SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald underwent a hysterectomy over the summer, she confirmed in an interview this morning. 

Speaking on Virgin Media’s Ireland AM programme, McDonald said she had the operation to remove her womb and ovaries on 24 June. 

“So it was fairly significant surgery. Fortunately, it was done by keyhole, which is great because it aids your recovery. And more fortunately, that was it for me. I mean, I had the surgery, the growth, the tumours, were removed and I didn’t require any further treatments or therapies,” she said. 

McDonald said the operation “knocks you off course”, but added that she was “extremely lucky”. She commended the workers in the Rotunda Hospital, stating that the care she received was “outstanding”.

The opposition leader said after the operation she had to take time off work in order to get “back on my feet”.

“That’s the nature of that operation, you have to kind of switch off, slow it right down and allow your body to heal and to recover,” McDonald said.

“You can’t go through that kind of procedure and not reflect on yourself”@MaryLouMcDonald opens up about her hysterectomy#IrelandAM pic.twitter.com/xd2WDsSrVR

— Ireland AM (@IrelandAMVMTV) September 14, 2023

The Sinn Féin leader said she had health issues that were being monitored over the last year, but it came to a point where the growth started to grow very, very quickly. 

“At my age, a woman of my age, that shouldn’t happen. So just for precaution, they said right, we need to move now and you’re going to have to have this operation,” said McDonald, stating it all happened very quickly. 

“I didn’t have a huge amount of time to actually reflect on just the significance of the surgery itself. But I know for lots of women who have gone through this, it’s psychologically a big thing and quite traumatising, and life changing for me, I suppose. It happened quickly and it was just relief to get through it,” she said. 

Her doctors told the party leader that there were two ways she could handle her recovery – either by rushing back to work and causing perhaps more long-term issues or by taking it slowly.

McDonald said she had the absolute support from her party colleagues, which she appreciated. 

“And I know that there was a little bit of speculation, what’s going on and in a way that’s natural. My job is very public. Of course, people are going to say, where is she? What’s happened? when she coming back? So, that’s okay, you know, but here I am,” she said.

McDonald said she managed to get away on holiday and walk the Camino in the Basque country, stating: “I loved every minute of it.”

At every stage of a woman’s life cycle, whether it’s starting a family or maternity issues, workplaces and work colleagues “need to be sensitive to the fact that people live their lives. Your work is absolutely central, but your life, you know and your experiences as a human being have to be able to be recognised”, she said.