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26th Apr 2022

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald launches legal action against RTÉ

Dave Hanratty

Mary Lou McDonald RTE

Initial legal documents were filed on Monday.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has launched legal action against RTÉ.

A posting on the Courts Service of Ireland’s online portal confirms that McDonald’s legal team filed high court proceedings on Monday, 25 April.

According to the posting, McDonald will be represented by Dublin-based solicitors McCartan & Burke.

Reached for comment, a Sinn Féin spokesperson confirmed the move to JOE, noting:

“This is now a matter in litigation before the courts and it would be inappropriate to comment.”

As initially reported by the Irish Times, it is understood that McDonald’s complaint relates to alleged defamation, arising from a discussion on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland programme.

The Irish Times notes that the specific complaint in question, which aired in February, is said to relate to a reference made to the treatment of women who were sexually assaulted by members of Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army.

McDonald has yet to comment publicly on the matter.

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