Paul Hosford: Sinn Féin says it is a party of change — but can it convince the voters?

Mary Lou McDonald's renewed calls for reform and steps towards Irish unity won applause at the ard fheis, and the party is now seeking to win over the electorate too

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald with other senior party members after her keynote speech at the party's ard fheis at the RDS in Dublin this weekend. Picture: Damien Storan/PA

Sinn Féin is a party of change, in case you weren’t aware.

So invested is Mary Lou McDonald’s party in the idea, that the Dublin Central TD used it 23 times in her speech to the party faithful in Dublin’s RDS on Saturday, as she stood in front of a 60-foot screen emblazoned with the party slogan “Time For Change”.