Seán South Reports 'riddled with inaccuracies'

national | miscellaneous | press release Wednesday January 07, 2004 18:56 by Na Fianna Éireann - The Republican Movement info at fiannaeireann dot com Dublin

Evening Herald and the gutter press

1909-2004 Unbowed and Unbroken

Seán South Reports 'riddled with inaccuracies'
Des Long, Vice President, Republican Sinn Féin
January 6, 2004

The well worn phrase "gutter journalism" is too refined a term to describe the front page story published in the Dublin based Evening Herald on Monday 5th January 2004 in the wake of the annual Seán South commemoration in Limerick, the vice president of Republican Sinn Féin said today.

"To describe children marching in "paramilitary regalia" is not only a distortion of the facts it is an insult to the noble Republican scouting organisation founded in 1909," said Des Long the Limerick based vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin.

Des Long from Shannon Banks in Corbally said that he also acted as secretary of the local Seán South Commemoration Committee responsible for organising the annual event in Limerick.

"I feel compelled to issue a public statement to denounce the awful distortions and blatant falsehoods contained in this piece of so called journalism," he declared.

"There were no children in paramilitary regalia in Limerick at the parade - there were members of Na Fianna, a scouting organisation that has been part of the Republican Movement since 1909 when it was founded by Countess Markievicz and Bulmer Hobson, a Protestant political figure prominent in the demand for Independence.

"Na Fianna have taken part in every Seán South commemoration since 1957 and the fathers and mothers of those who took part on Sunday had also attended commemorations when they were young as members of Na Fianna. In fact a recent court case found that the uniform of Na Fianna cannot be construed as paramilitary.

"This type of weasel word journalism is the latest in a campaign of attacks on Republican Sinn Féin because the organisation has opposed the failed Stormont Agreement.

"This front page piece is so riddled with inaccuracies that I must point out that Bernadette Sands has never been the leader of, nor a member of Republican Sinn Féin - the leader of Republican Sinn Féin is Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, a former TD who won his seat on an abstentionist ticket.

"Far from being shocked the people of Limerick came out and attended the Seán South commemoration - in fact his funeral was the largest ever seen in Limerick, attended by church and state figures and his sacrifice was embraced by the vast majority of the people of this country.

"Contrary to the report, there were over 200 people present at his graveside on Sunday-the figure of fifty quoted in the paper referred to the number of highly paid political police there!

"In his 'analysis' piece Peter Howick reaches new levels of invective - but if he thinks that dragging in words like Nazi and Hitler will tarnish the aspiration of the Republican Movement he is gravely mistaken. We have heard it all before!

"Republican Sinn Féin has opposed the Stormont Agreement on the grounds that the Agreement is flawed - and it cannot bring about a real and lasting peace because of its inherent contradictions. promising closer integration to the Unionists and a united Ireland to the Nationalists. In fact the Agreement has ingrained sectarianism as evidenced by the latest political impasse. Instead Republican Sinn Féin advances its ÉIRE NUA policy of a Nine County Ulster within an all Ireland federal state free from the British presence which is the root cause of conflict in Ireland.

"Finally I wish to confirm that the only accurate piece in the entire coverage was where the newspaper stated that 'Republican Sinn Féin are still attracting new members.' "