tones
Tones deaf
...as my countryman George Bernard Shaw famously called it, a political earthquake has taken place:
https://www.irishtimes.com/election...d-from-the-campaign-and-the-results-1.4170381
Sinn Féin a major party, who'd have thought it? A lot of credit to Mary Lou McDonald, who comes with no paramilitary connections (despite all his vigorous denials, there is no doubt that Gerry Adams sat on the IRA Army Council, and was no doubt the salesman for his "bullet and ballot" concept). Still, with lots of uncomfortable people behind the scenes (and perhaps even pulling the strings?) can the Shinners be trusted? In short, can Sinn Féin become a normal political party and divorce itself completely from its paramilitary past?
It was once - the original, founded by Arthur Griffith before the First World War, was purely a party devoted to the idea of an Irish Republic and had no paramilitary connections (this was to come with the first lot of "Troubles" (1916-1921).
Already some of the smaller Irish political left-leaning parties are uncomfortable with a coalition that would exclude Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Interesting times ahead...
https://www.irishtimes.com/election...d-from-the-campaign-and-the-results-1.4170381
Sinn Féin a major party, who'd have thought it? A lot of credit to Mary Lou McDonald, who comes with no paramilitary connections (despite all his vigorous denials, there is no doubt that Gerry Adams sat on the IRA Army Council, and was no doubt the salesman for his "bullet and ballot" concept). Still, with lots of uncomfortable people behind the scenes (and perhaps even pulling the strings?) can the Shinners be trusted? In short, can Sinn Féin become a normal political party and divorce itself completely from its paramilitary past?
It was once - the original, founded by Arthur Griffith before the First World War, was purely a party devoted to the idea of an Irish Republic and had no paramilitary connections (this was to come with the first lot of "Troubles" (1916-1921).
Already some of the smaller Irish political left-leaning parties are uncomfortable with a coalition that would exclude Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Interesting times ahead...