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 on May 1, 1969) is an Irish politician. She has been the Leader of the Opposition in Ireland since June 2020. She is also the President of Sinn Féin since February 2018. Mary Lou McDonald has served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, for the Dublin Central area since 2011.
Before her current roles, she was the Vice President of Sinn Féin from 2009 to 2018. She also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin area from 2004 to 2009.
On February 10, 2018, Mary Lou McDonald became the new leader of Sinn Féin. She took over from Gerry Adams at a special party meeting in Dublin. She is the first new leader of the party since 1983 and the first female leader since Margaret Buckley, who was president from 1937 to 1950.
She led Sinn Féin in the 2020 general election. The party had its best election ever, getting 24.5% of the votes. They won 37 seats in Dáil Éireann, which is the Irish Parliament. This was one seat less than Fianna Fáil and two more than Fine Gael.
After Micheál Martin became Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister) in June 2020, Mary Lou McDonald became the Leader of the Opposition. She is the first woman to hold this position. She is also the first person from a party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael to be Leader of the Opposition since 1927.
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Mary Lou McDonald's Early Life and Education
Mary Lou McDonald grew up in south Dublin. Her parents separated when she was nine years old. She lived with her mother in Rathgar. She has three siblings. Her sister Joanne was involved in a socialist republican party called Éirígí in the late 2000s and is a teacher.
Mary Lou McDonald's great-uncle, James O'Connor, was involved in a historical conflict. He was part of the Anti-Treaty IRA and faced a difficult situation during the Irish Civil War. In January 2023, McDonald shared that one of her siblings had transitioned from male to female in 2021. She said she was learning more about transgender issues.
She went to Rathgar National School and then to Notre Dame Des Missions. This was a Catholic all-girls school in Churchtown, South Dublin. She enjoyed debating there.
After school, Mary Lou McDonald studied English Literature at Trinity College Dublin. She also studied industrial relations at Dublin City University. In 1995, she earned a Master of Arts degree in European Integration Studies from the University of Limerick. She worked as a researcher and a consultant before becoming a politician.
Mary Lou McDonald's Political Journey
Mary Lou McDonald began her political journey by joining Fianna Fáil in 1998. However, she left the party after a year. She had different ideas about Northern Ireland and social justice. In 2014, she explained that she realized Sinn Féin was a better fit for her Republican views. She met Sinn Féin members through the Irish National Congress.
Working in Europe and First Elections
Mary Lou McDonald has been a part of the Sinn Féin leadership since 2001.
She first tried to get elected in 2002 for the Dublin West area. She did not win that election.
In 2004, Mary Lou McDonald became Sinn Féin's first MEP in Ireland. She was elected in the 2004 European Parliament election for the Dublin constituency. She received many votes. She was one of two Sinn Féin MEPs. The other was Bairbre de Brún, who represented Northern Ireland. In 2007, she was recognized for her work in employment policy. She was a member of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee.
She ran for election again in 2007 for the Dublin Central area but was not successful. In 2009, she became the Vice President of Sinn Féin.
In the 2009 European Parliament election, Dublin had fewer seats in the European Parliament. Mary Lou McDonald lost her seat to Joe Higgins.
Mary Lou McDonald has spoken against the Treaty of Lisbon. She has also said that the "EU/IMF deal must be turned down."
Becoming a TD (2011-2018)
Mary Lou McDonald ran for the Dublin Central area again in the 2011 general election. This time, she won the last seat in the area. After the election, she became Sinn Féin's spokesperson for public spending and reform. She was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee until 2017.
In 2012, she was named 'Opposition Politician of the Year' by a TV show called Tonight with Vincent Browne.
In November 2014, Mary Lou McDonald refused to leave the Dáil chamber. This happened after she was suspended during a vote. She had asked Tánaiste Joan Burton about payments for new water charges. McDonald felt that Burton did not answer her questions directly. She and other Sinn Féin members stayed in the chamber for over four hours to protest.
After being re-elected to the Dáil in the 2016 general election, she became Sinn Féin's spokesperson for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. She held this role until she became president of Sinn Féin in 2018.
Leading Sinn Féin (2018-Present)
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At a Sinn Féin meeting on November 18, 2017, Gerry Adams announced he would step down as party leader. He said a new president would be chosen within three months.
On January 20, 2018, Mary Lou McDonald was announced as the new president of Sinn Féin. She was the only person nominated for the role. She officially became president at a special party meeting on February 10, 2018, in Dublin.
In March 2019, some people criticized McDonald for walking behind a banner at the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade. The banner said "England Get Out of Ireland." Support for Sinn Féin in polls dropped after this. McDonald later apologized, saying she meant the message for the British state, not the English people.
On May 24, 2019, elections were held for the European Parliament and local councils. Sinn Féin lost seats in both elections. McDonald said it was a "really bad day" for the party and a "test" for her as leader.
However, in the 2020 general election, the party did very well. They received 24.5% of the first preference votes. This put them ahead of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. It was Sinn Féin's best general election result in modern history. In her own area, Dublin Central, McDonald received 35.7% of the votes.
McDonald called the party's success a "revolution." She said she wanted to form a government. She stated that Ireland was "no longer a two-party system." Many people believed McDonald's leadership helped Sinn Féin's strong performance.
Becoming Leader of the Opposition (2020-Present)
On February 20, 2020, Mary Lou McDonald was nominated to be Taoiseach, but she was not chosen. On June 26, 2020, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party formed a government together. This made Sinn Féin the largest opposition party. Mary Lou McDonald became the Leader of the Opposition. She called the new government a "marriage of convenience." She said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael tried to keep Sinn Féin out of government.
In March 2023, McDonald told Der Spiegel that she expected a vote on Irish unity to happen within the 2020s.
In the 2024 general election, Mary Lou McDonald was re-elected to the Dáil. She topped the poll in Dublin Central. Sinn Féin increased their number of seats by two, remaining the second largest party in the Dáil. They received 19% of the first preference votes.
On December 18, 2024, McDonald was again nominated as Taoiseach, but she was not chosen for the role.
About Mary Lou McDonald's Life
Mary Lou McDonald's husband, Martin Lanigan, works for Gas Networks Ireland. They have two children. She lives in Cabra, Dublin. She has learned Transcendental Meditation to help her stay calm and strong.
Her Health
Mary Lou McDonald has asthma. In April 2020, she announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She said she had recovered but developed pleurisy in her right lung. She was told she was no longer contagious. In 2023, McDonald shared that she had a hysterectomy. She recovered well and returned to her political work.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Lou McDonald para niños
