A Letter From Ireland
By Ciarán Quinn
Sinn Féin Representative to North America
a Chara,
Have you ever noticed how contagious hope and optimism are?
On Tuesday evening Friends of Sinn Féin USA hosted an Irish Unity event in the West Side Irish American Club in Cleveland, OH. Set in gorgeous grounds that included GAA pitches and staffed by volunteers, the club is an impressive testament to the Irish in Cleveland. There was a real feeling of community in the room.
Two years ago Sinn Féin established a Commission on the Future of Ireland to explore the potential and build the vision of a new and united Ireland. Hearings have been held throughout Ireland.
The Commission is a dialogue, with speakers laying out the pathway to unity and those in attendance determining their vision and role in bringing about a new and united Ireland. The findings of the Commission inform the policies of Sinn Féin in Ireland.
This was the first one to be hosted by Friends of Sinn Féin USA. Later this week a similar event will be hosted in the Shamrock Club in Columbus.
Greg O’Loughlin from Friends of Sinn Féin and John O’Brien, Jr. from iIrish and the volunteers ensured an excellent, sold-out event. The hospitality of the West Side Irish American Club was second to none. Those attending were greeted with optimism and energy.
The event was broken down into complementary sections. The MP for Newry and Armagh, Dáire Hughes gave a comprehensive opening address, laying out the opportunity for unity, and the work that lay ahead. The key message was that Irish Unity was not a far-off aspiration but a realizable objective in the coming years.
That set the tone for an engaging question-and-answer session. The discussion moved on from, “Wouldn’t a united Ireland be great?” to “How do we bring it about?”
The road map is clear. The Good Friday Agreement provides for Irish Unity referendums North and South. If both vote in favour, then Ireland will be united. The democratic right to determine the constitutional future of the Island is in the hands of the people. The question now is how to vindicate that right, and secure and win unity referendums.
It was then onto smaller table top discussions with questions on how to integrate two separate economies and public services, how to ensure a peaceful transition, governance issues, and many more. All equally valid questions that need to be answered. That is why an Irish Government must use its resources to plan, prepare, and advocate for unity. This must include convening a Citizens Assembly to hear the views of our nation at home and abroad.
I came away from the meeting with my Irish Republican batteries recharged. The energy and optimism in the room was unstoppable. The calls for the US to continue to support the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement including the provision for unity referendums echoed around the room.As did calls for the Irish Government to act and seize the opportunity to build a new Ireland.
Many thanks to all we met along the road in Chicago and Cleveland. In the coming weeks, Friends of Sinn Féin will be hosting ‘People’s Assembly: Diaspora’ events in Columbus, OH, Washington, DC, and Rockland, NY. The Columbus event is sold out, and information about tickets and other upcoming events will be shared soon.
Given the success of this week, I hope the Friends of Sinn Féin will continue to roll out a programme of Commissions across the US and Canada.
Have a great weekend.
Is mise,
Ciarán
