The History of Sinn Fein

Sinn Fein, referred to as the political arm of the Irish Republican Army, translates to "ourselves alone" or "we ourselves." The organization declares itself to be the oldest political party in Northern Ireland and is a left-wing proponent of Irish Republicanism. The political party is generally associated with Irish Catholics.

Founding

Sinn Fein was founded as a political party on November 28, 1905 by Arthur Griffith. At 11 a.m. on this date, the first Convention of the National Council was convened. The aim of the party at its founding was complete separation from Britain for all of Ireland. Griffith was a newspaper publisher and one of his newspapers was titled Sinn Fein. Griffith advocated passive resistance to British rule. Following Dublin's Easter Uprising in 1916, people flocked to the political party. By 1918, Sinn Fein won 73 of Ireland's 105 seats in Britain's parliament.

War

The Irish Republican Army and Britain ended fighting in the Irish War of Independence, which lasted from 1919 to 1921, because of a treaty negotiated by representatives of Sinn Fein. The treaty created a free Irish state of 32 counties with the six counties of Northern Ireland continuing under British rule. The treaty also created a split within the Sinn Fein party, with some supporting the treaty and others opposing it.

Split

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the party split again and the modern political party of Sinn Fein was born. The split was the result of one group supporting the IRA's use of violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland and one group wanting to pursue the goal through parliament. The group that survived put forth that violence was justified and necessary for freedom from Britain. Sinn Fein was banned in Britain until 1974 and because of its connections to the IRA, was under broadcasting bans in both Ireland and Britain. Bloody Sunday would occur shortly after the split, with 27 civilians shot and 14 killed by the British Army.

Seat

The Downing Street Declaration was issued December 15, 1993, stating that the people of Northern Ireland should decide the country's future. Representatives of various organizations were called together to discuss the country's future and Sinn Fein invited to attend, providing the Irish Republican Army ceased violence. The IRA issued a cease fire in August 1994.

Good Friday Agreement

In April 1998, talks resulted in the Good Friday Agreement, establishing a government with shared power. Among concessions made by Sinn Fein were that Northern Ireland should remain a part of Britain as long as the majority of the county's citizens wished it to be.

Elections

In 2009, Sinn Fein topped polls in Northern Ireland's parliamentary elections. Sinn Fein is the second-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the fifth-largest party in the Republic of Ireland's lower house of parliament. Gerry Adams is the current leader of Sinn Fein.

References

• History: Sinn Fein
• Sinn Fein, political party
• History of Sinn Fein