Republican News · Thursday 1 November 2001

AMAI congratulates Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle members Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD and Seán MacManus, former Mayor of Sligo, were both congratulated at an executive meeting of the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland (AMAI), held in Dundalk last Saturday, for their roles in the ongoing development of the Peace Process. Ó Caoláin was a member of the AMAI between 1994 and 1999 as a delegate from Monaghan UDC, while MacManus is a member for this council term.

AMAI President Councillor Denis Landy from Carrick-on-Suir was asked to make a public statement welcoming the week's events and acknowledging the important roles played by the former and present AMAI members. The President assured the 40 councillors present that he would do so.

In the current council term, which expires in 2004, over a dozen Sinn Féin councillors from around the 26-County state are members of the AMAI, representing their own local authorities.

This year, three of them are on the National Executive - Seán Kenna (Cathaoirleach Dundalk UDC), Seán Conlon (Monaghan UDC) and Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin (Clonakilty UDC), who were present last Saturday to hear the votes of congratulations being proposed to their party colleagues.

At the meeting, the organisations new website was launched. Another link with Sinn Féin is included in the history section of the site, where it mentions that in 1920, the AMAI President was Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence McSwiney. He was arrested during his term of office.and imprisoned in Brixton Prison. In protest that year, the AMAI cancelled its annual conference, vowing not to meet until McSwiney was released from his incarceration. He died in October of that year after 74 days on hunger strike.