Former Sinn Féin mayor of Belfast Niall Ó Donnghaile continued to send “inappropriate” messages after he resigned from the party, it has emerged.
The Irish News has established an adult male was sent “numerous” messages by the former Sinn Féin councillor via social media over recent months that made him “feel uncomfortable”.
It is understood that at least one other adult has also received unwelcome messages from the former Sinn Féin leader in the Seanad.
Mr Ó Donnghaile resigned from Sinn Féin last year after it emerged that he sent inappropriate messages to a 17-year-old boy.
In the Dail on Wednesday, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald confirmed that another adult had received inappropriate text messages but chose not to make a formal complaint.
It has now emerged that others have also received unwanted messages from the once high-profile Sinn Féin activist.
The east Belfast native announced his resignation from the Seanad in December 2023, citing medical reasons for stepping down.
It is now known that he was suspended from the party last September after a complaint was received about the inappropriate messages to the teenager.
The matter was later referred to the PSNI by Sinn Féin.
Police say “safeguarding assessments and engagement with other statutory bodies were conducted at that time” and that “no formal complaint from any person was received”.
In October last year, weeks after his suspension, Mr Ó Donnghaile told Sinn Féin officials that he intended to resign from the party and the Seanad.
When he eventually stood down just before Christmas, Ms McDonald praised her former colleague and wished him “the very best for the future”, adding that she hoped he could overcome his “health challenges”.
In recent days she has said that the at the time the party was worried that publicly naming her ex-colleague “would be dangerous to his health”.
She added that she continued to have concerns for his mental health.
Mr Ó Donnghaile’s legal representatives were contacted.
