'We pay our mortgage. That's it': Mary Lou McDonald rejects questions over family home

Former TD Shane Ross raised questions about how the Sinn Féin leader paid for renovations to her family home in his recent book

Shane Ross with his new book 'Mary Lou McDonald A Ripublician Riddle' on MacCurtin Street, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

The Sinn Féin leader says that former Transport Minister Shane Ross "can suggest what he wants" about how she paid for her renovations to her family home.

Mr Ross published a book on Ms McDonald last month, with one chapter raising questions about how Ms McDonald and her husband Martin Lanigan paid for the renovation of their home in Cabra.

Speaking at the Sinn Féin Ard Fhéis on Saturday, Ms McDonald said that she and her husband pay a mortgage on the property like "any working people".

“He (Ross) can suggest what he wants. It’s my family home, the single home that we have, that we’ve raised our kids in. We have a mortgage on it.

“We pay our mortgage, we pay our dues, we pay our bills, that’s who we are, like all other working people, that’s it, that’s the story.” 

Ms McDonald said that she was fortunate to have a home and was aware many couldn't say that.

“I’m really conscious that there are lots of people who can’t say that.

“We have a single home, a family home in Cabra and we paid for it the way all working people pay for their family home, we have a mortgage and we’re still paying for it folks and we’ll be paying it for quite some time.

“That’s it, that’s the beginning, the middle and the end of the story.” 

Sinn Féin Party leader Mary Lou McDonald speaks to the media at the party's Ard Fheis at the RDS in Dublin. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Ms McDonald said that she did not cooperate with the writing of the book and had made that clear to Mr Ross.

“Shane Ross writing a book about me is a bit like me on my summer holidays deciding that I’d write a book about the Taoiseach and then giving him a ring and saying, would you like to cooperate and give me an interview.

“From the get-go, I said to Shane I just don’t think this is a project that I would be interested in being involved with, so he’s aware of that."

It has been reported that solicitors acting on behalf of Martin Lanigan issued a letter to Shane Ross in relation to his recently published book.

It is understood the legal action is related to a chapter in the book, entitled Mary Lou McDonald: A Republican Riddle, about the purchase and renovation of their family home in Cabra, Dublin.