Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald ready to face 'biggest political challenge of her career' after 'tough year'

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she has “never felt more prepared” to face the “biggest political challenge of her career” following a year that saw her “life turned upside down”. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Mirror ahead of the Sinn Féin think-in in Dublin on Monday, she also vowed that she will lead Sinn Féin into the next Dáil, regardless of whether the party is sitting on the Government or opposition benches. Ms McDonald revealed last week on Ireland AM that she had a “tough year”.

This started with her hysterectomy in 2023. Shortly after her own health scare, her husband Martin Lanigan’s bowel burst while they were on a trip to France. He was rushed to hospital, where it was discovered he had colorectal cancer.



He spent several weeks in ICU and now, a year later, is in the final stages of the road to recovery. READ MORE: Mary Lou McDonald says Oasis fans 'thrown under a bus' by 'working class group' over ticket prices READ MORE: Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald announces death of her father Ms McDonald’s father Paddy, with whom she has admitted she had a difficult relationship, passed away six weeks ago. Sitting in her office overlooking the Leinster House lawn, the Sinn Féin leader told the Irish Mirror that her family has been “through the mill”.

“Life throws curveballs at all of us,” she said. “Just in our case, it came at us in a succession. It’s been tough, but we've managed it.

Not just me, but my family as a whole. I have never been more ready [for a new political term]. Actually, I've never felt more prepared.

For the election, for the contest, that it'll be. “To go out and connect with people and to say to them that, 'not alone am I ready, but Sinn Féin is ready'. I can assure you, we're not going to disappoint people.

When the election starts, we will be out there.” Many people in Leinster House knew that Ms McDonald’s husband was unwell but were not aware of the severity of his illness. Many TDs commented that she did not “seem herself”, with a Sinn Féin-initiated review of the party’s performance of the local and European elections stating that the party wanted her to be “more firm” and her “absolute and authentic self”.

Ms McDonald said that regardless of anyone’s job, when “difficulties” and “trauma” present themselves, you have to “battle on”. She continued: “Was that testing? Absolutely. The review came back very clearly to me, people saying, ‘Be your authentic self’.

“They say women juggle and we multitask, I brought that to an extreme level. I think there was a sense that people needed to see the totality of what's going on in your whole life. But at every stage throughout all of this, my job has always been to lead and to lead from the front.

I did that. I'll continue to do that. “Now because, thank God, my husband is at the end game of what has been a very traumatic time for him, of course, that gives me an additional pep in my step.

I won't lie. How could it not? We're humans at the end of the day. Politicians aren't robots.

” She continued: “Having these brushes with really hard times, where the chips are really down and your life is turned upside down, that has equipped me better. I think it has made me stronger and it has made me more determined. The timing is great that I come to the end of all of that and now we face into a huge challenge.

The biggest political challenge of my career.” The local elections in June came as a blow for Sinn Féin. This time last year, it was expected the party could double its 81 council seats.

Instead, it gained just 21. Ms McDonald said that while the party made “modest” gains, the expectation was “so high” before the election. But were expectations too high? “I’ve asked myself that.

I would never want the party not to aim high. It was what it was.” Ms McDonald has been honest about her ambition to lead Sinn Féin into the next Government and become Taoiseach.

However, she is steadfast that she will continue to lead the party even if this involves another stint on the opposition benches. She said: “I am the leader of Sinn Féin. That is it.

Whatever happens, I lead. That is my job.” Sinn Féin has suffered a colossal fall in popularity in recent months.

From highs of 37 per cent in October 2022, the most recent Ireland Thinks poll from August put the party at 18 per cent. At the Fine Gael think-in in Tullamore last week, one TD told the Irish Mirror that if Ms McDonald was the leader of any other party, there would have been a heave against her. When this is put to her, she responds, “I’m sure they’d be delighted if I cleared off.

They’d have a going-away party.” The Government’s constant criticism of Sinn Féin is that the party “did not have policies”. Ms McDonald acknowledged that the party made a “really conscious effort” to “bring clarity for people” about where they stood on issues over the summer, with the launch of several documents.

This includes immigration, an issue on which Ms McDonald acknowledged the party had “failed to reflect where most people are at” following June’s local and European elections. She insisted this statement was not her party “pandering” to some cohorts by changing its policies rather than sticking by its original stance. “The failure to reflect where people are at is just a statement of reality that we have to accept,” she said.

“We represent the best of communities and the best of people, but they became frustrated with us because they did not hear us loudly enough or consistently enough, reflecting the concerns, the worries that they have around a situation that was being grossly mishandled by government. Just to be absolutely clear, I have never, we have never, and we will never pander to racism.” Ms McDonald also repeatedly called for asylum seekers to be housed in more “well-off areas” with “better resources”.

She denies this is due to the fact she does not have to worry about losing votes in affluent areas where Sinn Féin does not have strong support. She continued: “Let me be blunt about it. We can pick out nice [places in Dublin].

There's a world of difference between neighbourhoods in our city, let's be honest. There's neighbourhoods in this city where kids will go to community projects and they have multiple dinners on a Friday because they're not sure they're going to eat again until Monday. That's the case in some communities.

It's not the case in others. Some places are better off, are more connected, have more resources and are better placed. “You don't have to be Einstein to figure out that there are certain areas - and Dubliners could name them in our city - where that's not a good idea [to place asylum seekers].

It's not a reasonable ask on communities that are stretched to the pin of their collar.” She added: “This is about fairness, it’s also about common sense. It is about people using their cop on.

” The party also launched its 100-page housing document a fortnight ago, offering affordable houses for €300,000 under an arrangement where people do not own the land on which their home is built. The income eligibility, however, is just €90,000, which the Government argues would exclude many working people. Sources told the Irish Mirror that the average Garda and nurse in a relationship earn €95,000, putting them out of the range for Sinn Féin’s “affordable” homes.

The ending of the First Home scheme and the phasing out of the Help to Buy under Sinn Féin’s plans would further impact them. However, Ms McDonald denied the charge that her plan would prevent working people from buying a home. “I don’t know what the Government think people actually earn,” she said.

“The median income for the vast bulk of Irish households now is about €56,000. This idea that the Irish workers are on big inflated [wages], they're not for the most part.” With the Dáil returning on Wednesday, there is no doubt that the Government will swap online attacks about Sinn Féin’s policies for attacks exchanged face-to-face across the chamber.

It seems like Mary Lou McDonald will be ready and able for them. Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone.

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