Sinn Féin has been left with egg on its face after it emerged that tens of thousands of leaflets were printed which gave the wrong date for the local elections.

The leaflets, which were prepared to introduce the candidates to the electorate in Meath and have already been distributed to some homes, wrongly state the local elections take place on Thursday, May 22nd.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan confirmed last month that polling will take place for the local and European elections on Friday, May 23rd.

Cllr Joe Reilly said yesterday the leaflets were printed before the date was released. "The 22nd had been the strongly rumoured date at the time," he said. "They were printed on the basis that it was going to be the 22nd. We had hoped for an all-Ireland [polling] day and the date of the 22nd was on those initial leaflets from the candidates. We couldn't wait for Big Phil."

Sinn Féin is running a number of candidates that have not stood in previous elections.