Wearing a “patriotic” green trench coat, Mary Lou McDonald is armed with a bundle of election leaflets with the faces of Sinn Féin local and European candidates emblazoned on them.
She is making her way to a house in Duleek, Co Meath after spotting a friendly dog outside the house where the front door is open.
The householders emerge from the house, surprised to see the Sinn Féin leader outside their home.
Flanked by two local election candidates, Ms McDonald chats to the householders about their dog and baby Alex Rose, who is aged eight months.
She tells them she is “looking for a number one” for election candidate Seamus Lynch and a number two for his running mate Maria White.
Moving on to the next house, the householders, partners Joseph Carolan and Pauline Barry who were “bred and buttered” in Duleek, are told to “spread the word” to vote for the Sinn Féin candidates.
Ms McDonald, who is questioned by Pauline over not running enough local election candidates in 2019, reassures the householders that she is running a “huge slate of candidates” this time – a total of 335.
The party does not have any representation in the Duleek area, which falls under the Laytown-Bettystown district in Meath County Council, but Ms McDonald is confident the candidates will secure a seat each.
She brings up the European election, saying that Michelle Gildernew and Chris McManus are running in Midlands North West.
Describing Ms Gildernew as a “very experienced politician”, the party leader explains how Ms Gildernew suffered a recent tragedy in her family after her nephew Fiachra O Faolain drowned in a lake in County Tyrone at the weekend.
“God help them – they are dealing with that,” Ms McDonald tells them.
Pauline tells Ms McDonald that she is the “only politician I listen to”.
“You say what you mean. And we need a change,” the voter adds.
Ms McDonald tells the voter that “change is on the way”, saying she believes the general election will be held in autumn.
“Though they (Government) might try and hang around longer. We are long due election. People are fed up. Change is great,” Ms McDonald adds.
Ms McDonald says she believes that by canvassing and speaking to householders on the doorstep, she can persuade a weary voter to come out and support her party.
She tells the PA news agency: “I think it’s really important that these conversations are happening.
“I’m very conscious that people are under huge pressure in terms of the cost of living, food, energy, fuel, everything going up and up and putting people under pressure.
“The housing situation is still in crisis and I think now more than ever, these conversations on the doorsteps are really, really important, particularly on the run into the local elections, which is all about community representation.
“Of course, then the European elections as well.
“Call me old-fashioned, but I think if you want somebody’s vote it’s good to knock on the door and ask them for it.
“This campaign, I think, has been marked by people really wanting to talk.
“It’s not just perfunctory ‘yes, hello, goodbye’. There’s actually deep things that people want to talk about.
“I’m also aware that people have waited for change for so long. There’s almost a thought for some people that maybe it won’t ever happen. There’s a bit of an impatience for the change that we’ve talked about for so long.
“But overall, people are extremely receptive. It’s been a really interesting campaign and we are running a phenomenal slate of candidates, from every walk of life. Our youngest is 18, our oldest is 78.
“It’s been great.”
Off to the next house, Ms McDonald takes part in a video call with the resident’s daughter, who is away but wants the chance to speak to the party leader about her priorities.
She happily obliges and engages in conversation about the elections and local issues.
Nearby, long-term resident Ollie Courtney tells candidates Ms White and Mr Lynch that they have to “convince me” to vote for Sinn Féin.
As Ms White promises the householder that she can “get things done”, Ms McDonald prompts her to “tell the man about yourself”.
Ms White, a principal at a local school, says that while she is originally from Dublin and not a native, she has lived locally for a long time and knows the local issues.
Ms McDonald tells another householder, who will not make any promises to vote for the party, that the choice on election days is either Sinn Féin or “stuck” with the status quo, which she described as “unbelievable”.
The householder tuts and says: “Aw Jesus, no.”
“They are making a mess of everything,” she adds.
“The Government is incompetent, and they don’t plan and don’t see ahead. The major issue is housing, housing, housing.”
Ms McDonald hands over a leaflet of the candidate as a “reminder of young Seamus”.
Ms McDonald said she enjoys being out on the beat with candidates, and does not mind giving them some guidance on engaging with potential voters.
“But they’re (Seamus and Maria) are kind of naturals. Seamus has his own plumbing business, he’s dealing with people in the community, he’s very outspoken, very outgoing,” she adds.
“Maria is the principal of the school in Bettystown. When you’re in teaching you’re educating, nurturing children, you’re interacting with families all the time.
“These are their communities, they’re from the community so they know what’s going on.
“They know the needs of the area and, above all else, because it’s their home they’re so eager to represent and to represent well.
“It’s a passion for them. So, we have a couple of days to go, we’re going to keep at it and get as many of them over the line as we possibly can.”
