Sinn Féin set to act on council split

Sinn Féin looks set to discipline three of its own county councillors after they yesterday refused to back a party colleague in an election for chairman of a county council.

They abstained from voting for party candidate Michael O’Connor, a recently co-opted councillor, to become chairman of Wicklow County Council.

The party last night blamed the failure of the three councillors to attend a strategy meeting at which the nomination had been discussed in advance.