Éire Nua

Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.

This is a very interesting document, a reworked Éire Nua from Republican Sinn Féin. This edition was published in 1990. As might be expected it restates the broader administrative aspects of the original Éire Nua produced by the then leadership of Provisional Sinn Féin in the 1970s. But it is much less detailed in respect to social, political and economic organisation than that earlier document.

It argues under the heading ‘A New Beginning’ that:

This programme can be our instrument to build a sound future for our nation. The programme embraces all the people of Ireland; it provides for a system in which all creeds and traditions can be represented and all citizens can exercise real power, without any group infringing on the the rights of others. The alternative to the forging of a New Ireland is to endure the present affliction – perhaps in the blind hope that our politicians their EC friends will somehow magically find ways to transform our present debilitated, impoverished and undemocratic society into a nation that is strong, prosperous and democratic.

And it calls for ‘a new constitution’ and ‘a new government structure’. The former would incorporate a ‘Charter of Rights’ which would itself incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights.

As with the original Éire Nua the government structure would be a ‘federation of the four provinces of Ireland under the co-ordination of a national parliament, with powers devolved through regional administrative councils to local bodies, so that at all levels citizens may have an effective voice in their own governance’.

Dáil Éireann would be the national parliament, comprising representatives from all 32 counties. However, Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht would all have regional/provincial government. The new Dáil would incorporate 50 per cent of the Deputies from direct elections and another 50 per cent from the provincial parliaments.

The document includes maps of the new administrative and political divisions. The site of the Parliament of Ulster would be sited at Dungannon while that of Connacht would be in Tuam. Athlone would become the National capital. Notably the front cover of the document was designed by Robert Ballagh.

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