across Ireland, comparing them to the East German intelligence agency the Stasi. In January 2021, MacSharry attracted further controversy for his comments made during a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, in which he said that "if the Ku Klux Klan were selling a COVID-19 vaccine, Ireland should buy it". During his time in Fianna Fáil, MacSharry had been very critical of Micheál Martin, calling on him to resign as leader of Fianna Fáil multiple times. He first called on Martin to resign in June 2021 after it had emerged Fianna Fáil had used covertly polled voters while pretending to be independent pollsters. In July 2021, MacSharry again called on Martin to resign after Fianna Fáil's poor performance in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, in which Fianna Fáil's candidate Deidre Conroy received under 5 percent of the vote. It was revealed that month that MacSharry was seeking out TDs in his party to put forward a motion of no confidence in Martin. MacSharry published a paper, Now More Than Ever in July 2021 on the impact of COVID-19 related restrictions on the mental health of society suggesting no further lockdowns should be considered. On 15 September 2021, MacSharry resigned from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in order to vote against Simon Coveney of Fine Gael in a motion of no confidence resulting from the Katherine Zappone controversy. On 2 November 2022, MacSharry was prevented from rejoining Fianna Fáil following a row over the handling of a bullying complaint against him. Personal life MacSharry was married to Marie Murphy from 2003 to 2016, when they separated. MacSharry has three children and lives in Strandhill, County Sligo. MacSharry was an amateur actor appearing in several stage productions, winning the All-Ireland One-Act Drama Championship in 1997 and performing at a world drama festival in Monte Carlo with the Carlow Little Theatre Festival in August of that year. See also Families in the Oireachtas References 1973 births Living people Fianna Fáil senators Members of the 22nd Seanad Members of the 23rd Seanad Members of the 24th Seanad Members of the 32nd Dáil Members of the 33rd Dáil People educated at Castleknock College Politicians from County Sligo Fianna Fáil TDs Independent TDs