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SINN FÉIN MEMBERS gathered in the Dublin Convention Centre this weekend for the party’s annual Ard Fheis.
With this year marking the centenary of the 1916 Rising – it was no surprise that this year’s event centred around the Irish Proclamation, a united Ireland and reconciliation.
Water charges was also a hot topic of discussion (also a hot topic for the two establishment parties this weekend too.)
There was lots to discuss and lots of talking points that emerged.
Here’s what we learned from the weekend:
1. Sinn Féin don’t hold back when it comes to Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil
The words Tweedledum and Tweedledee featured in quite a few speeches this weekend.
Mary Lou McDonald called the establishment parties “the old guard politicians” who are holding the Dáil to ransom.
Gerry Adams said it was time for the two parties to “sort it” and get on with forming a government or go back to the people.
2. Mary Lou McDonald is ‘scarlet’ for Micheal Martin
The deputy leader is known for being a powerful speaker – and she didn’t waste the opportunity today.
She gave a scathing speech about the establishment parties – particularly Fianna Fáil, using the well-known Dublin saying: ‘Scarlet for ya.’
3. The two hours of live TV coverage were used wisely
The party packed literally dozens of delegates into its two hours on RTÉ One between 11am and 1pm today in an attempt to get them some national exposure.
Donegal TD Pearse Doherty gave a strong speech on how those dealing with economic policy cannot forget the people behind the numbers.
They are policies that recognise that it not possible to cut taxes and cross your fingers and hope that everything works out ok, which is what Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want to do.
Or leave all things to the market , when there are some things that the market sees as commodities to be bought and sold regardless of long-term social and economic consequences.
You cannot treat a hospital bed the same way as a mobile phone.
You cannot have an economic policy that treats social cohesion as something that just gets in the way.
The problems we face as a people are far too great, they run way too deep, to be fixed with such empty and futile gestures as tax credits and modular homes.
https://vine.co/v/iUOMvilhrF6
4. There was some serious song, dance and craft at the Ard Fheis.
Before Gerry Adams took to the stage, there was a play, poetry, Bobby Sand diary entry readings and Irish music to boot.
Hand-made tapestries lined the Convention Centre walls.
Each patch representing a person who had died during the conflicts in Northern Ireland.
The Irish football team meeting the pope in 1990.Source: EMPICS Sport
5. The party wants to see an all-Ireland soccer team
A Sinn Féin voted in favour of establishing a 32-county soccer team. A party delegate addressed the conference and called for a all-Ireland soccer team, saying that a "uniting team shows solidarity to people in need".
It's every Dublin boy's dream to play for Ireland, lets make it every Belfast boy's dream to play for Ireland too.
6. Sinn Féin says the partition is the 'elephant in the room'
Throughout the Ard Fheis and coinciding with 1916 commemorations, the overriding theme was the partition and the reunification of Ireland.
In a speech that received a standing ovation, McDonald described partition as the “elephant in the room”.
She said the republic envisaged by James Connolly and Patrick Pearse “doesn’t end at Newry. The North is not a foreign land.”
7. Erica Fleming gave an impassioned speech about the reality of homelessness
Erica Fleming, who took part in an RTE documentary about being homeless with a young child, struck a chord with everyone in the auditorium today.
Today – as I stand here before you – myself and my 9-year-old daughter have been homeless for 298 days. That is 298 days living in what the outgoing government like to call ‘temporary accommodation’ – 298 days is not temporary.
I exposed our lives, I exposed the hardships of being a homeless working lone parent.I exposed the hardships of being a homeless child.
I exposed how unfair the system was and is towards us.
8. There was some serious swag to be bought at Ard Fheis
There were pins, posters, framed photos of the 1916 leaders, t-shirts and Irish Proclamations to be bought - not to mention these 'Rising' mugs.
9. Sinn Féin haven't let go of the idea of getting another bank holiday - 24 April.
The party want 24 April, the actual date of the 1916 Easter Rising – which is also incidentally Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s birthday – a national public holiday every year.
They already tried to get it through last year, but the government voted down the motion. It's whole other political ball game one year on, so maybe it will be a case of second-time lucky.
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It is very easy to stand by principles when you know will will not get the opportunity to implement them.
Believe me they will implement them. Why do you think FF and FG want to control both sides of the house? Sinn Fein are unstoppable.
Tweedeldum and tweedeldee…more like laurel and hardy after a labotomy
Laurel n hardy were amusing at the least…..theres f all amusing about edna n meehawl
Very true Dh
We’ve learned that sf are a sham and voting for a party that just moans about everything is a waste of time. I wonder who is in charge? Adams still as leader? Would love to know who is ordering that.
I don’t see the shinners doing much in the Dail to form a government who are the third largest party. Its all about gaining strength by being the opposition for now.I’m with any TD who talks sense,is capable of taking care of business and holding their own. No one in sinn fein is capable of that.
They campaigned on the promise that they wouldn’t go into government as a minority party. They received the votes they did on the back of that promise and have not the numbers to lead a government. I realise the very notion of a party keeping it’s promises is a foreign concept in the dail but there you are.
SF an odious and unctuous entity, end of
Good input Doc but hard to trust the political analysis of a man who thought that the Easter Rising was a part of the Home Rule movement and who describes guerilla warfare as “cowardly shooting from the ditches” while using a photo of Michael Collins as his profile picture. Classic stuff.
The Kraken resurfaces from the bunker.
