Republican tactics all have the same intended outcome in mind, their goal of unifying Ireland

Sinn Fein’s performance in the Republic’s election evoked for me, as it would undoubtedly have done so for hundreds of thousands others also, an overwhelming sense of fear and disbelief.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Feb 2020, 17:08 BST
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald addresses Sinn Fein's national executive committee in Dublin on Monday after the party topped the poll in the Republic of Ireland general election. Photo: Niall Carson/PA WireSinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald addresses Sinn Fein's national executive committee in Dublin on Monday after the party topped the poll in the Republic of Ireland general election. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald addresses Sinn Fein's national executive committee in Dublin on Monday after the party topped the poll in the Republic of Ireland general election. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Such a result makes us wonder about the IRA army council — it is they after all who have been assessed to have a continuing influence on Sinn Fein.

Who can be surprised if people in Northern Ireland fear that any such influence would be used to promote the republican goal of unifying Ireland?

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Former IRA leaders are smart people (clandestine and unelected as they are). For example, the republican ‘cessation of violence’ in the 1990s was not by any means an act of contrition for all the murders and hurt they caused throughout the decades, nor did they all of a sudden want to genuinely make friends with the pro unionist peoples — far from it.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

No, it was nothing more than a tactic just as their involvement in the democratic process is only a tactic also.

There have been many others. Objections over Orange parades, the flying of Union Jacks, taking up seats in Stormont, sitting on the Policing Board, meeting the Royal Family etc were all tactics.

In fact everything they say, do and or don’t do are all tactics, adopted with the same intended outcome in mind.

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The one manoeuvre that they will never master however in their quest to rid Ireland of its northern border is the ability to rid the border in their followers’ minds— the hatred that is a barrier to any semblance of peace and harmony.

As much as they just love blaming everyone else, this is one border of solely their own making that will most certainly continue to blight Ireland for time immemorial — American and European intervention or not.

A hatred they are so enthralled about that their chants of ‘Up the ra’ and ‘Tiocfaidh ar la’ continue to resonate only as a reminder to everyone else of their untrustworthiness.

That will all be the foundation stone on which their United Ireland will be built upon if it ever comes to fruition, heaven forbid, and for which they are pushing like mad to have a referendum on!

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People, pro unionist or not, would be best reminded that equality, freedom of speech, fair employment, justice and all other real life issues will have no place in the sort of society the IRA would like to see.

Archibald Toner, Dromore, Co Down

Related topics:Sinn FeinIRAObjectionsNorthern IrelandPeople