Paddy Holohan: Controversial Sinn Féin councillor reinstated to party
Sinn Féin has reinstated controversial councillor Paddy Holohan, the party has confirmed.
The confirmation comes as the party's councillors on South Dublin County Council nominated Mr Holohan for Mayor of the county. Mr Holohan was not elected to the position.
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said:
“Cllr Paddy Holohan was recently readmitted to membership having served a five-month suspension. Nominations in respect of Council positions are a matter for Council groups. The party was not aware of his nomination.”
The ex-UFC star was suspended from the party in January after it emerged he had made comments regarding the alleged use of sexual extortion by women on his podcast.
Those comments followed other remarks Mr Holohan made about Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Irish heritage and the fact that he in Mr Holohan’s opinion does not represent a “family man”.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had declared herself "shocked and deeply disappointed" by Mr Holohan's comments on his podcast, where he had claimed underage girls were extorting men for money.
"There is some f****** scum women out there as well.
“And I just want to say to you, there’s a situation that I heard during the week… somebody was underage, the person didn’t know they were underage, the girl pursued the guy.
“Got whatever she needed, had pictures, had videos, and then said ‘I want 10 grand’.
“And that was, that wasn’t the first person, there was loads of them."
