Banner stunt is an act of desperation

WHEN Mary Lou McDonald finished her first ard fheis as leader of Sinn Féin with a cry of, ‘Up the rebels agus tiocfaidh ár lá!’, many chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. While the words were unnecessarily inflammatory, it was her first major speech in her new role and it was possible to imagine she had simply got carried away in the heat of the moment.

However, there is no such defence available for her decision to march in the New York St Patrick’s Day parade holding a banner that read, ‘England get out of Ireland’.

This was by its nature a calculated and considered act. Ms McDonald knew how it would be perceived – and at a hugely sensitive time in Brexit negotiations.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney was quite right to point out that this is not leadership – and to contrast Ms McDonald’s behaviour with the dignity and compassion shown by New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist atrocity.

The reality, of course, is that Ms McDonald’s behaviour is an act of political desperation.

Under her leadership, Sinn Féin has made absolutely no advance in the polls. The party performed disastrously in last year’s presidential election. While she may try to distance herself from the campaign, Ms McDonald is the party leader and the buck must stop with her.

Already, patience in Sinn Féin is growing thin with a leader who is still seen by many in the grassroots as a middle-class blow-in from Fianna Fáil who has never fully shared the ardour of their republicanism.

It is surprising how many of her own TDs whisper that one poor general election result will see her removed.

That is why Ms McDonald is now trying so hard to be provocative – hoping that this will persuade her own party faithful that she is really one of them.

Such posturing is naive, and in some ways rather sad – but it is also dangerous at a time when calming Anglo-Irish relations is vital for the future.

And the bitter irony is that it will only make the voters on whom her political future depends trust her even less.