'There's no point in being a dead politician' - Limerick Sinn Féin councillor quits politics

John Costelloe said he was suffering an ongoing threat to his life from a local drug gang after he highlighted their illegal activities

Sinn Féin Cllr John Costelloe: "There were days where I was contemplating going for a long walk and not coming back, really bad days.” Photo: Liam Burke/Press 22

Suffering “burnout”, a long-term battle with “depression”, and being told by gardaí of a credible threat to his life has convinced Sinn Féin Limerick city councillor John Costelloe to step away from politics for good.

Co-opted onto Limerick City Council after Maurice Quinlivan was elected to the Dáil in 2016, Cllr Costelloe had retained the party’s local seat in 2019 from which he will officially resign on March 28.