Managing Change
A Letter from Ireland
a Chara,
Well, I’m back in Ireland after an incredible and inspiring visit to Pittsburgh and Washington. It will take me a while to respond to everyone we met on the trip, but bear with me. I made it back in time for the All Ireland Football Final and a big thanks to Vince for the tickets and the company. Final Day at Croke Park is something special. It is a coming together of Gaels from across Ireland and the world. The rivalry between the competing counties is intense and matched by the good humor of both sets of fans. It was a close game. Congrats to the mighty Kerry and commiserations to an incredible Galway team. In the news politically has been a poll by the University of Liverpool and Irish News measuring attitudes in the North of Ireland. The poll found that Sinn Féin had consolidated its historic election result in the north with a 10-point lead over its main rival the Democratic Unionist Party which continues to block the establishment of the Government. The poll also found a 7% increase in support for Irish Unity if a referendum was called TOMORROW. Support for Unity is now head to head with support for partition. Unity at 39.4% and continued division at 40.6%, a lead well within the margin of error. An Irish Government planning and advocating for unity could win a referendum. That is what Sinn Féin would do in Government. Also in the news was the decision by the SDLP to go into opposition when a Government is formed in the North of Ireland. This smacked of making a virtue out of a necessity as the party failed to gain enough support to be entitled to a place in the Government! We are living in times exciting times. Change is all around. The opportunities are boundless. The challenge for all that hold the Good Friday Agreement and progress in Ireland dear is to manage that change. To bring as many with us as possible. To build a new, united and peaceful Ireland. A home for all. Following on from our visits to Pittsburgh and Washington I am sure that we can meet that challenge together. The end of the summer is usually marked by the end of the GAA Championship season. This year is different. The fixture list was changed. I’m not sure what the rest of the summer holds but in the meantime we have a long weekend to look forward to this week. Have a good one. Is mise,
Ciarán
Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America. Each week he writes a letter from Ireland with news and analysis. It is featured in the weekly Friends of Sinn Féin USA Newsletter. Be sure you are subscribed to stay up to date.