Sinn Féin - party of the future
The results of the Cork South Central by-election have confirmed
what has been apparent for some time - that Sinn Fein is the
fastest growing political force on this island and that the party
is now poised to mount a serious electoral challenge in the 26
Counties.
While Sinn Fein's mounting electoral successes in the Six
Counties have received widespread attention in recent years, what
has gone relatively unnoticed by the media is the party's steady
growth and expansion in the 26 Counties where it has been
building structures and attracting new members and support in
ever increasing numbers.
The performance of Sinn Fein's candidate in Cork South Central,
Henry Cremin eclipsed the vote of one the government parties -the
Progressive Democrats - in a constituency where Sinn Fein had not
fielded candidates since 1992. Sinn Fein exceeded its target of
1,000 votes and has built a very solid foundation towards the
local authority election next June.
Those elections will provide voters in the 26 Counties with the
opportunity to dramatically change the face of politics at a
local level by returning Sinn Féin representatives in large
numbers.
Cruiser comes full circle
Conor Cruise O'Brien has finally come full circle after a
lifetime of political and ideological gymnastics. From being an
anti-partition propagandist for the Dublin government in the
1940s to becoming the architect of political censorship of the
Irish republican message through Section 31 of the Broadcasting
Act and finally as a self-confessed Unionist and Assembly member
for the UK Unionist Party, the Crusier has never failed to
provide headlines.
That O'Brien now advocates a United Ireland as the best option
for Unionists is to be welcomed. There is nothing new in the idea
that unionists could best secure their future by negotiating a
new all-Ireland arrangement with nationalist representatives -
republicans have always preached this political message.
What is ridiculous is O'Brien's contention that Irish republicans
would oppose, possibly even militarily, our own political raison
d'etre. Such a preposterous notion simply defies all political
logic and is worthy only of O'Brien at his most fanciful.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/harp.gif)