Former MMA fighter Paddy Holohan is no longer a member of Sinn Féin.
The Irish Times reports the party confirmed that the controversial Tallaght councillor has chosen not to renew his membership.
“He is therefore no longer a member of Sinn Féin and no longer represents Sinn Féin on South Dublin County Council,” a party spokesperson said.
Mr Holohan topped the poll for Sinn Féin in the West Tallaght local electoral area in 2019, already recognisable from a career in MMA fighting cut short due to injury.
However, within months of his election Mr Holohan made controversial comments about then taoiseach Leo Varadkar in his weekly podcast, claiming Mr Varadkar was “separated” from Irish history because of his heritage.
The former taoiseach’s father is Indian. Mr Varadkar accepted Mr Holohan’s subsequent apology.
Mr Holohan was also suspended from Sinn Féin in January 2020 after it emerged that in another podcast he claimed he had heard of “loads of” underage girls pursuing men and then blackmailing them.
Though he was reinstated to the party later last year, its leadership blocked a move by his Sinn Féin colleagues on South Dublin County Council to nominate him as a mayoral candidate.
