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Mary Lou McDonald, the new leader of Sinn Fein

Niamh Aherne was close to tears as she watched Gerry Adams quietly leave a Dublin conference centre on the weekend, hours after he stepped down as leader of Ireland's Sinn Fein party.

Ms. Aherne was born long after Mr. Adams became known worldwide as the political leader of the Irish Republican Army and the man who brought the militant group into peace talks in 1998 that ended decades of sectarian violence. She reveres him as a hero and recognizes his long contribution to the party. But she's also eager to see Sinn Fein move on from its past and start dealing with issues that matter more to her generation, such as jobs and the challenges facing Ireland and Europe because of Brexit.

"These are uncertain times to say the very least," said Ms. Aherne, who is 18 and joined the party two years ago. "Brexit poses an immense threat to our lives."

This is a critical moment for Sinn Fein as it moves out from the long shadow of Mr. Adams and tries to redefine itself under a new leader for the first time in 35 years. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has taken over from Mr. Adams and she's made it clear that she wants to set a more moderate course for Sinn Fein, toning down Mr. Adams's ardent socialism and scaling back his long-held support for the IRA. She's also hoping to expand the party's reach into diverse communities and among young people with a platform that includes backing same-sex marriage, boosting government spending and easing Ireland's strict abortion laws.

There's a lot at stake for Ms. McDonald, who has been an Irish member of parliament for seven years. For the first time Sinn Fein has a real possibility of joining a coalition government, something Mr. Adams could never dream of. That's because up until now Ireland's two main parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, have always rejected any coalition with Sinn Fein because of Mr. Adams's connection to the IRA.

But with Ms. McDonald now in charge that position could change, especially given that the current minority government, led by Fine Gael, is unstable and an election is expected this year. With no party expected to win a majority in parliament and polls showing Sinn Fein likely finishing a strong third, Ms. McDonald could emerge as a kingmaker.

"This will be a very different party with Mary Lou," said David Farrell, head of politics at University College Dublin. "It will have a more acceptable face to middle[-class] Ireland and it will be very hard after the election … for [the other party leaders] to not consider the possibility of a coalition with her." Prof. Farrell pointed to a recent poll that found 21 per cent of those surveyed were more likely to vote for Sinn Fein now that Mr. Adams was gone.

Ms. McDonald still has to manage a careful balancing act: shaking off Sinn Fein's violent past without alienating its core support in Catholic, republican neighbourhoods across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Saturday's party conference reflected the old guard with only a handful of young people and visible minorities scattered among the 2,000 delegates.

The party's IRA roots were also proudly on display with a booth selling books about the years of armed conflict known as The Troubles and T-shirts commemorating Bobby Sands, an IRA member who died in prison in 1981 after a hunger strike. Ms. McDonald paid homage to the party's fallen heroes but also told delegates: "The war is long over." She added: "There is no value either in engaging in the blame game. We do not have to agree on the past. There is no single historical narrative. We must only agree that the past is never again repeated."

There are other pitfalls for her as well as she sets a new direction for Sinn Fein. On Saturday, she said the party will campaign actively in an upcoming referendum to repeal a section of the country's constitution that effectively bans abortion. She acknowledged that will put her at odds with many Sinn Fein members, including members of her parliamentary caucus. On Brexit, Ms. McDonald has been vague, insisting that there can be no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland because it would damage Irish commerce, but also criticizing the European Union for being too pro-business and pro-free trade.

For now Ms. McDonald and party officials are taking pains to differentiate her from Mr. Adams. They went to great lengths on Saturday to keep the focus on her, giving Mr. Adams no speaking time during the conference and steering him clear of journalists. They've also been quietly playing up Ms. McDonald's background, noting the age difference – she is 48 while Mr. Adams is 69 – and highlighting the fact that unlike Mr. Adams, who grew up in a working-class family in Belfast full of IRA members, Ms. McDonald was raised in a middle-class part of Dublin and has no IRA affiliation.

For young Sinn Fein members such as 16-year-old Ellen Norton, the leadership change was a chance to feel more involved in the party. "It's the beginning of a new era," she said during Saturday's conference. She added that the party's new deputy leader, 41-year-old Michelle O'Neill, is also part of a new younger generation at the top. "Sinn Fein is on a road to a future of prosperity and equality across the island and [young people] are the ones instigating it. It's absolutely massive."

Neil Rush, 22, was also encouraged. He lives in Northern Ireland and he joined the party because of its support for same-sex marriage. Mr. Rush said he and his partner can't get married in Northern Ireland because it's the only part of the U.K. without marriage equality. "These are issues that might not seem like a big deal but they are for people like us on a daily basis," he said as he waved a poster in support of same-sex marriage. Nodding toward Ms. McDonald he added: "It's a new start. You have to embrace change. We always knew that Gerry was going to step down at some stage. He can't go on forever."

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