Mary Lou McDonald has emerged as the most charismatic politician and leader in the Republic of Ireland

The coronavirus outbreak in the Republic of Ireland has had a personal impact on the country’s political leadership, as evidenced by the infection of Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald.

McDonald, who has headed the Irish Republican group since February 2018, has confirmed that her coronavirus test on March 28 had come back as positive.

However, her infection was only confirmed last weekend, even though the Sinn Féin leader had felt very unwell for weeks.

McDonald appears to have suffered from a severe form of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as she has developed post-viral pleurisy in her right lung.

In a statement the Sinn Féin leader said the infection had been a setback in her recovery but that she is no longer infectious and hopes to return to work next week.

In a tweet, McDonald chose not to mention her own illness and instead paid tribute to a health worker from Belfast (Northern Ireland) who is currently fighting COVID-19.

According to the Worldometer website - which maintains a running count of coronavirus-related casualties from around the world - so far 10,674 people have contracted COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland, of whom 365 have died.

McDonald led Sinn Féin to victory in last February’s Irish general election, where the Irish nationalists secured 37 seats in parliament, an increase of 14 on the 2016 election.

Despite its stunning victory, Ireland’s establishment parties, notably Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, have refused to form a coalition with Sinn Féin by citing its tax policies and past association with the militant Irish Republican Army (IRA).

As the former political wing of the IRA, Sinn Féin is resolutely committed to the cause of Irish unity and by extension the expulsion of British military and political influence from the island of Ireland.

In late January 2020, on the eve of the Irish general election, McDonald said that an Irish unity poll (referendum) was her party’s precondition for forming a coalition with Ireland’s establishment parties.

SOURCE: PRESS TV