Disgraced Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile texted third person

Former Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile sent inappropriate text messages to a third person after resigning from the Seanad, leading to accusations that Mary Lou McDonald had “emboldened” him with a glowing reference.

The SF leader was accused of having “concealed” his resignation of December 21, 2023, attributed to health problems at the time.

However, it was actually a complaint – received by the party months earlier – that he had sent inappropriate messages to a teenager.

Taoiseach Simon Harris accused Ms McDonald of “fooling” the public and the Oireachtas, having learned of the affair on September 13, but paying tribute to Mr Ó Donnghaile for his resignation from the Seanad in December.

She praised the former Lord Mayor of Belfast for “giving voice to northern nationalists in the Oireachtas” and wished him well for the future.

Ms McDonald admitted in the Dáil this week that the party had received a second complaint about inappropriate messages sent by Ó Donnghaile, this time to an adult man.

The Irish News reported yesterday that a man had received “numerous” messages from Mr Ó Donnghaile after he resigned from the Seanad.

He is the third man to report receiving inappropriate messages from him. Ms McDonald was called to apologize by former SF member Máiría Cahill, who was raped by IRA man Seamus Marley and subjected to a ‘kangaroo court’ in a party investigation, where she had to face her attacker.

Ms Cahill told the Mail she believed Ms McDonald’s statement had “emboldened” Mr Ó Donnghaile to continue sending inappropriate messages after his resignation.

She said: “Mary Lou McDonald should correct the Dáil’s record, apologize to the young person at the center of this matter and to others who received messages after the release of her public statement which never mentioned activities for which he resigned.”

“If she had informed the public of his activities and not hidden it, or if she had stated that he had served diligently, it is unlikely that others would have been uncomfortable.”

The Mail contacted Sinn Féin to ask if Ms McDonald would apologize.

A spokesperson said: “No, she has made a full statement and expressed her regrets to the Dáil.” Asked if Mr Ó Donnghaile could have been stopped from sending more messages if she had clarified the reason for her departure, he said: “You will have to ask her that.”

Mr Ó Donnghaile did not respond to a request for comment last night. SF implemented a “secret suspension” of Mr Ó Donnghaile on September 13, 2023, after a complaint that he had sent inappropriate messages to a child in the party’s youth wing.

The party found that he had sent inappropriate messages to a young adult at the same time as he became aware of the complaint about the child.

The adult mentioned in the Irish News article is the third person to have received inappropriate messages from him. Despite his suspension, Mr Ó Donnghaile announced his retirement on 21 December 2023, citing health issues.

SF said he was on “sick leave” after receiving the complaint and did not immediately expel him, due to concerns about his mental health.

Ms McDonald issued what was described in the Dáil as a “glowing” statement praising Mr Ó Donnghaile after his announcement, even though she knew he had been suspended.

She said he had spent almost eight years “giving voice to northern nationalists in the Oireachtas”.

“Niall served diligently during this period and, indeed, during his tenure as a member of Belfast City Council and as Ardmhéara Beál Feirste.”

“In particular, Niall made a valuable contribution to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement,” she said, adding that he was on “sick leave” after its suspension.

Oireachtas records show Mr Ó Donnghaile claimed more than €5,000 in travel expenses during his “secret suspension”.

Pressed for her statement by RTÉ this week, Ms McDonald said: “When I said in the statement that I wished him well, particularly in relation to his health, I meant it, and to this day I mean it and I wish his family good luck.’

Meanwhile, three senators have written to Ceann Comhairle, as chair of the Oireachtas Commission, to request an investigation into the resignation.

Mary Seery Kearney, Lynn Ruane and Alice Mary Higgins say the case represents “gross breaches” of the Oireachtas’ child protection policies under the Children First Act 2015.