Sinn Fein’s contributions

Sinn Fein, the Catholic political arm of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), is gaining public support even among staunch Protestants and in Parliament, according to recent peace talks.

Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams, is slowly gaining ground in the political, social, and economic arenas in the United Kingdom. Once a distrusted and somewhat unscrupulous group thought of by the British government as the "talking heads" of the IRA, Sinn Fein is now a mainstay in both the British Parliament and Irish Assemblies and has the backing of the large Catholic communities, especially in the cities of Dublin, Londonderry, and Belfast. The political group has total autonomy but still maintains close ties to the IRA and to Catholic interests in the Irish Republic.

Adams has been at times both a close ally and an enemy to the British Parliament. Of late, the group has advocated for better policing, education, and better opportunities for Catholics, and improved conditions in the cities and towns throughout the Irish Republic. According to Adams, "A great concern for Sinn Fein is, of course, the future total reunification of Northern Ireland and Ireland into one autonomous and free republic totally apart from British rule and control." Sinn Fein has also won support from Protestants in the fight for peace and equality for the people of Ireland and many have championed the group’s efforts in continuing and facilitating peace talks and helping to provide resources and funds for health concerns. According to one British Parliament member, "Sinn Fein has made tremendous steps in securing better health opportunities, policing and ambulance services, and continues to contribute greatly to the peace process."

Throughout Ireland and even in some larger areas such as London and the surrounding area, both sides speak of a call for peace and continued dialog. The British Parliament would like to see the IRA completely disarm, and the IRA, in turn, would like to see the Protestant terrorist cells disbanded and disarmed accordingly. Many people in the United Kingdom are calling for lasting peace and want to see the Irish Republic fully and completely reunited and be a separate republic that is free and set apart totally from British rule.

Although support for the IRA and the opposing loyalist groups has dwindled in recent years, Sinn Fein and other pro-unification groups have gained, and continue to gain, precious ground in many decisive and significant issues such as equal education, access to better health care, and more understanding police. Due to the seemingly never-ending peace talks, many have looked to the Catholic and Protestant churches to help find ways to end the sectarian violence, heal divisions, and help reunite Ireland and the Six Counties. People in the Six Counties are looking to Sinn Fein and other groups to help bridge the social, economic, and religious gulfs that have split the republic into two very unequal and discontented parts.

There are still those on both sides that see the group as a threat and an old ally to a hated terrorist organization and treat it with disdain and caution. Either way, the group has made strides and publicly vows to work until Ireland is reunited and complete.