SINN FÉIN’S DEPUTY leader Mary Lou McDonald launched a strong defence of the party’s leadership today – insisting Gerry Adams would continue to lead them into the next election.

The Dublin TD was asked to respond to DUP leader Peter Robinson’s decision to step-down – with The Week in Politics host Áine Lawlor putting it to McDonald that Adams and Martin McGuinness were now looking like “the grandfathers on the block”.

There had been generational change in every other political party in the North, Lawlor said – wasn’t it time for Sinn Féin to elect a newer, younger leader?

“I think they’re very youthful and vigorous grandfather figures,” a bemused-looking McDonald responded, adding:

“I’m sure they’d be touched by that description.”

She added that the party’s leadership was a matter for Sinn Féin and not for the media – and stressed that it had a “collective leadership” with plenty of talent “and I think things look good for us”. 

Appearing on the same show, Fine Gael junior minister Dara Murphy wouldn’t answer directly whether he thought a McDonald-led Sinn Féin would be more of a threat.

However he insisted, ”the more we learn about Sinn Féin the less of threat they become”.

Read: The political world has been paying tribute to Peter Robinson