Flannery / Cumann na Saoirse 1988 · p.131

FD.350 (Rev. 5.8.81)
2
(Indicate page, name of
newspaper, city and state.)
(Mount Clipping in Space Bebw)
Date:
Edition:
:a
Character:
or
Classification:
Submitting Office:
Indexing:
November 1986. In the weeks.
porters. In the last few months
The Officials eventually
before the Sinn Fein meeting
a small number of.prisoners
evolved into what is now
the IRA held its first conven- .
have come.'out for R:S.F!
known as the Workers Party,
tion in 6 years.At the conven-
Prisoners, however, do no
Ja left-wing party based main-
tion.it decided to overturn the
make an army..
ly in the South that is anti-
rule on abstention. In Sep-
For some time many of the
Republican in its political
tember Flannery traveled to..
older and more.conservative ·
orientation. 'The Provos re-
Ireland and. tried to talk. .-Noraid members have been
mained intact as simply Sinn
Adams out of dropping absten unhappy with..the'radical
Fein and the IRA, a movement
tion. He was unsuccessful. * socialist direction taken by the
that operates politically .and
In the Sinn Fein convention.newSinnFein/IRA leader-
militarily in Northern Ireland
that followed O'BradyandshipTheyshave always felt
and is involved in political
O'Connell walked out withmore comfortable with- and.
agitation in the South.
When the split came in.
fought unsuccessfully to retainquaintedwith the old
Ireland, Flannery and a group
the abstention rule. The same. O'Brady/O'Connell people.
of. veteran Republican ac-
day they. set up a new
Similarlymany.of the new
tivists came to the support of
organization, Republican Sinn
leadership have been unhappy
the Provisionals. Like Flan- . F
Fein.
with. the inefficiency and:
nery.many wereSoutherners
Immediately the phone lines
political conservatism of.
who had left Ireland after the..
to America were burning up & Noraid. However; the Adams
Irish Civil War and had a deep-..
with appeals to Flannery and:-leadership has tried to avoid a
seated hatred for the parlia- -his associates to join up:Marmajor riftintheU S:and last
ment in Dublin, which they felt
tin Galvin,Noraid's publicityyear formerIRA-Chief-
hadsold out thestrugglefor a:
director,supported theleaderStaff,SeamusTwomey,whs?
united Ireland:
sent fo theU.S:tosmoothruf1
After the1981 hunger
and a number-of: prominentedfeathersWhile-Twomey
the Provos that politicalsup* America were'coming out for theissue*with. him . on a
essential if they.were to bean.- others were seen'to bewaver-mained unconvinced
more,radical leadership:hadin 1970 the IRAhadremained-TrishFreedom Committee.to
emerged based' mainiy. in i
intact.R.S.F.wereleftwithoutperform the same function as
BelfastandDerry centeredan armedwing-and-insteadNoraiddoesforthe IRAThis
around Gerry Adams. This
supportedtheIRAclaimingisaClear attemptontheirpart
supplanted Rory OBrady and all.thewhile thatitspoliticalto cutinto thefundraising
creasingly.of.the.opinion that..associates:witha-problem jor boost,given hisenormous
plections'in:the Republic and
than with any politicar party... tivists. How,long Flannery. can
take their seats if elected. .
Without an armed wing the, aiso retain his membership of.
attraction to: Noraidy sup9
F81/00J