Councillor Killian Forde was once considered the rising star of Sinn Féin, until he followed a recent countrywide trend and left for pastures new. The opening of the last decade – when Sinn Féin held a seat in Europe, and there was talk of a move into Government in the republic, and murmurings of Gerry Adams for President – seems a long time ago. These days a Councillor leaving Sinn Féin is no longer out of the ordinary