'It's time for change': Grassroots members say Sinn Féin are ready for Government

Gathering at Sinn Fein's Ard Fheis, party members from all walks of life are excited and ready to see their political leaders in Government

Party members said that the mood around Sinn Féin was one of "optimism" and one member from Dublin said they "fully expect" to see Mary Lou McDonald as Taoiseach in 2025. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

A Kilkenny mother of four has said she will no longer vote for Fianna Fáil and has become a Sinn Féin activist, because she blames Micheál Martin’s party for leading her children into a poverty trap.

Ruth Dowling from Kilmacow, Co Kilkenny said how one of her children signed her up to be a Sinn Féin member as a prank a year ago, but it has transformed how she will vote in the next General Election.

Ms Dowling said she had voted for Fianna Fáil all her life.

She said if she continued to do so, her 23-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter will never own their own homes.

“It means so much to me, and my daughter will be living with me until she’s a spinster because she won’t be able to afford her own home.

I’m so aware of the fact that I voted repeatedly for a Fianna Fáil Government that has led my children into a poverty trap and it’s my fault.

“If I continue to vote Fianna Fáil, they’ll never own a home. It’s not just my son, it’s my grandchildren, and how can I let my grandchildren enter a life of poverty? I can’t."

“In the heyday of Fianna Fáil and the Galway tent and the brown envelopes, I should have been thinking long-term, that it wasn’t about my future but was my children’s future and I didn’t.”

Time for change 

She said Sinn Féin has been receiving a “great reception in upper-middle class areas” in recent years because people say Sinn Féin “speak our language, we’re speaking the people’s language.”

Mary McHugh from Rhode, Co Offaly is a new Sinn Féin member and said it was the feedback and response she received at a party meeting in Carlow about the party’s policy on helping women with menopause that attracted her to join.

She said she went into early menopause at the age of 34 and even though the current Government had opened specialist menopause clinics, she was outside of the catchment area for the clinics that had opened.

She said she received help and support from Sinn Féin at that Carlow meeting and the encouragement she got from Mary Lou McDonald.

Elsewhere, party members said that the mood around Sinn Féin was one of "optimism" and one member from Dublin said they "fully expect" to see Mary Lou McDonald as Taoiseach in 2025. The member added that the party "feels fresher than the government" and would make a pitch on Saturday that is "selling something to young people".

Biomedical science student Eamon O'Connor, who joined the party in NUIG, was attending his first Ard Fheis.

"It seems like Sinn Féin is doing the most for young people," he said.

"I think we have a really good chance to be in Government and it's well needed. 

It is time for change, the Government we have at the moment it isn't working, across the board.

"I think Sinn Féin has a solid plan, great energy, all the speakers today, you can see it they all have great ideas and, you know, it looks like a bright future."

Claire Fitzgerald was attending with her partner and seven-month-old son Aidan, like many members, she "wouldn't like to count her chickens" but says the party is more than ready to enter power.

There's a lot of work to do. But it's also a lot of responsibility when you get into office you obviously have to perform.

"It's a scary thing to think you would be leading the country, you know, anything that goes wrong, it's your fault," she said, before adding she is confident the party now has the ability to lead.

The 33-year-old has been a member since she was 16 and says she has seen a change of perception from friends and family who are now willing to give Sinn Féin a "chance".

Senior members of the party were keeping tight-lipped on the number of candidates the party will be running next time around, or how many seats they are now aiming to win. 

However, they are adamant the same mistakes will not be made in 2020 when the party failed to run enough candidates and to capitalise on the massive groundswell of support.

One senior background member insisted that "No one in opposition wants to remain in opposition, you want to be in Government, and you want to make a difference. Sinn Féin will always want to be in Government."