Irish Antifa Project: Green Party 2020 Candidate Tate Donnelly and Ógra Fianna Fáil Member Sean-Diarmuid Kelliher

This is the second part of an undercover investigation into the tacit and sometimes overt support for antifascist harassment among elements of the Irish media and political class. We advise you to listen to all leaked audio and read all leaked data in full before reading the below article. All audio can be found on our Youtube. Audio has been edited in parts for legal reasons, as well as to protect the names of third parties.

The first recording of interest comes from a conversation which one of our undercover journalists had with Tate Donnelly. Tate Donnelly ran as a candidate for the Green Party in the last election in the constituency of Cavan Monaghan, where he amassed over four thousand votes. According to the Green Party website, Donnelly was also elected to the Green Party National Executive Committee last summer.

In our phone call with Mr Donnelly, he passes on the info of another election candidate from last February, Con Óg Ó Laoghaire, who ran on behalf of the Irish Freedom Party in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. Mr Donnelly described Mr Ó Ó Laoghaire as both a ‘racist’ and a ‘fascist’, when passing his name onto @IrishAntifa. Mr Donnelly also had interesting things to say in regards to politically motivated violence. When asked about whether he’d disavow @IrishAntifa if they took part in politically motivated violence, Mr Donnelly said to our undercover journalist “I love watching a bit of milkshake to the face”. Mr Donnelly also agrees to pass on the names of any ‘fascist’ he comes across in the future to @IrishAntifa. 

In regards to the recording, Con Óg Ó Laoghaire made the following statement:

“I find it unsettling that one of my peers — both through academia and as political candidates — would pass my name on to a group known for harassing targets. I have no interest in being confronted outside of the political arena, and so I will be filing a complaint with the College against Mr. Donnelly.”

The second recording of interest comes from a phone call one of our undercover journalists had with Sean-Diarmuid Kelliher. Mr Kelliher is currently treasurer of Ógra Fianna Fáil in Queen’s University Belfast.

In the recording, Mr Kelliher passes on information pertaining to former party colleague Mr Niall McCall. In the recording, Mr Kelliher says Mr McCall felt like he was being “bullied” and that he was “pushed out” of the party for his conservative views, something that Mr Kelliher described as “it was necessary”.

Mr Kelliher also expressed support for political violence against the ‘far-right’, and when asked if he’d be willing to join our undercover antifa reporter in Belfast to confront the ‘far-right’ there alongside the representative to “give these people slaps potentially”, he confirmed he would as long as it did not clash with his college work.

In a statement regarding the matter, Niall McCall made the following statement: 

“Having listened to the comments made by Mr Kelliher, I am struggling to put my response into words. However, I think that the actions of Mr Kelliher warrant his immediate expulsion from the Fianna Fáil Party and a lifetime ban. His conduct is reprehensible and unbecoming of someone in his position as Treasurer of Ógra Fianna Fáil at Queen’s University Belfast”

In relation to both recordings, Party Leader of the Irish Freedom Party Hermann Kelly had the following to say:

 “Rather than address the issues that the Irish Freedom Party has been courageous enough to address they would instead attempt to silence its members by threats and intimidation. I’ve got news for them; it won’t work.

These leftist activists are fascist by their action as they clearly oppose free speech and open debate of policy and wish instead to physically harm or professionally damage those whose views they do not like. Their arguments are so weak they currently rely on bullying and intimidation not arguments and facts.”

Neither Mr Tate Donnelly nor Mr Sean-Diarmuid Kelliher responded to request for comment.

Full recordings of both conversations can be found here:

Tate Donnelly: https://youtu.be/IKHePUa8nUI 

Sean-Diarmuid Kelliher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8goGdEkca_c&feature=youtu.be