Mary Lou McDonald
| Mary Lou McDonald TD |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Teachta Dála | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 26 February 2011 |
|
| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| Vice President of Sinn Féin | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Pat Doherty |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office June 2004 – June 2009 |
|
| Constituency | Dublin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 May 1969 Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Spouse(s) | Martin Lanigan |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University |
Mary Lou McDonald (born 1 May 1969 in Dublin) is an Irish politician, the Vice President of Sinn Féin and a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Central.[1] McDonald was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), from 2004–2009 representing the Dublin constituency.
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Background[edit]
Mary Lou McDonald was educated at Notre Dame Des Missions in Churchtown,[2] Trinity College, Dublin, the University of Limerick and Dublin City University studying English Literature, European Integration Studies and Human Resource Management.[3] Her career to date has her involved in diverse roles, including consultant for the Irish Productivity Centre, Institute of European Affairs researcher and trainer in the Partnership Unit of the Educational and Training Services Trust.[3]
Originally a member of Fianna Fáil, she left the party in 1998 in opposition to its economic and social policies. Her sister, Joanne, is a member of the republican group éirígí.[4]
Dáil Éireann[edit]
McDonald first ran for office when she unsuccessfully contested the Dublin West constituency for Sinn Féin at the 2002 general election polling 8.02% of first preference votes. She was an unsuccessful candidate in the Dublin Central constituency at the 2007 general election. She contested the Dublin Central again in the 2011 general election this time picking up 13.1% of first preference; she was successful in picking up the last seat in the constituency ahead of the Fianna Fáil candidate Mary Fitzpatrick.[5]
European Parliament[edit]
In 2004 McDonald became Sinn Féin's first Member of the European Parliament in the Republic of Ireland when she was elected at the 2004 European Parliament election for the Dublin constituency, receiving over 60,000 first preference votes.[6] She served as one of two Sinn Féin MEPs (the other being Bairbre de Brún representing Northern Ireland). During her time in office she led the Sinn Féin "No" campaign against the Treaty of Lisbon, which was rejected in Ireland 2008. McDonald sat as a member of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, and as a substitute of the Civil Liberties Committee.
For the 2009 European Parliament election, the number of seats for Dublin in the European Parliament was reduced from four to three. McDonald was in a tight race for the last seat against Fianna Fáil's Eoin Ryan and the Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins. McDonald lost her seat to the Socialist Party candidate, being eliminated at the fifth count. Her first preference vote had declined to nearly 48,000.[7] It was announced that she would be running in Dublin Central in the 2011 General Election, and she was elected as a TD on the eighth count.[8]
Party activity[edit]
She is a member of the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle (party leadership), as of 2001,[9] and is the party's Vice President, replacing Pat Doherty following the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis on 22 February 2009.[10]
In September 2003, Mary Lou McDonald attracted criticism when she spoke at a rally in Dublin to commemorate Seán Russell, an IRA leader during World War II.[11][12][13]
References[edit]
- ^ "Ms. Mary Lou McDonald". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/tds-who-went-to-private-schools-split-over-cuts-3258025.html
- ^ a b "Mary Lou McDonald MEP Dublin". Sinn Féin Online. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ^ "Éirigí: New kids on the republican block". Sunday Tribune. 9 August 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Mary Lou McDonald". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ "EU elections 2004 results – Dublin". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ "Ryan loses out to Higgins in Dublin". RTÉ News. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Dublin Central". RTÉ News. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "MEP profile". European Parliament. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ "Ard Fheis 2009". Sinn Féin. Retrieved 23 February 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Cusack, Jim (6 June 2004). "SF's Nazi hero is stalking candidate Mary Lou". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2008. "SINN FEIN'S Mary Lou McDonald has been accused of "warped principles" for participating in a republican commemoration ceremony last year for a Nazi collaborator while standing as a candidate for the European Parliament."
- ^ McDonald, Henry (16 January 2005). "This dastardly plot". The Observer. Retrieved 25 May 2008. "Because if they had really wanted to shine a light into this very dark corner of Irish republican history then the vandals would have been better protesting in Fairview Park, holding seminars to discuss the IRA/Nazi links in the 1940s and publicly challenging anyone, including the Sinn Fein MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald, who rushes to honour Russell as to why they feel it's alright to rally round a statue of one of Adolf Hitler's allies in World War Two."
- ^ Colgan, Paul; Neil Callanan. "Profile: Prime time Shinner". The Sunday Business Post. Archived from the original on 14 March 2004. Retrieved 25 May 2008. "She encountered criticism after speaking at a commemoration for IRA volunteer Sean Russell last year." More than one of
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External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mary Lou McDonald |
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fáil) |
Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for Dublin Central 2011–present |
Incumbent |
| European Parliament | ||
| Preceded by Patricia McKenna (Green Party) |
Member of the European Parliament for Dublin 2004–2009 |
Succeeded by Joe Higgins (Socialist Party) |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mitchel McLaughlin |
Chairperson of Sinn Féin 2005–2009 |
Succeeded by Declan Kearney |
| Preceded by Pat Doherty |
Vice-President of Sinn Féin 2009–present |
Incumbent |
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- 1969 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the University of Limerick
- Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin
- Alumni of Dublin City University
- Female MEPs for the Republic of Ireland
- Female Teachtaí Dála
- Members of the 31st Dáil
- MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2004–2009
- Politicians from County Dublin
- Sinn Féin politicians
- Sinn Féin MEPs
- Teachtaí Dála
