Mary Lou McDonald | |
|---|---|
.jpg) McDonald in 2024 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office 27 June 2020 | |
| President | Michael D. Higgins |
| Taoiseach | |
| Preceded by | Micheál Martin |
| President of Sinn Féin | |
| Assumed office 10 February 2018 | |
| Vice President | Michelle O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Gerry Adams |
| Vice President of Sinn Féin | |
| In office 22 February 2009 – 10 February 2018 | |
| President | Gerry Adams |
| Preceded by | Pat Doherty |
| Succeeded by | Michelle O'Neill |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2011 | |
| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1 July 2004 – 20 June 2009 | |
| Constituency | Dublin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Louise McDonald 1 May 1969 Churchtown, 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 | |
| Website | Official website |
Mary Louise McDonald (born 1 May 1969) is an Irish politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition in Ireland since June 2020, as President of Sinn Féin since February 2018, and as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central constituency since 2011. She previously served as vice president of Sinn Féin from 2009 to 2018 and as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency from 2004 to 2009.[1]
On 10 February 2018, following a special ardfheis (party conference) in Dublin, McDonald succeeded Gerry Adams to become Sinn Féin's first new leader since 1983 and the party's first female leader since Margaret Buckley (president from 1937 to 1950).[2][3] She led the party into the 2020 general election, in which Sinn Féin delivered its best ever general election performance, attaining 24.5 percent of the vote and winning 37 seats in Dáil Éireann, one fewer than Fianna Fáil and two more than Fine Gael.[4]
Following Micheál Martin's appointment as Taoiseach in June 2020, after the formation of a Fianna Fáil, Green Party and Fine Gael coalition government, McDonald became Leader of the Opposition. She is the first woman to occupy that position and the first to come from a party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael since the Labour Party's Thomas Johnson in 1927.
- ^ "Mary Lou McDonald". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ "Mary Lou McDonald confirmed as new leader of Sinn Féin". The Irish Times. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ Roberts, Rachel (20 January 2018). "Mary Lou McDonald becomes first woman to lead Sinn Fein in modern times after succeeding Gerry Adams". The Independent. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "General Election Results | RTÉ News". Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via www.rte.ie.