'I'm told I'm brutal at it': Mary Lou McDonald bowls up in Galway to a warm welcome

The Sinn Féin leader was generous with her time for residents, listening intently to their concerns and promising to address them

Mary Lou McDonald: 'While she may be abrasive in her interactions in the Dáil chamber, on the ground she is warm and generous with her time.' Picture: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

On the by-election campaign trail in Galway City, Mary Lou McDonald was talking about retirement.

Stopping in on a bowls group at the Westside Community Centre she told them: "When I came in, I said: 'These are serious, this is a serious operation'. I have attempted this a couple of times in the past, because the seniors in my own community play it, and I'm told I'm brutal at it, and they'd advise me that when the time comes when I actually retire, that I'm going to have to work very hard to get up to the required standard."