Can Sinn Féin reverse its decline in popularity before the election?

Inside Politics looks at how the party lost support and what it should do now

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Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill at the National Ploughing Championships at Ratheniska, Co Laois last week. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill at the National Ploughing Championships at Ratheniska, Co Laois last week. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire.

It’s not that long ago that a Sinn Féin-led government after the next election was seen as the most likely outcome, based on its performance in the 2020 election and a string of promising poll results.

Now, with polls showing Sinn Féin losing almost half its support in the past year and a disappointing performance at local and European level, the party’s future seems much more uncertain.

So what happened to Sinn Féin’s support? Can it regain ground, and where should it target its resources in the forthcoming campaign?

Political scientists Theresa Reidy and Aidan Regan join Hugh Linehan to discuss the party’s fortunes on this week’s Inside Politics podcast from The Irish Times.

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Aidan Regan is an associate professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin.

Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer in the department of government and politics at University College Cork.