Mary Lou is set for SF party leadership

Sinn Féin rivals exit race to succeed Gerry Adams

MARY Lou McDonald is set to become the next Sinn Féin president after a number of other contenders ruled themselves out of the race.

She is expected to confirm today that she is interested in succeeding Gerry Adams.

The Dublin Central TD returns to the Dáil following a landmark Sinn Féin ard fheis at which Mr Adams dramatically called time on his 34-year leadership career.

Ms McDonald’s only perceived rival i n the South, f i nance spokesman Pearse Doherty, has ruled himself out of running because he has a young family and lives far from the Dáil in Co. Donegal.

The party’s leader in the North, Michelle O’Neill, has also indicated that she will not contest the position. Housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin also confirmed he would not be putting his own name forward.

Ms McDonald, 48, will thus probably find herself unopposed for the role. A number of TDs have already declared their support for Ms McDonald. Louise O’Reilly, who represents Dublin Fingal, and David Cullinane, who represents Waterford, confirmed they would be backing the Dublin Central deputy.

Mr Adams on Saturday told the ard fheis that he would step down as party president next year. He said that a special meeting of the party would be called to elect a successor.

Ms McDonald f i rst j oined Fianna Fáil in 1997, defecting to Sinn Féin a year later, becoming deputy leader in 2009. She’s from Dublin’s affluent Rathgar and was educated at Notre Dame, a private school in the city. The Trinity graduate joined Sinn Féin and unsuccessfully ran for the Dáil in 2002 and 2007 before finally being elected in 2011. She became Sinn Féin’s first MEP in the Republic in 2004 but lost her seat in 2009.

Toiréasa Ferris, daughter of former convicted gunrunner Martin Ferris also confirmed yesterday that she will be putting her name forward to contest his seat when Mr Ferris, like Mr Adams, steps down from the Dáil at the next election.

A former mayor of Kerry, Ms Ferris said of her father’s decision: ‘It’s a matter of controversy in my family because a lot of the members of the family didn’t know, other than those who are Sinn Féin members.’

However, she said, Mr Ferris had let it be known to local party members in Kerry that he wouldn’t be standing in the next general election.

Meanwhile Sinn Féin Dublin Midwest TD Eoin Ó Broin said that any government Sinn Féin would join would have to be serious about tackling housing and homelessness, problems in the health service, childcare provision and issues around low-paid work. ‘It would require significant increases in investment in public services and an end to tax breaks for the rich,’ he told RTÉ Radio.

However, Fine Gael j unior minister Patrick O’Donovan said that Sinn Féin was not fit to govern. ‘ It i s completely beyond the bounds of possibility for me to countenance coalition with Sinn Féin,’ he said.

‘There are serious issues arising from their own former members about a culture of bullying and intimidation in that party.’

Mr Ó Broin said he was of a generation that is totally committed to democratic politics. ‘People need to judge politicians on their records,’ he said.

Comment – Page 12 senan.molony@dailymail.ie

‘It’s a matter of controversy’