sometimes you feel Fine Gael is not supporting you,” he said.
“The individuals at the top didn’t listen to us on the ground in terms of what we want to do. And in terms of this project alone, the North South interconnector. I don’t think they have listened to us,” he added.
But, it has emerged that Mr Conlan was told in recent days by Fine Gael bosses that he would be booted off the General Election ticket, were he to be charged after he was arrested in connection with an alleged assault in a pub in August.
He was questioned in relation to an alleged assault which took place in a pub in Ballybay, Co Monaghan, on August 23 this year.
His resignation from the party followed less than 24 hours after the departure of Hugh McElvaney, a long-standing Councillor, who announced last night he was leaving Fine Gael amid a dispute over pylons.
A Fine Gael statement said: “We note that Seán Conlan has decided to resign from the Fine Gael party and wish him well for the future.”
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