Husband of Mary Lou McDonald files legal action against Shane Ross

The husband of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has lodged High Court proceedings against journalist and author Shane Ross and the publisher of his recent biography of Ms McDonald.

Mr Ross, a former government minister, was sent a letter last year by solicitors acting for Martin Lanigan taking issue with some of the content of the biography, Mary Lou McDonald, a Republican Riddle, published by Atlantic Books, of London.

The book contains a number of questions about the financing by Ms McDonald and her husband of their current home in Cabra, Dublin. At the time he received the letter last year Mr Ross said there were no allegations of impropriety in the book but it had asked reasonable questions that he said should be answered. Ms McDonald said last year her husband is a private citizen and that every private citizen has a right to vindicate their good name.

[ Book review: A republican riddle ]

Mr Lanigan could not be contacted. Mr Ross said on Tuesday that he would “absolutely” defend the action and that he had asked for interviews with both Ms McDonald and Mr Lanigan when researching his book, but they had declined. “I would be very happy to interview Mary Lou and Martin Lanigan ... and to do that before I update the book, which I hope to do.”

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A spokeswoman for McCartan and Burke, the Dublin law firm acting for Mr Lanigan, said it would not be commenting. The same firm of solicitors are acting for Ms McDonald in a High Court action where she is suing Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) over comments made on the Morning Ireland radio programme earlier this year in relation to the Máiría Cahill case. No date has yet been set for that hearing.