Sinn Féin’s McDonald Says Byelections Are ‘Peculiar’ and No Seat Is Easy to Win

Paul Hosford: Mary Lou McDonald here for Sinn Féin 'on the good days and the bad'

While Dublin Central sparked questions about leadership, it is a perfect example of where the party is challenged and the answers it needs to find quickly

Mary Lou McDonald says she is under ‘no pressure whatsoever’ after Sinn Féin defeats

Party leader dismisses questions over her leadership after candidate fails to win seat in McDonald’s own constituency of Dublin Central

Sinn Féin’s McDonald says byelections are ‘peculiar’ and no seat is easy to win

Mary Lou McDonald said ‘pressure is for tyres’ when asked if her leadership was coming under pressure

Sinn Féin’s Identity Crisis Is the Real Story In Byelection Disappointments

Two parties will have been disappointed by the two by elections on Friday. One, Fianna Fáil, lost its deposit in a constituency that regularly saw Bertie Ahern power two party colleagues across the line. The other, Sinn Féin gathered more votes but is finding that good fortune in southern politics often swings on transfers rather than first preferences (the source of their dominance in Northern Ireland). Transfer patterns from those by-elections…

Editorial: Sinn Fein has not been slow to crow about its electoral prospects yet has performed badly in two by-elections in the Republic of Ireland

News Letter editorial on Monday May 25 2026:

Sinn Fein in turmoil after poor by-election outcomes

Major infighting between left and right-wing factions has engulfed Sinn Féin in the wake of its disastrous by-election results at the weekend.