"'Sinn Féin had realised that water charges were the big issue, after spending the first six days talking about housing. The party made a lot of mistakes during the campaign.'"
"'The biggest one came on October 8, 2014. Party leader Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald were promising to scrap water charges in their alternative budget plan... A reporter asked them if they would be paying their water charges. Adams and McDonald were caught off guard by the question.'"
"'Pardon the pun but the Sinn Féin leadership's watery approach cost the party the pivotal 2014 Dublin South-West by-election. The party got outflanked on its left by Paul Murphy.'"
Sinn Féin shifted focus to water charges after initially emphasizing housing. The party made significant mistakes during the campaign, particularly on October 8, 2014, when Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald were unprepared for questions about paying water charges. Their response negatively impacted the party's image. This misstep contributed to their loss in the crucial 2014 Dublin South-West by-election, where they were outmaneuvered by Paul Murphy of the Anti-Austerity Alliance, now known as People Before Profit-Solidarity.
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