Inner City Republican
| Date: | November 1983 |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Sinn Féin |
| View: | View Document |
| Discuss: | Comments on this document |
| Subjects: |
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Commentary From The Cedar Lounge Revolution
21st November 2007
Taking a quick break from Coolacrease here, as a contrast to last weeks Official Sinn Féin “United Irishman”, we have a leaflet from Provisional Sinn Féin, the “Inner City Republican” issued on behalf of Christy Burke in the Dublin Central constituency. The leaflet was donated anonymously - for which we’re very grateful - and is from a photocopy, so apologies for the poor reproduction quality.
It’s an interesting document. Some obvious points. The ‘Provisional’ is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the name change of Sinn Féin the Workers’ Party to the Workers’ Party the previous year had rendered it superfluous. The masthead has a photograph of Connolly and Bobby Sands. There is a heavy emphasis on ‘socialism’ throughout. We are told in the editorial that “there can never be social justice and independence under a capitalist system”. Christy Burke is quoted We are treated to an interview with the IRA which is notable for the way in which it localises its involvement to specific areas in Dublin Central. And linked to that is a strong anti-drugs message. Interesting to see how in 1983 there was the claim that there was no heroin addiction in the North. The intervening years were to bring about a different story. And that too is interesting because the concentration remains very strongly focussed on the Inner City and the ‘war’ and the North is mentioned only glancingly. Perhaps an indication fo future complexities that we would see reiterated as recently as the election this year.
One notable omission is any reference to Tony Gregory who had been elected the previous year. This indicated interesting problems for PSF in the constituency because Gregory had already, to some degree, soaked up the left Republican vote by clothing it in community activist garb. And that linked into my previous point. For PSF this was a constituency, like many in Dublin that would be hard to ‘break’ into because there were many, Gregory, Labour and indeed FF who had first mover advantage. One can only marvel at the way in which Nicky Kehoe almost made it back in the last but one election. On the other hand there was no significant WP or DL presence here throughout the 20 odd years since unlike other constituencies, which counterintuitively might have been a problem in the 1980s and early 1990s but as time went on become yet another source of votes in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Finally, interesting to see that the fada’s are hand rendered. Them were the days…
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By: Dinheiro Internet - Blog de Dinheiro » Permalink for : The Left Archive: The “Inner City Republican” - Provisional Sinn Féin in 1983. Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:06:22
[…] God’s Politics – Jim Wallis blog, faith blog, religion, christian, christianity, politics, val… wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerptThe Left Archive: The “Inner City Republican” – Provisional Sinn Féin in 1983. November 21, 2007 Posted by WorldbyStorm in Left Archive, Sinn Féin. […]
Reply on the CLR
By: Garibaldy Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:31:38
Interesting to note that Burke was introduced by then Vice President Adams. I wonder if the President was opposed to the move, or sidelined or what
Reply on the CLR
By: WorldbyStorm Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:39:10
Surely not!
Reply on the CLR
By: Leveller on the Liffey Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:53:07
Re SF’s Inner City Republican news-sheet (1983)
No major mystery about the omission of Tony Gregory in the copy – why give publicity to your political rivals, especially when they are fishing for the same voters as yourselves?
Reply on the CLR
By: WorldbyStorm Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:58:23
Of course, that’s very true.
Reply on the CLR
By: Wednesday Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:40:32
Interesting to note that Burke was introduced by then Vice President Adams. I wonder if the President was opposed to the move, or sidelined or what
Or maybe he just wasn’t available. Jeez. Some people see conspiracies in everything …
Reply on the CLR
By: Garibaldy Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:54:38
Not available for as significant a move as this was made out to be in the leaflet? I’d be EXTREMELY surprised. But you might be right.
Reply on the CLR
By: WorldbyStorm Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:13:26
Well in truth, who knows. It’s only a small leaflet and in the context of the broader SF approach at that time I’m sure there was a fair bit of boosterism about their chances, etc, so no, probably not as significant as they make it out to be, or as it was perceived at the time.
Reply on the CLR
By: Garibaldy Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:41:01
So in the context of a power struggle which, IIRC, saw Adams become President that year with a clear intention to get more and more involved in elections – and long after the change in leadership to the north in the other half of the walnut – it’s an accident that one of the first of the new wave candidacies in the south sees Gerry A launch the candidate and not the incumbent. Maybe I’m too suspicious, but seems like a large coincidence to me.
Reply on the CLR
By: Wednesday Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:12:55
You are Ed Moloney and I claim my €5 🙂
Reply on the CLR
By: Garibaldy Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:29:46
The cheque’s in the post.
Reply on the CLR