Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien announces retirement from politics

Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien has announced that he is stepping down from politics at the next general election.

Mr O’Brien has been a TD in Cork North-Central since first being elected in 2011. He is the third TD in the constituency elected in 2016 who will not be contesting the next general election. Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher vacated his seat after being elected to the European Parliament, while Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy has departed in controversial circumstances to take up a role in the European Commission.

Mr O’Brien said at the age of 48 and having been in full-time politics for 20 years, he wanted to do something different.

“This has been a difficult decision for me to make and it is one that I have made after several months of consideration,” he stated.

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“I have contested seven elections on behalf of Sinn Féin and I want to thank the voters for giving me the opportunity to represent them. I have always served in public office to the best of my ability as a proud member of Sinn Féin, as an Irish Republican and a socialist.

“After two decades, I feel the time is right to pursue new personal challenges and opportunities, and to step down knowing I have played a part over many years in ensuring Sinn Féin is in a very strong position in Cork North Central.

‘Privilege and honour’

“I have had the great privilege and honour to serve the people of Cork for 20 years as a Sinn Féin elected representative, first as a member of Cork City Council for 11 years, and the last 9 years as a TD,” he said.

Mr O’Brien made the announcement in advance of the party’s selection convention on Saturday, January 18th.

Mr O’Brien has been one of the most vocal critics of the Football Association of Ireland [FAI]during the organisation’s recent troubles. As a former chairman of Cork City FC, he told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport that League of Ireland supporters had known for years how the FAI operated.

“They have ridiculed us, they have laughed at us, they threw some of us out of football grounds,” he said.

“We were not the problem child. The FAI were the absentee fathers who didn’t give an absolute ******** about the League of Ireland.

“We have a situation where the very future of Irish football is on the brink here. It is on the brink and we are reliant on organisation which has proved it cannot operate with due diligence to actually be the guardians and savours of Irish football.”