Orphaned daughter of composer has had a remarkable rise in Sinn Féin

THE Sinn Féin candidate is the daughter of famed traditional composer Seán Ó Riada, and has caused controversy in the past for failing to describe IRA attacks as terrorism.

Liadh Ní Riada, a mother of three and MEP for Ireland South, worked in television before her foray into politics. She worked as a producer for RTÉ and served on the board that set up TG4, after being appointed by then-arts minister Michael D Higgins.

The Gaelgeoir (51) lost both parents at a young age and has talked about her upbringing in a povertystricken background.

Her father is widely credited for his part in the revival of traditional music in the 1960s, and died when she was aged four. Her mother died when Ms Ní Riada was aged 10.

Ms Ní Riada’s first husband also died when she was in her 20s and she has spoken about her experience with loss in the past.

She joined Sinn Féin in 2011 and was elected to the European Parliament in 2014.

Her selection as presidential candidate marks a remarkable rise to the top in the party.

In an interview with ‘Hot Press’, Ms Ní Riada courted controversy over a refusal to name IRA attacks as acts of terror.

Ms Ní Riada said that she didn’t “think you can be as black and white” when it came to describing the actions of the IRA.

Since her name was first floated as a potential presidential candidate, she has also been forced to clarify her position on the HPV vaccine after an interview she did with a Cork radio station resurfaced in which she said she had asked her daughter not to get it.

She has dismissed the suggestion that she is antivaccinations as “nonsense”, however, and said her concern was about a lack of information from the HSE.