Gerry Adams has been replaced as the president of Sinn Fein after 34 years in charge of the party.
Mary Lou McDonald has officially taken over the reigns of Irish left-wing republican party following a special conference in the RDS in Dublin.
Adams, 69, announced his intention to quit the party in November last year and the appointment of McDonald is seen by many as a chance to modernise Sinn Fein.
At the ceremony, McDonald, 48, said she was ‘humbled’ to lead ‘Ireland’s oldest and greatest political party’.
Mary Lou McDonald (left) has officially taken over the reigns of Irish left-wing Irish republican political party following a special party conference in the RDS in Dublin. Pictured with Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein’s new vice president
She also took time to praise the outgoing president, claiming there would have been no peace process or Good Friday agreement had it not been for the work of Adams.
Paying tribute to Mr Adams, McDonald said: ‘There would be no Good Friday Agreement, no peace process without Gerry Adams. My political mentor. An inspirational leader. A great friend.
‘When others said it was impossible, Gerry Adams, along with Martin McGuinness, John Hume and indeed others, bravely walked the path to peace.’
In her first speech as party president, she reiterated the party’s position to secure a referendum vote to secure Irish unity.
McDonald said: ‘I want us to achieve this with respect, graciousness and generosity.
‘Irish unity cannot be a crude exercise of simply stitching north to south and returning to business as usual.
‘We do not want a 32 county free state. We want a new Ireland, in which rights are guaranteed, cultures respected and the diversity of our identities embraced.
The republican also heralded her appointment as a new dawn for the party which would bring ‘innovative and modern ways of advancing our politics’.
Mary Lou McDonald said she was ‘humbled’ to leader ‘Ireland’s oldest and greatest political party’
Sinn Fein’s newly elected president Mary Lou McDonald (centre) celebrates in Dublin at the special RDS conference in Dublin
McDonald added: ‘Now is the time for fresh thinking and bold ideas to take us forward,’ she said.
‘Our focus must be on building Sinn Fein into an organisation that is fit for purpose, and our purpose is to win, to win elections, to increase our political strength, to realise our ambition of being in government north and south, to win progressive political victories every single day. And ultimately to win Irish unity.’
Gerry Adams has finally left his role as president of Sinn Fein after 34 years at the helm
Adams leaves his role as president of Sinn Fein as Northern Ireland at a time of great political uncertainty, with the country not having its own devolved government following the resignation of Martin McGuinness in January 2017.
Adams has since pulled Sinn Fein out of a power-sharing coalition with the DUP over thahandling of a green energy scheme scandal.
McDonald and the newly appointed vice president Michelle O’Neill have been at Stormont all last week as talks continue to rumble on in the hope of restoring the devolved government.
Sinn Fein’s Northern Ireland leader Michelle O’Neill was also officially ratified as Mrs McDonald’s deputy.
Who is Mary Lou McDonald? The Dublin-born left-winger and former MEP determined to win a referendum on Irish unity
Mary Lou McDonald was born in Dublin on May 1, 1969 and is the new president of Sinn Fein.
She was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, the University of Limerick and Dublin City University, studying English Literature, European Integration Studies and Human Resource management.
After leaving university, the politician ran for the leadership unopposed and had served as deputy leader since February 2008.
Mary Lou McDonald gestures to the crowd at the ceremony Dublin
She has been a Member of Dáil Éireann, the equivalent of an MP, for Dublin Central since 2011 and had previously served as an MEP for the Dublin constituency from 2004 to 2009.
McDonald was previously a member of Fianna Fáil, another Irish republican party, although quit to join Sinn Fein in 1998. She first ran for public office back in 2002, unsuccessfully contesting the Dublin West seat and winning just eight per cent of the vote.
She married her husband Martin Lanigan in 1996 and has two children.