Outgoing coalition partners Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, however, claim they are well placed to return to power following Ireland’s General Election.

Could Sinn Féin's biggest asset now become a liability facing into one of the most important elections in the party's history? After a summer of soul searching, Sinn Féin and it

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has said she will not stand down as leader of her party if she fails to lead them into government after next Friday's

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Friday's vote is "an historic opportunity" to elect Ireland's first female prime minister, Ms McDonald says, and should that happen, she plans to put reunification at the heart of government, with a referendum by 2030.

Mary Lou McDonald (55) has been the leader of Sinn Féin since February 2018 and a TD for Dublin Central since 2011. She succeeded Gerry Adams as leader, who had been at the helm of the party for 34 years.