Republican News · Thursday 29 August 2002

Members' Programme launched in Dublin

BY MICHAEL PIERSE

Dublin Sinn Féin held what the party's Training and Development Unit chair, Frances McCole, described as a "successful and positive" launch to its new Members' Programme on Saturday 24 August.

The launch attracted over 30 members from Dublin, delegated by their respective cumainn to attend, along with journalist Scott Millar, delegated by the Silly Season and The Sunday Times.

Finding little to write home about, the Sunday Times journalist used selective quotes, inferences of Gerry Adams, headmaster-like, sending his underlings back to school, and embittered jibes from malcontent Anthony McIntyre to spice up his somewhat banal story.

"Sinn Féin throws book at faithful," he wrote. "Gerry Adams is sending the party faithful back to school." Apparently, he construed, the document confirms that "Sinn Féin also prevaricates on its demands for Irish unity," and he proceeded to quote his evidence of the same: "It reaffirms its objectives as the 'overthrow of British rule, the establishment of a republic in line with the ideas of the 1916 Easter Proclamation, social justice and the promotion of the Irish language and culture'."

Why can't those Shinners just say it out straight?

When the contradictory statements wear a bit thin, who better to call than 'Republican' Writers' Group champion Anthony McIntyre, for a bit of knee-jerk disaffection. A focus on the analysis of Connolly and Marx in the document "is just part of the inconsistency and self-denial of the leadership", McIntyre railed.

McCole told An Phoblacht that the seminar was a success and is part of a process of "radicalising" the party and introducing new members to the principles, ideology and objectives of Sinn Féin. The programme is designed to inspire and enable learning, rather than be a mere synopsis of Sinn Féin's ethos, she explained.

Further seminars are to be held in Cork on Saturday 7 September, Sligo on Sunday 8 September, and Enniscorthy on Saturday 21 September.