One Ireland, One People - The Only Alternative
Date:1984
Organisation: Sinn Féin
Type:Manifesto
View: View Document
Discuss:Comments on this document
Subjects: European Parliament Election, 1984

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Commentary From The Cedar Lounge Revolution

11th August 2014

Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.

This interesting document printed for the EEC elections of 1984 is ten pages long. On the front cover it has the old SF logo with the initials SF superimposed on the map of Ireland. Inside it notes that:

SF is contesting the EEC elections in all five constituencies in the 32 counties, putting before the people a real alternative. We are the only all-Ireland party with an unapologetic stand in support of national re-unification and in defence of the right of the Irish people to resist British occupation.

It notes that SF has ‘consistently opposed membership of the EEC’. And it suggests that the EEC has failed ‘to pro due the economic miracle promised on entry’. It also argues that ‘EEC membership has subjugated national sovereignty to the interests of the bigger and richer EEC states, only shifting the balance of colonial neo-colonial dependency on Britain to dependency on Brussels’ and that it has ‘re-emphasised partition’.

Under various headings, Unemployment, Policy Control, Agriculture, Fisheries, Social Issues and Cultúr it critiques the EEC and it concludes by arguing:

SF advocates withdrawal from the EEC and the negotiation of trading agreements with it, but also advocates the implementation of a radical socialist economic programme in a united Ireland.

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  • By: Joe Tue, 12 Aug 2014 12:23:47

    The title is interesting – One Ireland, One People.
    Am I right in saying that SF these days accepts that there are “two peoples” in Ireland. I remember nearly falling off my chair, it must be 15 years ago now, hearing Martin McGuinness on the telly saying something along the lines of “the unionist people are British and I have no problem with that”.
    Éamon Ó Cuív of FF was on the radio the other day saying that unionists have a separate culture and history and that a united Ireland cannot be about there being “one people” on the island.

    Kind of a broad consensus around that now, barring the usual tiny, sad fringes.

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  • By: roddy Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:08:32

    I remember almost falling off my chair one time too Joe.It was a couple of Decades ago when a TD went the whole road to N Korea to declare that their could only be “one Ireland and one people” This would have been several years after 1984 and the TD in question was not SF as they had yet to enter Leinster house.Maybe you could help me out in identifying him?

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  • By: Joe Tue, 12 Aug 2014 17:24:39

    In reply to roddy.

    Tomás MacGiolla would be my guess, Roddy.
    I’m not trying to stir the pot or score points with my post. Simply pointing out what appears to be a sort of consensus that a United Ireland ain’t that straightforward. What are your views on the shape of any future UI – unionist, British identity, east-west links, that sort of thing.
    Éamon Ó Cuív once floated a UI that would be a member of the Commonwealth and I recoiled at the idea – I don’t want any links with that ex-British empire body. But if there ever is to be a UI then my prejudices will be challenged as much as anybody’s.

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  • By: roddy Tue, 12 Aug 2014 17:41:19

    Aye,I agree a UI will not be that straightforward and for several decades anyway unionists will need the reassurance of some recognition of their allegance to Britain.

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