Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has found her mojo. But even she, in private, must be surprised at how well her party appears to be doing in this general election campaign, writes Alison O’Connor

Legislation provides that in order to stand for election, the candidate must list their home address on the nomination form.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had a good abortion referendum campaign, but a bad presidential election, writes Alison O'Connor

Sinn Féin's leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill is facing fresh calls to confirm she believes Mairia Cahill was the victim of sexual abuse after a leading party TD said he has no doubt this was the case.

It was the day after the first RTÉ Claire Byrne debate on the abortion referendum, which had turned into a shouting match: The anti-abortion side had hijacked the programme.

A woman who was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by a republican has slammed an apology from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald as “woeful”.

Ulster and Ireland rugby player Paddy Jackson’s plans to sue Labour senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has spurred a public backlash, with hundreds of people tweeting under the hashtag #suemepaddy.

Mary Lou McDonald is seen as the chosen candidate to fill the position of Sinn Féin president, writes Elaine Loughlin

It was officially just a touch of bronchitis, but given the context of recent days, one could be forgiven for viewing it as a sign of things to come.

The Government was poised not to allocate a single penny to mental health in Budget 2016, but was forced to backtrack at the last minute when junior health minister Kathleen Lynch threatened to resign.

Although the outcome of the general election has yet to be decided with counts beginning today, another group are now looking to a different election.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has declined to repeat the claim that Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy is a good republican after a BBC Spotlight programme raised fresh concerns over his history.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is under significant pressure to retract his support for convict Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy from across the political divide.

Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the “lenient” sentence handed down this week to republican garda killer Pearse McAuley for attacking his wife.

A Sinn Féin member has insisted he believes Islamic State is a “terrorist” organisation after initially saying he was uncomfortable with the term because it “demonised” individual groups.

Mairia Cahill has promised to meet with rape victim support groups in one of her first acts as a senator.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Seanad hopeful Máiría Cahill has contacted Government members of the Seanad to quell fears over recent controversy surrounding her past and to say she has always sought to “rise above these claims”.

The sister of murder victim Robert McCartney has called on Labour to reflect on the decision to nominate Máiría Cahill to a vacant Seanad position

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has denied he has any questions to answer over revelations contained in two detailed reports highlighting the provisional IRA’s continuing existence, despite admitting the supposedly non-existent army council still addresses “legacy issues from time to time”.

Labour Seanad candidate Mairia Cahill has said she will campaign for rape victims and the need for support services if she wins an upcoming by-election in the Seanad.

IRA abuse victim and Seanad nominee Mairia Cahill will highlight abuse perpetrated by Republicans if elected to the Upper House, Labour’s Alan Kelly said.

Mairia Cahill's been nominated to contest the Seanad bye-election for the Labour Party.

Since taking power it appears that Enda Kenny has a rather ambivalent attitude to the North, writes Alison O’Connor

The existence or otherwise of the IRA is a real issue, despite what the Shinners might claim and Gerry Adams’ best efforts to blame ‘cynical’ political opponents, says Michael Clifford

THE anger and sense of betrayal building around the probability that the IRA still exists in one form or another is entirely justifiable. That anger is exacerbated by the fact that one of the central players in the current debate has little credibility when it comes to being trustworthy in these matters.

THERE is a significant swathe of people who will never vote for Sinn Féin no matter what the party does, says, proposes or promises.

Hospital experts will be able to take and retain forensic evidence of rape with the consent of a victim who is not yet ready or willing to report the attack to gardaí.

Rape victim Mairia Cahill has urged Sinn Féin to clarify whether four people linked to the party were prepared to defend her attacker if the charges went to trial, after the issue was flagged in an independent review of the case.

Mairia Cahill, who was raped by a senior provisional IRA member, has criticised Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams after he claimed the case did not involve a “cover-up” by his party because she knew the attacker outside of the organisation.

The north’s Director of Public Prosecutions has apologised to three women who accused an alleged IRA member of abusing them as children, after a damning report criticised how his prosecution was handled.

APART from the issues that were in play, the costs ruling in the Ian Bailey case confirms that our justice system and all its quirks and formalities, and its spectacular time scales, is either for the very rich or — just possibly — for the very poor. The figure involved — anything between €2m and €5m — means that only the bravest and most determined citizen can contemplate a challenge that might expose them to a bill on this life-defining scale.

Another shocking revelation last week about the sexual abuse of Paudie McGahon by an IRA member and the kangaroo ‘court’ that seems to have been a systematic way for IRA/Sinn Féin to deal with crime.

Abuse survivor advocate Colm O’Gorman has warned reports that sex offenders could have been removed from communities without the involvement of the justice system as “deeply troubling”.

When, in 1597, Shakespeare included the line “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” in Henry IV, Part II, he can hardly have imagined how relevant, how very pertinent and precise, his observation would be on this small island more than four centuries later.

The war of words between Enda Kenny and Gerry Adams intensified as the Taoiseach insisted the Sinn Féin leader must reveal all to the gardaí about alleged child abuse by IRA members.

Sinn Féin conducted a secret 2006 investigation into "40 different cases of sexual and physical abuse" by the Provisional IRA, and sent a memo to party media handlers "should the report ever be leaked," it has been claimed.

A ‘Ferns-style’ commission of inquiry should be set up to investigate the extent of the Sinn Féin abuse allegations, after it was claimed the party is aware of more than 100 attacks that were covered up by the provisional IRA.

Abuse victim Mairia Cahill has passed on the names of around 35 alleged abusers to the gardaí and PSNI.

The IRA man who raped Paudie McGahon comes from a top Belfast Republican family which has connections with Sinn Féin, according to fellow abuse victim Mairia Cahill.

Special Correspondent Michael Clifford looks at the possible fallout for Sinn Féin following

WHENEVER it suits Sinn Féin, the party draws a line in the sand, making a fine distinction between its role as the self- described biggest political party on this island and its attitude to and handling of historic but still live allegations involving crimes of rape and sexual abuse of young people by members of the republican movement.

Enda Kenny has agreed a mechanism is needed to protect victims of Republican abuse and said he is willing to discuss a cross-border process with British prime minister David Cameron.

It is a matter of 'deep regret' that a man allegedly sexually abused by an IRA member feels let down, Gerry Adams has said.

Congratulations to abuse victim Mairia Cahill on receiving the “Thirst for Justice Award”, which was so well deserved. She has pledged to continue to campaign for justice — particularly any kind of abuse involving children.