First Female Leader Of Sinn FÃ©in Looks At Fresh Start For Party : The Two
Mary Lou
Mary Lou McDonald  was elected the new leader of Sinn FÃ©in at a conference in Dublin on Saturday  in what represents a major shift for the left-wing Irish republican party.
In a first  the party's leadership is entirely female;  McDonald  is the only woman to have led Sinn FÃ©in  which was founded in the early 1900s. Another woman  Michelle O'Neill  was elected as vice president Saturday. Both women ran unopposed.
 McDonald  replaces Gerry Adams who announced his intention to step down late last year. The 69-year-old's 35-year-tenure partly spanned what is known as the Troubles; a period of discord and bloodshed relating to British rule in Northern Ireland. Majority-protestant unionists wanted Northern Ireland to remain with the United Kingdom  while majority-Catholic nationalists wanted it to be part of the Republic of Ireland. Both sides are blamed for the violence  which saw more than 3 500 people die and 50 000 people injured over the past three decades of the 20th century  says the BBC.
With no direct connection to the Troubles   48-year-old McDonald  is seen as a fresh start for the party.
"We must only agree that the past is never again repeated "  she  said in a speech Saturday  as quoted by The Associated Press. "On other things  we can agree to disagree. The poet Maya Angelou put it well: 'History  despite its wrenching pain  cannot be unlived. But if faced with courage  need not be lived again.'  "
In her speech Saturday   McDonald  said with the party's new leadership  it was time to bring "innovative and modern ways of advancing our politics " reports The Guardian.
 McDonald  said the party would campaign for abortion rights in Ireland's referendum set for later this year.
 She  also maintained Sinn FÃ©in's opposition to border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of a Brexit deal. While the U.K. voted to leave the European Union  the Republic of Ireland remains part of the E.U. and the question of what to do with its border to the north has been a sticking point in negotiations  as it has sparked fears of reawakening old tensions.
But The Irish Times notes  McDonald  struck a more conciliatory tone toward the E.U. than the party has used in the past.
One thing that has not changed   McDonald  said  is a core principle of the party: a united Ireland.
[TGT] was elected the new leader of Sinn FÃ©in at a conference in Dublin on Saturday  in what represents a major shift for the left-wing Irish republican party.
In a first  the party's leadership is entirely female;   [TGT] is the only woman to have led Sinn FÃ©in  which was founded in the early 1900s. Another woman  Michelle O'Neill  was elected as vice president Saturday. Both women ran unopposed.
  [TGT] replaces Gerry Adams who announced his intention to step down late last year. The 69-year-old's 35-year-tenure partly spanned what is known as the Troubles; a period of discord and bloodshed relating to British rule in Northern Ireland. Majority-protestant unionists wanted Northern Ireland to remain with the United Kingdom  while majority-Catholic nationalists wanted it to be part of the Republic of Ireland. Both sides are blamed for the violence  which saw more than 3 500 people die and 50 000 people injured over the past three decades of the 20th century  says the BBC.
With no direct connection to the Troubles   48-year-old McDonald  is seen as a fresh start for the party.
"We must only agree that the past is never again repeated "  she  said in a speech Saturday  as quoted by The Associated Press. "On other things  we can agree to disagree. The poet Maya Angelou put it well: 'History  despite its wrenching pain  cannot be unlived. But if faced with courage  need not be lived again.'  "
In her speech Saturday   McDonald  said with the party's new leadership  it was time to bring "innovative and modern ways of advancing our politics " reports The Guardian.
 McDonald  said the party would campaign for abortion rights in Ireland's referendum set for later this year.
 She  also maintained Sinn FÃ©in's opposition to border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of a Brexit deal. While the U.K. voted to leave the European Union  the Republic of Ireland remains part of the E.U. and the question of what to do with its border to the north has been a sticking point in negotiations  as it has sparked fears of reawakening old tensions.
But The Irish Times notes  McDonald  struck a more conciliatory tone toward the E.U. than the party has used in the past.
One thing that has not changed   McDonald  said  is a core principle of the party: a united Ireland.