'We've gone through hell' Sinn Féin Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley reacts

The wife of Laois former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has described the past five months as "hell".

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley says she is refusing to resign from the party until she gets answers from senior members.

She spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live just ahead of Brian's announcement to retain his seat in Laois in the 2024 General Election. 

“I’m relieved. It’s been a long tough road for the last five months. Tough on our family. Behind the politicians, we’re human, Brian has two children, a granddaughter and they’ve been shocked and horrified over what’s gone on over the last five months.

"I’m delighted to see Brian, after 40 years of service to Sinn Féin putting this campaign in place and retaining his seat as an independent.

"I’m 27 years with Sinn Féin and over the last five months we’ve gone through hell. I haven’t had the weight of a phone call from anyone at leadership level. Not as much as a phone call to see how I am, to see how Brian’s children are, to ask about his granddaughter.

“Forty years and 27 years seems to have had no value, and that’s very hard to accept," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

“We’ve had a great team out canvassing with us, an awful lot of former Sinn Féin members are here with us. Some first time canvassers never canvassed before in their lives. 

“For me it was about supporting my husband and supporting my family," she said.

She confirms that many stalwart Laois Sinn Féin members have left the party to support Brian Stanley, including former Mountmellck councillor Stephen Lynch and Dickie Fitzpatrick who is a lifelong party member.

“Sadly that is the reality, they’re outside of the organisation. Almost I would go as far as far as saying 85% of the organisation in Laois is now outside of the organisation.

“This crap about a great organisation being left in Laois, I can tell you there’s about two members in the Portlaoise Cumann, similar in Mountmellck, Portarlington was a wipeout after Aidan Mullins left, two in Borris-in-Ossory and they have a cumann in Graiguecullen. 

"There’s been an absolutely outright attack on Brian by some members. Six to seven members of Laois Sinn Féin went out of their way to absolutely destroy Brian Stanley, to end his political career and then came after my family, including me. A huge effort behind the scenes to get me out of the party.I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.

“The Sinn Féin party locally ran a very negative campaign. They have drafted in people that were expelled out of the part 11 years ago, they were out canvassing and putting up posters and slating Brian Stanley on the doors," she claimed.

Asked will she now resign the party, she said she wants answers first.

“I’ve had standard emails that any member of the party would be afforded and no contact whatsoever. I’m going nowhere until I get answers to questions that I have. I want to know why my family have been treated despicably over the last five months.

"I want to know what Sinn Féin have to say about blackmail. They’ve been silent on that. I want to know why 85, 90% of the party is outside the organisation. Who’s going to be held responsible for that?

“I’ve no announcement to make and I won’t be bullied by anyone.

"This is very embarrassing for Sinn Féin at leadership level and they have serious questions to answer. I want to know how I, as a Sinn Féin councillor or any member, any local law abiding decent citizen, looking to come into the organisation, how are you meant to function in this type of an organisation, where it’s toxic, unfortunately. 

"I want the focus today to be on my husband, our children, his granddaughter, on the campaign team that helped us to achieve what we’ve achieved today. The rest will be dealt with at a later stage," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.