For the record: I have only ever tried to act professionally towards CllrElisaODonovan despite her very unprofessional approach towards me when Ive sent her a request for comment, and she didnt like my coverage of her opposition to active travel routes or different elements of them.I had hoped that Cllr ODonovan had stopped making sweeping claims about me with no backing. But, regrettably, shes continued to make sweeping claims on social media this week. I cannot be fully sure what her issue is with me or this website, but a lot of it seems to stem from her problem with this website publishing articles reporting facts and analysing her objection to Limericks South Circular Road active travel project, as it is currently planned, and more minor objections to safety-focused corner narrowing on another project. Cllr ODonovan has claimed that Im working in cahoots with the Limrick Cycling Campaign on this. If she took a second away from her battles with such groups, she might realise that the Limrick Cycling Campaign actually shares her scepticism about the use of bollards in the project the difference is that they, unlike her, did not spread misinformation about the project or profess total opposition to it. Lets be clear here: Cllr ODonovan made no issue of the Limerick Leader reporting that she was completely opposed to the cycle route or reporting that she claimed that its a new scheme. She developed issues when I re-reported it and added a clearer context that the project follows the planning conditions set by her fellow councillors. So, claiming it was a new scheme was a misrepresentation (more details and links to the relevant coverage are below). Following this, she even claimed that the council were not providing detailed drawings for the project just weeks after she posted a photo of a public information event where the detailed design was shown.This week, Cllr ODonovan claimed on X:No I wont click on an Irish cycle blog post. They have previously made complaints about me and made unsubstantiated claims in blog posts about my family membersThis is the full context to the above Cllr ODonovan posting about the University Hospital Kerry bike hub and how she thinks the spending should be scrutinised. Among others who asked her to consider her position or other facts, the Safe Cycling Ireland account then shared an IrishCycle.com article covering the spending. As far as I can tell, IrishCycle.com has never included unsubstantiated claims about Cllr ODonovans family. To be clear: IrishCycle.com is happy to correct any errors in its articles, but no complaint has been received to substantiate Cllr ODonovans claim of unsubstantiated claims. Just vague comments made on public forums.Because of these types of vague, disparaging comments and apparent attempts at gaslighting or abuse, such as Im embarrassed for you. Pathetic (see below for context), I took the unusual position of making two complaints. There were also messages posted about and to me from some of her supporters, indicating that at least similar, if not worse, claims were possibly being made about me behind closed doors or via public channels, which I am unaware of.The complaint was sent to her party, the Social Democrats, and to Limerick City and County Council. The party one went nowhere as far as I know, and the council wanted me to put the complaint in a different format in PDF form on reflection, I decided not to resubmit that complaint, as I thought having something on record with both might be good enough for her to stop making actual, unsubstantiated claims about me. For clarity, I am including the full complaint here I hope it clears things up: ***STARTS***I would like to make a complaint about CllrElisaODonovans unprofessional behaviour towards me, which seems to fall short of what would be expected from a councillor from any party.I am a journalist who runs the small, transport-focused publication IrishCycle.com, which includes active travel routes in Limerick. Within the last month, Ive publishedthree articles about CllrODonovanspreading misinformationabout theSouth Circular Road Active Travel project. These are as follows two news articles followed by a comment and analysisarticle:Soc Dems cllr completely opposed to cycle route claiming its a new scheme when project follows planning condition set by councillorshttps://irishcycle.com/2025/05/09/social-democrat-cllr-completely-opposed-to-cycle-route-claiming-its-a-new-scheme-when-project-follows-planning-condition-set-by-councillorsLimerick councillor continues to spread misinformation on a key active travel routehttps://irishcycle.com/2025/06/06/limerick-councillor-continues-to-spread-misinformation-on-a-key-active-travel-route/Why is a Limerick councillor who says she supports active travel spreading misinformation on a key project?https://irishcycle.com/2025/06/11/why-is-a-limerick-councillor-who-says-she-supports-active-travel-spreading-misinformation-on-a-key-project/The facts outlined in my articlesare supported by my previous professional coverage of the South Circular Road Active Travel projects Part 8 proceedings, statements from the council via its press office and the councils legal advice on the Part 8 proceedings as published by local media.When I contacted CllrODonovanfor comment on the first article, on May 8th at 21:11, I wrote:Good eveningElisa,Ive seen the Limerick Post article and your Facebook posts outlining your opposition to theSouth Circular Road as approved by councillors after a lengthy Part 8 process.Can you please outline why you think the project as it stands is unworkable?I hope to cover this tomorrow or in the next fewdays.Thanks,CianCllrODonovanreplied May 8th 2025 at 21:22 as follows:Oh Cian Im embarrassed for you. Pathetic. If the limerick cycling campaign want to speak to me on this they can speak to me directly but of course they wont as they are cowards. I proposed this scheme by the way Cian but Im sure [name of individual who had noting to do with the enail removed] left that out.Ive blocked you on social media. Dont ever contact me againFor clarity: I regularly cover what councillors and other politicians say about active travel routes and other projects, and I was not working as an intermediary of the Limerick Cycling Campaign. To respect her wishes I did not contact her again, but to abideby journalistnorms, I checked with the Social Democrats press office if there was confusion about my questions etc and if she wanted to comment, there was no reply.Last