SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald has posted a video online in which she admitted the party has been “disappointed” by the results of this weekend’s local elections, which are still coming in but show the party has suffered a significant setback in its quest to lead a future government. 

“Now we need time to reflect, to learn, to adapt and to come back stronger, and we will,” she said in a sombre message to Sinn Féin supporters. 

She thanked all those who campaigned for Sinn Féin as candidates and activists, saying she “couldn’t have asked for more” from them. 

“Clearly we’re disappointed that we didn’t get more candidates elected. We have made some modest gains but we haven’t had the day that we had hoped for,” she said.

She said it seems clear that people who oppose the Government cast their votes for independent candidates and smaller parties on this occasion.  

“We need to win those votes back,” she said, adding that “a general election isn’t so far away you know”.

“So, rest. Let’s gather ourselves. Let’s talk to each other, listen to each other and then we get back at it because that’s what Sinn Féiners do.”

As the count continues, I wanted you to hear directly from me. pic.twitter.com/sLdIhUrIhF

— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) June 9, 2024

Sinn Féin have suffered a major setback in this weekend’s local elections even though the there are hundreds of seats left to fill. 

As of this afternoon, Sinn Féin had secured just 20 Local Election Area seats compared to 112 for Fine Gael, 97 for Fianna Fáil, 87 taken by independents and 23 by Labour. 

Not so long ago Sinn Féin was by far the post popular party in Ireland and at one point came close to matching Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil combined in the opinion polls. 

As McDonald acknowledged in her video, it appears that many of the votes the party has lost have gone to independent candidates.