Fianna Fáil PRO behind Twitter insults to Hunger Strikers ‘resigns all positions’

» John Hedges & Mark Moloney

‘I have withdrawn from the Fianna Fáil internal elections to the party’s Ard Chomhairle and resigned from all positions I held in the party.’

STEPHEN KEARON, the senior Wicklow Fianna Fáil PRO and former advisor to Environment Minister Dick Roche in the last government, has resigned all positions in Fianna Fáil after tweeting that Margaret Thatcher deserved gratitude for ensuring Bobby Sands and his nine comrades “deservedly died painfully”.

The Fianna Fáil Wicklow Comhairle Ceantair PRO later added that the Hunger Strikers were now “burning in the eternal fires of Hell”.

Kearon’s comments provoked a huge backlash across Twitter, prompting several Fianna Fáil activists to immediately disown his views.

Fianna Fáil Head Office followed up by carpeting Dick Roche’s webmaster and special advisor.

Kearon has now issued a new statement to the online Wicklow News, saying:

“I deeply regret my comments and have apologised sincerely for the hurt and damage caused by my heated reactions on Twitter.

“Because of my error of judgment – and more importantly for the sake of the party – I have withdrawn from the Fianna Fáil internal elections to the party’s Ard Chomhairle and resigned from all positions I held in the party.

“I have no comment to add except to apologise again for the hurt and outrage I have caused.”

A statement from Fianna Fáil to the Wicklow News said:

“Further to your article of the 10 April 2013 which attributed remarks to Mr Stephen Kearon: I am instructed as PRO for Fianna Fáil in Wicklow to correct the record in that no such remarks were made by or on behalf of Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party.

“The individual mentioned in the aforementioned article no longer holds any position within the Fianna Fáil organisation.”

It is not clear if Kearon is still a member of Fianna Fáil.