Fianna Fáil disowns PRO's tweets about H-Blocks Hunger Strikers 'in Hell'

» Mark Moloney

A Fianna Fáil statement described Kearon's comments as 'totally unacceptable'

CONTROVERSIAL Wicklow Fianna Fáil PRO Stephen Kearon has withdrawn from internal Fianna Fáil elections following a storm of outrage after he said on Twitter that Margaret Thatcher deserved gratitude for ensuring Bobby Sands and his nine comrades “deservedly died painfully”. He later added that the Hunger Strikers were now “burning in the eternal fires of Hell”.

Kearon's comments provoked anger across Twitter, prompting several Fianna Fáil activists to disown his views.

Fianna Fáil has now released a statement distancing the party from the comments.

It said his tweets “do not in any way represent the views” of the party, describing the comments as “totally unacceptable”.

Kearon, previously a Special Government Advisor to Environment Minister Dick Roche in the Fianna Fáil/Green Government, subsequently posted an apology on his Twitter profile, saying his comments had been "in bad taste".

The Wicklow News is reporting that failed local election candidate Kearon is withdrawing from contesting elections to Fianna Fáil's Committee of Twenty decision-making body due to be elected at the party's Ard Fheis at the end of April.

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady described the Ballinaclash Fianna Fáil man's comments as “disgusting and disgraceful”.

A Facebook campaign calling for Stephen Kearon's expulsion from Fianna Fáil has so far received over 1,200 'likes'.