Goodwill Draining

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Niall O’Dowd with Gerry Adams in 1996

This morning.

Via New York-based publisher and journalist Niall O Dowd in the Irish Times:

…It is quite an onslaught by the political leaders and many in the media.

The tenor of the anti-Sinn Féin columns makes one think many of the commentators and party leaders would almost prefer Sinn Féin had never given up violence, as they swaddle themselves in self-righteousness.

As expected the media revisionists are truly angry that their cock-eyed view of history, where Sinn Féin are incapable of political thought and are just a bunch of goons who threatened the legitimate Northern Ireland state, has been discredited.

Their theory is destined for the dustbin of history which makes it all the more strange to see leading politicians suddenly begin flogging that long-dead horse

In the process, they are draining much of the goodwill Irish Americans have for Irish political leaders. We believe it defies logic to face backwards after so much has been accomplished.

Irish America is hostile to the exclusion of Sinn Féin from government (Niall O’Dowd, Irish Times)

Previously: Eamonn Kelly: Memo To The Mainstream

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17 thoughts on “Goodwill Draining

  1. missred

    While I think it is annoying and tiresome all the hysteria about Sinn Fein being given their elected seat at the government table, I do not give a fupp what Irish America, or as it’s better known, America, thinks. Back of the queue for the plastic paddies

    1. phil

      Well those plastic paddies were very helpful in the peace process in the North , some might even think they were a sobering shadow on the brits.

      They were also very supportive of us during the brexit withdrawal negotiations , telling UK that Ireland was still important to them and the UK should be careful about Trade deal assumptions if the peace process was damaged by brexit…

      I dont disagree with his analysis

      1. missred

        I don’t mean the actual useful diplomat types, I mean those who are ordinary joes who think they have some sort of automatic right over a country they’re not from

      2. Cian

        Well those plastic paddies were very helpful in the terror process in the North , some might even think they were channelling millions of dollars into the hands of the IRA.

  2. The Old Boy

    I agree with the assessment of Irish media coverage but I don’t really see what Irish-Americans’ perpetually skew-eyed view of Irish politics and their putative “goodwill” has to do with the price of eggs.

    1. Redbeard

      Viewed through the prism of Brexit, the unabashed perfidity displayed by incumbent at No. 10 Downing Street, the inreasing likelihood of the British reneging on the “frontstop”, the likely impact to the border region and the GFA itself brought on by that betrayal, and the utter contempt the ERG have for Ireland and the Irish, I think it has much to do with the price of eggs, and much else.

      https://twitter.com/HocGfa

      I think we are likely to be very much reliant on the support and good will of the Irish disapora in both US houses before this year is out.

      The analysis by Niall O Dowd is objective, however unpalatable the message may be.

  3. V

    Bit early to be putting it out there for 2025 there Niall

    Or is it a Taoiseach’s pick for the Senate you’re waving at

    Heemmm
    Tis the year alright for that
    Like
    With a New York based Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael just elected

    Hon’ Larry bhoy btw
    Remember where you’re from, where tis all about your roots like

  4. Friscondo

    Whatever the merits (or not) of Sinn Fein being in government, I don’t think Irish America, or any other part of America takes a blind bit of notice. Does “Irish America” even exist as an entity anymore?

  5. Madam X

    Actually Irish Americans have supported the PIRA financially and SF for many years so by now ignoring their legitimate right to be in government those supporters feel short changed by the very government of Ireland they also supported.

    1. V

      a good argument – BUT

      all that NORAID, Prisoners Defence, AOH and Tiocfidh money came from an era that wouldn’t be too fond of Mary Lou
      Along with Divorce and Equal Marriage in Ireland
      And now with Ireland being a ProChoice country, don’t be surprised that the controllers of those 000,000s and more, would row in behind the likes of Eamonn O’Cuiv and Peadar Tobin before they’d be seen standing up for Mary Lou’s Sinn Fein

      And O’Dowd knows this only too well

      Which makes me very suspicious of his motives

  6. postmanpat

    “…the commentators and party leaders would almost prefer Sinn Féin had never given up violence” But they were never violent in the first place I thought? Always claiming being a separate entity to the IRA? Then again they also never condemned the IRA when they murdered innocent people and Gerry (and that other fella that’s thankfully dead now) carried the coffins of IRA bombers. So I can see how some Yanks think they where the same. Buy they are not and …er…never have been…honest!!

  7. Truth in the News

    The psychology in establishment Ireland in opposing the Shinners is just a an extension
    of the mind set of the Unionist’s and the deeply bigoted Orange Order which in fact a policy
    retaining privilege and domination, they have many “fellow travellers” south of the Border

    1. jamesjoist

      paradoxically the Loyalist Brits in Northern Ireland can work with Sinn Fein but the West Brits of the Republic’s Fine Gael can’t

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