Protest groups target Kilkenny councillor leading local ‘Irexit’ campaign
A KILKENNY councillor will contest this year’s local elections on an ‘Irexit’ platform.
Ferrybank-based politician Melissa O’Neill launched her election campaign at the Rhu Glenn Hotel on Friday.
The event sparked a backlash from some groups. Over the weekend O’Neill, a former Sinn Féin councillor, claimed staff at the hotel were subjected to abuse and that some protesters that turned up to the event had to be ejected from the hotel.
Cllr O’Neill took to social media to hit out at the protestors who targeted the end, calling them a “nasty, cowardly, undemocratic bunch”.
Despite widespread fears over the impact Brexit would have on jobs in Kilkenny and throughout the South East, Cllr O’Neill will be seeking to be re-elected on a platform calling for Ireland to leave the EU.
Irexit founder, the former journalist Hermann Kelly who is now Director of Communications for the EFDD Group in the European Parliament, attended Ms O’Neill’s campaign launch and spoke about Brexit and Ireland’s relationship with the EU.