9 things we didn’t learn.
1. Where are the rest of the dissappeared?
2. Who murdered Ms Mc Conville
Actually 9 won’t be enough, this list could be quite long.
Well done Erica Fleming, a powerful voice for Ireland’s homeless generation.
The most important thing that we have learned is that they have learned nothing.
Fianna Fail voters, are you talking about?
Nice balanced article..definitely approved by army council
We also learned they support Palestinian liberation but do they support HAMAS ?
They are best friends with Hamas , re increasing in popularity you are deluded they have made it very clear they do not want to go into Govt so what use are they ?
Sinn Fein are about as useful as a pedal powered wheelchair to answer your question.
Farc make cocaine in Columbia !
Mike they obviously didn’t make it clear enough or you are misrepresenting what they said deliberately. They would go into government but not as a prop to hold either of the other two up. Surely you didn’t miss that. It was repeated over and over. You must have heard it before.
Mike Sinn Fein promised to only go into government if they were the majority party. They don’t have enough votes to do this and so have kept their promise. Imagine a party keeping their promises, wouldn’t that just be terrible?
Gerry Adams speech was pure guff. Appealing to nationalism will achieve nothing for this country. Only internationalism can deliver a better future for Irish workers
And endoff and mucal don’t guff,enoff is black in the face for lying,the camera doesn’t lie.
Why are the media so against a united Ireland, yet promote this idea of European Union. European Union helps to play down the cultural differences we have. Why not promote that in Ireland? Why doesn’t the Irish government engage with our unionist neighbours in the north of the island and improve our economic and cultural ties.
Instead they turn their back on them, our European neighbours, our Irish neighbours, our Irish brethren.
Sinn Fein is committed to doing so, because without it we are a divided island, not just politically, but also culturally.
That might not affect you if you are living in Waterford or Kerry but it bloody well does if you live in Ulster.
As a gay man it upsets me to see marriage equality given to friends who live in the 26 counties but not friends who live in the 6 counties.
Micheal Martin? ?? Wasn’t he in cabinet when the sh#$e hit the fan??? Very irish
Ya its all about the Homos
Always refreshing to see a truly democratic process in action like we did earlier live on TV. Motions proposed, voted on by delegates, then the leadership being bound by the result of that vote. The only major party in Ireland where the leadership is led by the membership.
U on speed?
For connolly. .a leader who protected his paedophile brother.
So you don’t believe in the courts now?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Best laugh I’ve had all day Jamming – tell that to Rob McCartney and Paul Quinn’s family.
Cult of Jorry
The resident trolls will be (already spotted one) here shortly to make nonsensical historical inaccuracies about Sinn Féin. The reality though is that many families, working or not (for whatever reason), are beginning to see that the current political situation is not working for them and only a radical overhaul is needed and a shift in policy, both economically and socially can bring about meaningful and lasting positive change. Sinn Féin is that change.
“Sinn Féin is that change”
87% of the electorate didn’t think so.
And 13% are incapable of thinking.
Ehh… The 40% who dont vote ( in the South) cant be factored in.
Say’s leo/tommy/dane/diarmaud/and what ever else you call yourself.
Of the 87% minus those who voted independent and other. The rest are idiots. Very definition of madness, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Gerry Adams should step down and let mary lou lead SF and may be in to another general election
So you’d vote SF if Mary Lou were leader?
Fair play to sinn fein they timed their ard fheis so that it would be in the run up to the election for maximum effect
Cheap chat for the gullible. A net liability on their way to extinction.
SF on their way to extinction?! Despite being the largest party in Ireland and having almost doubled their Dail representation at the recent election? That’s an odd understanding of extinction you have there Bernard!
True 75% don’t like f.g and 75% don’t like f.f and 50% don’t know there is no difference between the two
Did they have anything to say about their Paramilitary colleagues marching down O’Connell St today?
Do a bit of research… They were the so called Na Fianna Eirinn. A youth group linked with the CIRA, a dissident group who does not support the good Friday agreement and is opposed to Sinn Féin. They are not Sinn Féin the IRA SF was linked to are gone a good few years now. *Face Palm”
Is it just me or is Mary lou the new Joan Burton?
Not just you. You’re not the only loon out there.
‘Each patch represents a person who had died during the Troubles in Northern Ireland’. Does that strike anyone else as a bit rich?
Most people who ‘died’ were murdered by so-called republicans. These patches represent a sick human trophy room.
Wonder is there a patch for Jean McConville?
Presume there isn’t one for Gary Sheehan or Pte Kelly or Jerry McCabe
The patches represent innocent victims of british state force collusion. Each patch created by that victim’s own family. No doubt you couldn’t rhyme off the names of three such victims quite as easily without the assistance of google, but sure why would you care about victims who weren’t victims of the IRA, eh? They not useful enough to you. Pathetic.
No . 10 – sf are w****rs.
1-9= You can’t polish a turd….
Things we’ve learned about the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis? …Ladies and Gentlemen, the bar is now open?
Who cares? Why is this even news?
Am I the only one romanticising about an old Ireland when big Jim larkin and James connelly and the likes of them stood up and changed Ireland for the better, I think in this centenary year of ours I think we’re better then that and I have to say fair play to Sf for giving Erica Fleming a voice I don’t see any other party doing that after all isn’t it that the government hold position in this country to represent the Irish public?
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Dirt !
Adams praising women is the last straw when he did not object to women being killed etc shame on him.
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