Chai Brady
Ards Friary Concerns have been raised after cars were leafletted on behalf of a politician while people were celebrating Easter Mass in a friary in Donegal.
Leaflets promoting Fine Gael’s Michael McClafferty were distributed without permission at Ards Friary over the weekend.
The friary’s Guardian, Bro. Richard Hendrick OFM Cap., said he was “surprised” that it had happened.
“We most certainly didn’t [give permission]. There is an email going to Mr McClafferty’s office now telling him that anybody who wants to leaflet cars on what is essentially private property needs to ask permission first. So no, we received nothing, either in writing or request form.
Litter
“The other thing that it does more than anything is if people don’t use them or want them, they just throw them away and we’re left with the litter. So it’s an unfortunate fact.”
Bro. Hendrick said he would be contacting Mr McClafferty respectfully asking that “such a thing is not done in the future”.
When this journalist contacted Mr McClafferty using the mobile number printed on his leaflet, he became angry and demanded to know who had contacted the paper regarding the incident.
He refused to offer clarification on whether he was aware of the leafletting at the friary and did not answer a further email before this paper went to print.