Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald marches into Laois to take on Brian Stanley in General Election fight

Sinn Féin party leader Mary Lou McDonald is set to go ont the canvas in Portlaoise as she bids to retain a seat for her party that was lost when Brian Stanley split in a bitter linger row.

Ms McDonald will accompany Laois Sinn Féin General Election candidate Maria McCormack on a tour of Portlaoise to meet with local groups and initiatives Wednesday, November 27. 

Ms McCormack has previously told the Leinster Express / Laois Live of her focus on the areas of mental health and disability supports in Laois, and hopes to show the Sinn Féin party leader the work carried out by the National Learning Network locally.

The pair will visit St Marys Hall to speak with local sporting groups around Portlaoise who have been campaigning for an upgrade of facilities.

Mary Lou McDonald's visit will finish with a walk through Portlaoise, and a visit to local locksmith Jack Nolan on Railway street.

Ms McDonald's visit is expected to take place from 11am onwards.

The party is battling to unseat Brian Stanley from winning the seat this time as an 'independent republican'. MORE BELOW PICTURE. 

PICTURED: Brian Stanley on the campaign trail with Laois Women's Shed.

The former Sinn Féin TD has announced this week that he is considering legal action following what he claims has been a "campaign of character assassination". 

"We have a leader of Sinn Féin that lied about the dates the complaints were received," Deputy Stanley said.

"That lied about the fact that there was a Barrister overseeing it. There was no Barrister. The only day they consulted a Barrister was on the day I resigned,” he claimed.

Ms McDonald has already visited Portlaoise during the campaign to help launch Ms McCormack's campaign at the Sinn Féin Convention. She told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that the outgoing TD should 'man up' and take responsibility for his actions.

Mr Stanley resigned from the party after an internal Sinn Féin inquiry reached a provisional finding against him of gross misconduct on grounds of alleged sexual harassment arising from an interaction he had with a Sinn Féin female member. 

The outgoing Laois Offaly TD resigned from Sinn Féin rejecting the findings before the process concluded. 

The matter has been referred to Gardaí arising from an allegation made by Mr Stanley regarding the actions of the woman who lodged an official complaint to Sinn Féin.