week, when CllrODonovancontinuedto spread information about the South Circular Road project, I followed up with another news article and contacted theSocial Democrats press office again. They confirmed by phone that they had received my request, but they did not respond tothe request forcomment by the time given.On a video posted to Instagram yesterday, CllrODonovansaid:Over the weekend a second article came out about me in a publication in relation to me spreading misinformation [added context: at this point she signals sarcastic air quotes with her hand and contunes]on that South Circular Road active travel scheme and that led many men on Twitter [now X] calling me a liar. I just want to say that, look, Im so used to this, this is being purposefully being done to discredit me, so, I have just written a comment which Im going to put in the next post in relation to this. All I am asking for in relation to this scheme, I dont know how this is misinformation, all I am asking is for better collaboration between the active travel team and the community, and I am asking for information on the scheme. [added context: quote my transcript of her audio]Within the above, there is an unnamed but clear reference to the IrishCycle.com article published late on Friday afternoon. She also published a written statement, which further implies that misinformation is being used against her.The claim that the coverage is purposefully being done to discredit her has no basis in reality. The coverage on IrishCycle.com is within journalistic standards and covers an issue which is in the public interest. In responseto this, I wrote the third article, the comment article linked above, outlining CllrODonovans further examples of misinformation and how she was misrepresenting IrishCycle.coms news coverage.This afternoon, CllrODonovanreplied to an automated IrishCycle.com post on Bluesky that linked to the article.CllrODonovansaid:Nice work Cian! A nice touch to bring in my family too. Very reasonable and this 3rd article doesnt come across as some unhinged vendetta at all! As I said Im embarrassed for you. [link:https://bsky.app/profile/elisaodonovan.bsky.social/post/3lrdg6k2ors2z]This was clearly sarcastic and really makes the claim that there is an unhinged vendetta. There is no reason why I would have a unhinged or other vendetta against her, I am just trying to do my job.After a few comments, CllrODonovanblocked me on Bluesky, and that also blocks the thread for all users, but the following is an accurate representation of the posts in the main thread after that comment:@irishcycle.comat June 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM: I will be contacting SIPO.@irishcycle.comat June 11, 2025 at 4:07 PM: Re your family member, your sister is publicly campaigning against the project, including using paid Facebook adverts. Why is that not relevant? (1/2)@irishcycle.comat June 11, 2025 at 4:10 PM: SIPO outlines Cllrs must show Courtesy and respect should also be observed when using social media channels and written communications. Do you think youre living up to that with claims of some unhinged vendetta, calling me or my actions Pathetic and you being embarrassed for me?I took a screenshot of the thread before she blocked me:Her reply within this thread after that was:I stand by everything I have said about you! I am used to the far right and extremists placing SIPO complaints as well as all the cycling campaigners who have attempted multiple times to put in complaints about meso go aheadThis is a screenshot of the same:The councillor seems to be having active conflicts with a number of people and groups at once, and maybe seems to have an issue with confusing those battles. Otherwise, I do not understand why she is, in the case above, and also on social media, conflating different groups and people.I find her behaviour surreal and is nothing like what Ive encountered in around 15 years covering active travel routes and reporting on the words of councillors from all parties and independents. The last time a politicianacted even close to this unprofessionally towards me was when I was on placement as a student journalist, and a TD didnt like beingquestioned by a student. I cannot think of a single other time since that would come close.One of the strongest compliments I have received from councillors previously is that while they might not agree with everything I write in comment articles, they have viewed my coverage of council meetings on contentiousprojects or other issues as fair and accurate.CllrElisaODonovans behaviour seems to fall far short of the behaviour expected from councillors, and I would ask that you please act on this complaint. If you require anything else please let me know.***ENDS*** Some people would say that I should have just let this go, but I dont think its healthy in a democracy for councillors to go around claiming that journalists covering their objections to projects are making unsubstantiated claims without even trying to back them up.I also dont think its okay for councillors to go around claiming that journalists have an unhinged vendetta just because they follow up with more coverage after more claims were made against the project in question and then against this site. This website has a deep focus on active travel publishing three articles in close succession about a key issue is not unheard of. I hope Social Democrat councillors and members realise I have nothing against their party, and I have just been reporting on issues as they arise (in the main case above, the issues were first aired on the councillors own Facebook page and then on a local newspaper). This also isnt targeted at one person I have also covered issues with Social Democrats and other parties councillors in other parts of the country. Itll come as no surprise to readers that this website mainly covers the objections politicians from other parties have to active travel and public transport. Those parties being the main objectors does not mean it is not legitimate to cover issues where councillors from parties generally supportive of active travel have issues with projects, etc and, indeed, that does not even mean the councillors are always wrong; projects are not flawless.Councillors or council officials are not infallible, and nor is this website. Nobody is. Thats why this website checkings infromaion first and asks questions. Nobody is obliged to respond to a request for comment, but nobody should get abuse in reply to such a request.