'It’s taking Kerry into the gutter': Michael Healy-Rae calls for end to social media attacks
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Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has appealed for an end to "the politics of horribleness" after he and female members of his family were subjected to "outrageous" social media attacks in the run-up to the local elections.
An emotional Mr Healy-Rae described coming home one night from canvassing and opening up post with an image of his elderly mother who died in 2015. Everyone loves their mother, but he particularly adored his late mother, the TD said.
The TikTok image which he found in his email late at night was of an elderly frail Julie Healy-Rae and a picture of a sister of his and his wife.
His mother was frail and had a walking stick and there were "all these dirty things underneath," he said.
"It’s bullying, it's intimidating, it’s nastiness. It’s taking Kerry into the gutter," he said.
He did not wish to speak in advance of the local election, he said. However, the image of his late mother persuaded him to fight it and he is appealing now to the people of Kerry not to tolerate this kind of thing in the next general election, he said.
"When I see it coming into Kerry, this is what hurts me," Mr Healy-Rae told Jerry O’Sullivan on Kerry Today on Radio Kerry.
His family and friends "particularly have been attacked" he said. Images of his wife Eileen were used in some of the videos despite her wish to remain out of the public eye; as were images of close friends.
There were also calls to excommunicate him from the Catholic Church.
He said he has no difficulty with people questioning his business practices, referring to his role as a landlord of Ukrainian refugees.
A video dating up to 12 years ago in which he and his brother and fellow TD Danny Healy-Rae addressed the Bangladeshi community in Killarney was also circulated and "used in a derogatory way," he said.
It was circulated in order to damage the Healy-Raes giving the impression it was delivered only last week to people coming into the country.
Mr Healy-Rae said he is not looking for sympathy but is appealing to people in Kerry before the general election to say enough is enough.
"I’m saying it’s poor politics; I’m saying it’s poor society. I’d ask the good people of Kerry before the general election to say we won’t stand for that.
“Where are we going to finish up? Will we finish up shooting each other again? Call it out for what it is — the politics of horribleness, the politics of hatred, and of nastiness," he said.