Mary Lou McDonald says a ‘frightening’ death threat issued against her on social media was the last straw after a year of vicious online abuse.

The Sinn Féin leader yesterday announced someone on social media had threatened to kill her and today a man was arrested by Gardaí for questioning.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Deputy McDonald said it was “frightening” how much more common threats of violence have become. 

“Ironically, when I had come home from hosting an event on zero tolerance of violence against women, this was brought to my attention,” she said. 

“As you can imagine [with] the life that I live, there’s commentary on you; you’re challenged, you’re criticised, you’re all of this. 

“I’ve had a year of it really, where there’s been a particularly vicious, vicious focus on me, focus on Sinn Féin. 

“I’ve been trashed, I’ve been vilified and it’s politically inspired.” 

Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald with Michelle O'Neill. Photo: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Deputy McDonald described the threat against her as “just the latest escalation” of a campaign to destroy her reputation. 

“It’s very clearly to alienate sentiment - particularly in working class areas," she said. 

"To brand me as a traitor, to brand Sinn Féin as a traitor and that’s been ongoing,” she said. 

“But this particular incident brought it then to another level and, as far as I’m concerned, every line has now been crossed.”

Deputy McDonald has not spoken up much about her safety up to now, but she said the latest threat forced her to reconsider.

She said it highlights how “really dangerous” things have become.

“I’m sick of it,” he said. 

“I have not said much publicly throughout this year about what was going on but once there is a direct threat made, openly, brazenly, broadcast on social media that a person will shoot you, that they will take your life and that they feel comfortable saying that… and announcing it to the world, clearly that puts you in the way of greater danger and I found that frightening. 

“The idea that someone will come on and brag and say, ‘I will shoot this woman, I will take her life’ - apparently gleefully so.” 

'It could be anyone else'

Deputy McDonald said her family are “angry about it as well” and no one should have to go through what she has experienced.

“It’s me this time but it could be anyone else,” she said. 

“And it is not acceptable in our society that people feel at liberty to throw their weight around like that and threaten to actually kill democratically elected politicians or, by the way, anybody else.” 

It is understood that Gardaí recently foiled a far-right plot to assassinate Leo Varadkar.

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Main image: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews