The Sinn Féin leader has insisted that she “absolutely” stands over her party’s decision to contest the Presidential Election.
Tallies are continuing around the country this afternoon but polls suggest Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riada will take home a disappointing 7% to 8% of the vote.
Michael D Higgins may be re-elected with the largest ever majority in a Presidential Election – with the president likely to command between 50% and 70% of the vote.
Peter Casey looks like a clear second with the other candidates likely to finish in single digits.
Disappointed
Speaking as she arrived at the Dublin City Count Centre this afternoon, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said she was “of course disappointed with the result.”
“You have some days when things go your way; you have other days when they don’t,” she said.
“I am proud of the campaign that we ran.
“I am very proud of our candidate and as regards my position as leader; I stand absolutely over our decision to contest.”
Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking at the Dublin City Count Centre this afternoon. #Aras18 pic.twitter.com/zqd8R1NSnY
— Marc O'Driscoll (@MarcODriscoll_) October 27, 2018
She was critical of the failure of other political parties to put forward a candidate and called for future Presidential elections to be scheduled “as a matter of routine.”
“It should not be a matter of the sentiment of the incumbent or how the political parties feel about things,” she said.
“We should as a matter of routine every seven years – or less, maybe every five years – elect our president.
“I think that is the correct and democratic thing to do.”
Irrelevant contest
Speaking to Jonathan Healy from Dundalk this morning, the former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams insisted the party backed its candidate.
“I think the big issue was the irrelevancy of the contest for a section of our vote and then the assumption – and people were telling us this as we were canvassing – that Michael D as the incumbent was going to be returned,” he said.
Lessons
Ms Ní Riada polled worse than Martin McGuinness did in 2011 – and Sinn Féin has been criticised for being slow to announce its candidate.
The party’s health spokesperson Louise O’Reilly admitted that there are questions to be asked – but said she is proud of Ms Ní Riada.
“Clearly we have to learn some lessons from it but the lessons are not going to be that it is not good practice to have an election,” she said.
“The lessons are not going to be that the next person after Michael D Higgins should serve a 14 year term - I don’t think that is what people want necessarily.
“But we are very proud of Liadh.”
Tallies suggest Ms Ní Riada failed to top the poll even in her home ground – failing to get a win on the board at Scoil Naisunta in Coolea, where she grew up.
The party’s spokesperson on Brexit David Cullinane said he is disappointed for her – but claimed she was able to highlight her support for Irish unity among other issues.
Anti-establishment vote
He said Peter Casey’s controversial comments on the Travelling Community proved the need to have difficult conversations in a better way.
“I am disappointed his vote is a high as it is,” he said.
“We have to reflect on that; we have to examine why.
“I don’t believe for a second people that voted for Peter Casey are bigoted or racist.
“He obviously struck a chord with people who are anti-establishment and who are giving the establishment a kick – I think for the wrong reasons and for the wrong candidate.”
During the campaign Mr Casey suggested the Travelling Community’s status as a minority ethnicity was “a load of nonsense” and labelled them “basically people that are camping on somebody else's land.”
