Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has pushed back against questions about her leadership and described by-elections as “a peculiarity in the system” following a difficult day for the party at the polls.
McDonald acknowledged it was “not our day” in Galway West, where Sinn Féin candidate Mark Lohan gathered 6.5% of first preference votes based on an unofficial tally, but described the race in Dublin Central as “tight,” reports Breaking News.
Social Democrats candidate Daniel Ennis topped the poll in Dublin Central — McDonald’s own constituency — with 4,903 first preferences, followed by Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan on 4,348. The quota to be elected is 12,435.
Boylan said she was “very happy” with how the campaign went and described it as “a great election” for the party, reports Breaking News.
She said there was “no confusion” for voters about the party’s identity, reports Breaking News.
“We’re an Irish republican party, we’re a party of a united Ireland and we’re a party of the left, we’re a party of social justice, of economic justice and equality,” she said. “We are very much a party that is about progress, about advancement.
We are a party of working people in the first instance, we believe that everybody has to have a decent standard of living, a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” reports Breaking News.
“Notwithstanding the fact that we’re not lifting the cup today here in Galway West, we will be returning to the Dáil to get on with our work,” she added, reports Breaking News.
McDonald added: “By-elections are peculiar, they’re peculiar to the constituencies in which they’re held, and no seat is ever easy to win,” reports Breaking News.
She said the party would reflect on the results but remained confident ahead of the next general election, reports Breaking News.
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