Letter: Far right extremism should play no part in future political life in either part of Ireland

Instead, Sinn Fein once again cynically and opportunistically exploited the situation for narrow selfish political advantage, showing a callous disregard for those victims who have suffered including not only immigrants, but also the Dublin city centre business community and the gardai who courageously confronted the violent mobs.

Sinn Fein feigned sympathy for the gardai rings very hollow indeed. It should not be forgotten that republican terrorist organisations, including the Provisional IRA, were responsible for the murder of 23 gardai yet Sinn Fein representatives continue to glorify the IRA campaign of terror which was also responsible for the murder of the majority of all the victims of the troubles.

As the date of the next Dail election in the Republic draws ever closer, they should prove their fitness for government by disassociating themselves from the actions of the IRA instead of glorifying them.

Instead, they choose to condemn and blame Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris (whose father was murdered by the IRA) for last week’s disturbances, rather than join forces with them to confront the present anti- democratic forces of the far right.

Far right extremism is not a new phenomenon on the island of Ireland. It gave birth to the troubles in Northern Ireland also.

Both republican and loyalist terrorist organisations were the main exponents of it. They murdered people because they were of a different religion or culture from themselves.

They also undermined democratic institutions by murdering democratically elected members of Stormont, Dail Eireann and Westminster.

Democratic forces must unite to ensure far right political extremism plays no part in future political life in either part of Ireland.

John Cushnahan, former Alliance Party leader and former Fine Gael MEP