Frank McBrearty Jnr

Cllr Frank McBrearty Jnr
McBrearty in 2024
Donegal County Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office June 2009
Constituency	Lifford–Stranorlar (2019–present) Stranorlar (2009–2019)
Personal details
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Labour Party (2009–2013) Fine Gael (April to May 2019)

Frank McBrearty Jnr is an Irish politician and businessman, who has been a County Councillor on Donegal County Council since 2009. The son of Frank McBrearty Snr, McBrearty became known nationally as a result of the Morris Tribunal's ruling that police had tried to frame him for the 1996 murder of Richie Barron. McBrearty pursued the Irish state in a long-running legal battle to "restore his good name". In 2005, he settled all his claims against the Irish state.^[1][2]

McBrearty was in court in 2012, when a landmark judgement found in favour of him and his wife against Allied Irish Banks (AIB).^[3]

Politics

McBrearty ran in the 2009 local elections for the Labour Party.^[4] He stood in the Stranorlar local electoral area, and was elected to Donegal County Council.^[5][6] He was re-elected for the same area as an Independent in 2014.^[7] In late May 2019 he was again elected, this time for the Lifford-Stanorlar local electoral area, and for the Fine Gael party,^[8] having joined that party two months earlier.^[9][10] But by the start of June he had resigned from the party and said he intended to sue it for post-traumatic stress disorder, after claiming that he was "the victim of internal party bullying".^[9][10] He also threatened to "make the council unworkable" if he was "excluded from power-sharing".^[10] McBrearty has been accused of act(ing) like (a) thug... at a council meeting in Buncrana in which he allegedly and forcibly removed or stole a mobile device from another elected official. Gardai are investigating the incident, which McBrearty denies despite several witnesses. McBrearty has made reference to a phone being in the middle of the Atlantic.^[11]

References

1. "Frank McBrearty Jnr settles claims with State". BreakingNews.ie. 20 September 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2005.
2. "I'm not someone to be messed with – McBrearty". Donegal News. 12 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
3. "McBrearty delighted with bank settlement". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 19 May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
4. Regan, Mary (30 April 2009). "Frank McBrearty Jnr confirmed as Labour candidate". Irish Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
5. "Stranorlar Electoral Area". Donegal County Council. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
6. "Local Elections: Stranorlar – Donegal County Council (Ulster)". ElectionsIreland.org. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
7. "Local Elections 2014: Results" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. p. 102. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
8. "Elections 2019 – Local election – Results – Donegal County Council". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. May 2019. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
9. "Donegal councillor Frank McBrearty quits Fine Gael party". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 1 June 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
10. "Donegal councillor Frank McBrearty plans to sue Fine Gael". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019. Speaking to RTÉ's Raidió na Gaeltachta, Cllr McBrearty claimed he was the victim of internal party bullying and was not welcomed into the party by some elected representatives. ... If I am excluded from power-sharing I will make the council unworkable.
11. "Donegal councillor defiant over accusations he took colleague's phone during meeting".