Cork Cllr Karen Coakley quits Fine Gael over 'skullduggery' and efforts to 'undermine' her
Karen Coakley said Fine Gael was 'out of touch' and 'doesn't listen to voters' and said she therefore could no longer commit to the party.
A Cork Fine Gael councillor who stood for Fine Gael in the last election has resigned from the party citing "skullduggery" and efforts to "undermine" her.
Karen Coakley told a constituency AGM on Monday night that she would be leaving Fine Gael with immediate effect.
It comes less than six months after another Fine Gael councillor Katie Murphy resigned her seat on Cork County Council.
Ms Coakley ran for Fine Gael in the Cork South-West constituency with Senator Tim Lombard in 2020, however, the party failed to gain a seat for first time in over 60 years.
"We lost out on a TD due to renegade members and you know who you are," she told the meeting.
Ms Coakley cited a petition in the constituency, which had been set up ahead of the election calling for former councillor Noel O’Donovan to be added to the ticket.
It is understood she told the meeting that people had told "untruths about" her during the election campaign and party members had made "every effort to undermine me to the public eye".
She said as a result of "skullduggery" there were "very few" members who would canvass for her.
However, she said thanked her loyal supporters who "weren't intimidated and went above and beyond with assisting with the canvass".
She also told the meeting: "I am appalled that members who created these problems have not been reprimanded to date and were allowed to renew their membership without question."
Hitting out at Fine Gael, she said the party was "out of touch" and "doesn't listen to voters" and said she therefore can no longer commit to the party.
The Skibbereen-based councillor will now become an independent councillor.
The Fine Gael party has been contacted for comment.
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