Mayo Fianna Fail councillor doubles down on calls for Martin to go

A LONG-serving Fianna Fáil councillor in Mayo has defended his call for a new party leader warning that continuing to delay will only deepen the disconnect between the leadership and ordinary members.

Westport-based councillor Brendan Mulroy, a Fianna Fáil councillor for over 25 years, is calling for an immediate leadership contest within the party, which Micheál Martin has led since 2011.

"I just feel I can't sit by idly and let the party self-destruct," he said. "The people on the street are now disillusioned with the Fianna Fáil leadership, and that really goes back to the protests in the last week."

Mulroy was particularly struck by who was out on the streets demonstrating. "These people didn't just arrive from the moon. These people who were protesting were our neighbours, our friends, our relations, the people we grew up with. They were people of the centre, within our communities — and that's what was the real concern for me. That's why Fianna Fáil and the Government were completely out of step. They underestimated the anger of the Irish people. And that's why I'm calling for a leadership battle in Fianna Fáil.

"A lot of people are saying it privately. They're not willing to go out and say it, but I've no difficulty saying it, because if I don't say that, I'm not representing the people who put me in the position I'm in today," he added.

Mulroy said his view reflects what he hears from people on the street every day, not just within party circles. He pointed to a series of missed opportunities for the party to address the leadership question — most notably after the controversy over the selection of Jim Gavin as a potential presidential candidate without adequate grassroots consultation. A subsequent internal report, he said, failed to address the real concerns of ordinary members.

"We waited for a report. That really was nothing — it didn't prove anything. And that was the time for the leadership battle, as far as I'm concerned," he said.

While acknowledging the argument that the party should hold off until Ireland's EU presidency concludes, Mulroy dismissed it as kicking the can down the road. "I can see the logic in the European presidency. I can see why people would say that, and I understand that completely. But what are we saying — when that's over, then we're going to spark a leadership debate? We're talking about January. My point is, why wait?"

Mulroy paid tribute to Micheál Martin's years of service but said the time for change had come. "He has served the Fianna Fáil party and served the country. But now we need a change of direction," he said.

His comments put him at odds with several of his Mayo councillor colleagues. East Mayo based councillor John Caulfield argued firmly that "now is not the time to be changing leaders," pointing to the global uncertainty facing families and businesses.

Cllr Al McDonnell said he disagreed with the principle of any heave, warning it generates division, while Cllr Damien Ryan — though calling for a broader party review — stopped well short of demanding a contest, expressing full confidence in Martin's ability to lead Ireland's EU presidency.

Kiltimagh based councillor Adrian Forkan, told The Mayo News that there has to be leadership change before the next election and acknowledged that a leadership change before the next general election is now openly discussed, but suggested it would ultimately be a matter for the ard chomhairle.

Cllr Forkan said that local representatives need more input into party policy.

Mulroy was careful not to speak for his colleagues. "I can only speak for myself. I can't speak for the other elected members. It's entirely up to them — they have the same opportunity as me to go public on this," he said.

The intervention comes as Fianna Fáill continues to deal with the fallout from the fuel crisis protests, which have reignited internal tensions within the party. It is not the first time Micheál Martin's leadership has been under threat. Similar uprisings flared in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and again in 2025, though each previous rebellion ultimately burned out.

Whether this latest wave of discontent will prove different remains to be seen, but Mulroy's decision to speak publicly when others will not suggests the pressure on the leadership is unlikely to ease soon.

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Intriguingly, one of the men touted to contest a future Fianna Fáil leadership election will be in Westport today for the GRA conference.

Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, will undoubtedly be asked about his own ambitions when he speaks to the press.

All ten Fianna Fáil county councillors in Mayo were contacted by The Mayo News with half responded to queries at the time of going to press.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme