Mary Lou McDonald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Lou McDonald
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McDonald in 2024
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| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office 27 June 2020 |
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| President | Michael D. Higgins |
| Taoiseach | |
| Preceded by | Micheál Martin |
| President of Sinn Féin | |
| Assumed office 10 February 2018 |
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| Vice President | Michelle O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Gerry Adams |
| Vice President of Sinn Féin | |
| In office 22 February 2009 – 10 February 2018 |
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| President | Gerry Adams |
| Preceded by | Pat Doherty |
| Succeeded by | Michelle O'Neill |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2011 |
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| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1 July 2004 – 20 June 2009 |
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| Constituency | Dublin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Louise McDonald
1 May 1969 Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (1998–1999) |
| Spouse |
Martin Lanigan
(m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Notre Dame School, Dublin |
| Alma mater |
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Mary Lou McDonald (born 1 May 1969) is an important Irish politician. She has been the Leader of the Opposition in Ireland since June 2020. This means she leads the main political party that is not part of the government.
She is also the leader, or President, of the political party Sinn Féin since February 2018. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Central since 2011. A TD is like a Member of Parliament in other countries.
Before becoming Sinn Féin's leader, she was the party's vice president from 2009 to 2018. She also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Dublin from 2004 to 2009.
In February 2018, Mary Lou McDonald became the first new leader of Sinn Féin since 1983. She was also the first woman to lead the party since Margaret Buckley in the 1930s. Under her leadership, Sinn Féin had its best election result ever in the 2020 Irish general election.
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Early Life and Education
Mary Lou McDonald was born on 1 May 1969, in Dublin, Ireland. Her parents separated when she was nine years old, and she lived with her mother in Rathgar. She has an older brother and younger twin siblings.
She went to an all-girls Catholic school called Notre Dame Des Missions in Churchtown, South Dublin. While there, she enjoyed debating.
After school, Mary Lou studied English Literature at Trinity College Dublin. She also studied industrial relations at Dublin City University. In 1995, she earned a Master's degree in European Integration Studies from the University of Limerick.
Before becoming a full-time politician, she worked as a researcher and a consultant. She also worked as a trainer in an educational trust.
Starting in Politics
Mary Lou McDonald began her political journey by joining the Fianna Fáil party in 1998. However, she left after just one year. She found that her views, especially on Northern Ireland and social justice, were different from the party's main ideas. She soon realised that Sinn Féin was a better fit for her Republican beliefs.
Early Elections and European Parliament
Mary Lou McDonald became part of Sinn Féin's leadership team in 2001. Her first attempt to be elected was in the 2002 Irish general election, but she was not successful.
In 2004, she made history by becoming Sinn Féin's first MEP from the Republic of Ireland. She was elected for the Dublin constituency. As an MEP, she worked on issues related to employment and social affairs. She was even nominated for an 'MEP of the Year' award for her work in employment policy.
She tried again to become a TD in the 2007 Irish general election but was not elected. In 2009, she became the vice president of Sinn Féin.
In the 2009 European Parliament election in Ireland, Dublin had fewer seats available. Mary Lou McDonald lost her MEP seat in a close race.
Becoming a TD (2011–Present)
Mary Lou McDonald ran for the Dublin Central constituency again in the 2011 Irish general election. This time, she was successful and won a seat in Dáil Éireann, the Irish parliament. After this, she became Sinn Féin's spokesperson for public spending and reform.
In 2012, she was named 'Opposition Politician of the Year' by a TV show.
In 2014, she refused to leave the Dáil chamber after a vote to suspend her. She was protesting because she felt a government minister was not directly answering her questions about new water charges. She and other Sinn Féin members stayed in the chamber for over four hours.
She was re-elected in the 2016 Irish general election. She received the most votes in her constituency. After this, she became Sinn Féin's spokesperson for Mental Health.
Leading Sinn Féin (2018–Present)
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In November 2017, the then-leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, announced he would step down. Mary Lou McDonald was the only person nominated to take his place. On 10 February 2018, she officially became the President of Sinn Féin.
In March 2019, Mary Lou McDonald faced some criticism for walking behind a banner during a St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City. The banner had a message that some people found offensive. She later apologised, saying she believed the message was aimed at the British state, not the English people.
Later in 2019, Sinn Féin had a difficult time in the European and local elections. They lost many seats and votes. Mary Lou McDonald admitted it was "a really bad day" for the party.
However, the party bounced back strongly in the 2020 Irish general election. Sinn Féin received the most first-preference votes, which was their best general election result in modern history. Mary Lou McDonald herself topped the poll in her Dublin Central constituency.
She called the party's success a "revolution." She said that Ireland was "no longer a two-party system," meaning that other parties like Sinn Féin could now lead the government. Many people said her leadership helped the party's success.
Leader of the Opposition (2020–Present)
On 26 June 2020, three other parties formed a government. This made Sinn Féin the largest opposition party. Mary Lou McDonald then became the Leader of the Opposition. She was the first woman to hold this important role. She was also the first person from a party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael to be Leader of the Opposition since 1927.
She described the new government as a "marriage of convenience." She believed that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had worked together to keep Sinn Féin out of government.
In March 2023, Mary Lou McDonald said she expected a vote on Irish unity to happen within the next ten years.
In the 2024 Irish general election, Mary Lou McDonald was re-elected as a TD for Dublin Central. Sinn Féin increased their number of seats, remaining the second-largest party in the Dáil.
Personal Life
Mary Lou McDonald is married to Martin Lanigan. They have two children together. She lives in Cabra, Dublin. She has said that she practices Transcendental Meditation to help her stay calm and grounded.
Health
Mary Lou McDonald has asthma. In April 2020, she announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She recovered from the illness but developed pleurisy, which affected her lung. In 2023, she had a hysterectomy, a type of surgery. She recovered well and quickly returned to her political work.
