The making of Mary Lou McDonald: the story of the Sinn Féin leader’s early struggle

Tracy Chapman’s Talkin ’Bout a Revolution was the theme song at Blanchardstown Community Centre as Mary Lou McDonald kicked off her first election run 20 years ago this week. The mood music had changed five years later as she lost a second general election. Awaiting her arrival at the RDS count, a Sinn Féin activist suggested, with gallows humour, that they sing Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.