Ireland’s Future: A New Year With Plenty To Do

a Chara,

Merry Christmas! I hope that you got all that you wanted or, more importantly, all that you needed.

We are in the twilight zone in Ireland, between Christmas and New Year. A time to catch up with family and old friends. Days melt into each other as we move from home to home and lunch to dinner.

It is also a time to reflect on the past year. It has been a long and historic year. In February, the DUP ended their two-year boycott of Stormont, and the government was re-established. Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill became the First Minister of the new government.

Ireland had been partitioned based on sectarian headcount and gerrymandered to ensure a pro-British majority. The election of a United Irelander as the head of government was emblematic of social change. Pro-British Unionism is now a minority position. The government in the North is now up and working.

Elections marked the second half of the year. Sinn Féin fought four elections in six months. Increasing the party’s number of Council and Members of the European Parliament seats in the South. Consolidating its position in the North as the largest party in the British general election.

We now have a new British Government in London. Progress has been made in addressing the legacy of the conflict, however this government has yet to fully break from the past and continues to hold back information from bereaved families. They refuse to play a full part in the process of reconciliation by acknowledging their past actions.

At the end of November, the party fought an Irish general election, winning back seats and increasing the number of Sinn Féin members in the Irish Parliament.

Again Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael appear to be back as coalition partners with a group of so-called Independents making up the numbers to secure a government majority. It is expected that the new government will be formed by the end of January and, if so, Sinn Féin will be the official opposition in the parliament.

Looking back, the year has been a year of consolidation and steady growth. We have further to travel to secure a Sinn Féin led government in Dublin. That job restarts in the New Year.

A constant throughout the year has been a deepening of the Irish Unity debate.

Friends of Sinn Féin with others hosted an incredible event in the Coopers Union on Irish unity and are rolling out a Commission on the same issue having completed successful events in Columbus and Cleveland. Washington, DC on January 27th and New York on January 30th are up next.(Registration information below.) Watch this space for information about additional cities in the coming months.

Building a new and united Ireland is not the sole responsibility of Sinn Féin; the majority of parties across the island are now committed to Irish Unity. We need to see those commitments translated into action by the incoming Irish Government.

Enjoy the next couple of days because come the New Year we have plenty to do.

Have a great weekend.

Is mise,

Ciarán

Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America