FF facing second party election crisis in Donegal

The Fianna Fáil Party is facing another crisis in Donegal, with one of its most promising councillors threatening to run against party ministers Mary Coughlan and Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher.

Councillor Brian O'Domhnaill is threatening to leave the party, and run as an independent, after a request by his cumann to run three candidates in Donegal South West was rejected.

It is a major blow for the party, still reeling from an enforced u-turn in Donegal North East following a similar threat by Deputy Jim McDaid.

Councillor O'Domhnaill says his party is out of touch: "Fianna Fáil headquarters needs to realise that the grassroots and the backbone of the organisation nationally is the cumann structure and the ordinary people up and down the length and breath of Ireland are not being listened to and it's diluting the function of the cumann across the constituencies."