The ‘activist base’ of Sinn Féin has said they want a more ‘authentic, full-throttle Mary Lou’, according to the party leader. 

While Sinn Féin just became the largest Northern Irish party in Westminster, in the Republic it is still reeling from the poor results of the local and European elections in June. 

The party did gain seats at the local level compared to 2019 – but only by a much smaller margin than expected, earning just 12% of first-preference votes. 

Mary Lou McDonald said she plans to maintain her role as leader of the party – but she is not “touchy to criticism”. 

“Our activist base has told me, that they want to hear the authentic, full-throttle Mary Lou,” she told The Anton Savage Show. “The kind of straightforward, plain-spoken person that I am. 

“I hadn't a sense that that had become blunt, but clearly the feedback to me is that it had.” 

She noted personal health issues dealt with in the past year might have taken away her “edge” - but she is “back”. 

Sinn Féin back to 'grassroots'

Ms McDonald has said the senior level of the party has recently engaged with their “grassroots” members to find a path for the future. 

The party leader said Sinn Féin’s review suggests people “don't believe that [the party] was listening or hearing them correctly”. 

“We weren't reflecting them in certain crucial issues, that we had lost a connection with them, we had lost a bit of trust with them,” she said. 

“Now, we need to get very, very active and to build that back.” 

She noted in particular the party will take a clearer stance on immigration – an issue the party has been accused of ‘flip-flopping’ on in the past. 

Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald with Michelle O'Neill speaking to the media following meeting of Ard Chomhairle at the Communications Workers Union HQ, 575 North Circular Road. Photo: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Deputy McDonald said as a left-wing, Irish republican party, Sinn Féin wants an immigration policy that is “humane” and “in compliance with human rights standards”. 

“What the grassroots have told us is that in communities where resources are really, really stretched and where communities and families are panicked, they look at immigration and what they see is more, more pressure on those resources,” she said. 

“Let me be clear that the responsibility for that lies at the feet of the Government. 

“But communities want us to more vocally express those types of pressures that people are under. 

“They felt in some ways that we pulled our punches, that we didn't take the Government on sufficiently and put them under massive pressure to actually meet those resource requirements in those communities.” 

Mary Lou McDonald at the RDS following a disappointing local election, 09/06/2024. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie

The Sinn Féin leader also noted the party’s support for a Yes-Yes vote in the March 8th referendums might have “blurred lines” between the opposition and the Government. 

“When I'm out and about, I can hear within minutes... some people saying we’re too adversarial, too confrontational - and literally minutes later, you can meet somebody saying you're not hard enough,” she said. 

The latest poll in the Sunday Mail found that 40% of people want to keep Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in Government – compared to 25% of people who want Sinn Féin to take over. 

Deputy McDonald said her party’s job now is to clearly set out an “alternative” to the “duopoly” of the country’s leading parties.