SF 1989 + NY office split · p.47

FD-350 (Rev. 5-8-81)
ALL INEORMATION CONTAINED
(Indicate page,name of
IRISH VOICE
newspaper，city and state.)
HEREIH IS UNCLASSIFIED
NyNy
DATE08-17-2011-BY60322-U0/LP/P0/00F
(Mount Clipping in Space Below)
10 /14189
Date:
1-19GF-1564
voh, 3, No. 41
1-1GGE.199G
NORAID AT THE CRO
"THE MOST successful in Prior to this meeting the Republi-
They also saw the liberal wing
immediatereturn of the office to
1canleadershiphiaddispatchedtwo
of theDemocraticParty,and Jesse
Inwood.In the end O'Connell
years," was how one Irish
NorthernAidleader described
men to the U.S. to compile-a report
Jackson's Rainbow Coalition as a
gave in. Both he and Maunsell
the organization's annual
on'the state of Noraid.What they
naturalconstituency withinwhich
resigned from the Noraid execu-
UnityDanceattheTowerView
found did not overly impress the
to raise the Irish issue. Similarly,
tive.
leadership in Ireland.
the waveof new Irish emigrants
In all of this the “old man,"
Center in Queens on Friday,
October 6.However,the title
Thereport that was·drawn'up
whohavecome to the.U.S.in the
Michael Flannery did not initer-
of this event was very much at
reportedly painted a picture of an
last seven years were seen as an im-
vene.Flannery had broken with
odds with what has been hap-
organization that was ghettoized
portant recruiting area.
the Republican leadership at the
pening in the Irish Republican
and lackinig in professionalism.
Eventually a meeting was held
end of 1986, when both the IRA
support group over the lastfew
After 17 years of existence it still
in Dublin in December 1988 be-
and Sinn Fein decided that it was
months.
hadnofull-timeworker.Similarly
tween the Provo leaders and the
time forSinn Fein to end its policy
In an advertisement last
its fundraising potential was lim-
Noraid executive.At the meeting
of refusing to take seats in the
week in Irish American news-
itedbyitsinability toreach outside
it was agreed unanimously tharthe
Dublin parliament.
papers 40 members and former
a narrow layer of supporters.
executive would be expanded and
Flannery sided with the group
members of Noraid, including
For the Provos the United
the organization wouid work to-
that split from Sinn Fein on that
its founder Michael Flannery,
States was, next to Ireland, the
wards becoming national and
issue, Republican Sinn Fein. At
accused the leadership of No-
most important battle field in the
democratic in structure.However,
that time Flannery also left Noraid,
raid of “deviating from the
propaganda war with the British
there were misgivings, even
although he agreed not to publicly
original ‘Statement of Prin-
government. The development of
though they werenotstated at the
disclose the fact. However,when
ciples'on which IrishNorthern
the MacBride Principles intoa
meeting. Chiefly New York's Pat
O'Connell andMaunsell decided
Aid was founded.
major embarrassment to the Brit-
O'Connell andBoston's Jim
to place an advert in the‘Irish
The row has its origins in a
ish government was seen by the
Maunsell were known to be un-
Voice'andthe‘IrishEcho'attacl
meeting that was held between
Provos asaclassicexampleofhow
happy with the proposed changes.
ing the Noraid leadership, Fian-
Noraid and Sinn Feinleaders in
their supporters in the United
They were used to the organization .
nery saw shance for Republican
Dublin in December 1988. States should operate.
being run in a certain fashion. In
Sinn Fein?o take advantage of the
Noraid’shistory,onlytwo national
discontentment.
conferences were ever held. The
Last week he told the ‘“Irish
organization was in effect run
Voice'thathehopedthatthesigna
by a unit in the Bronx, of which
tories to the advertisement would
O'Connell was a member.
"eventually result in a new organi-
'For the group around O'Con-
zation—-hopefully one that would
nell, the proposed changes were
support Republican Sinn Fein
fine on paper, as long as they re-
(RSF).” However,the chances of
mained that way. But when Sinn
this were never very good.
Feinsent an officer toNewYorkto
Since its formation RSF has
workfull-time in theheadquarters
failed to gain ground.More impor-
in theInwood section of Manhat-
tantly,theIRA has remained loyal
tan, it was clear that the people in
to the Gerry Adams leadership of
Ireland meant business.
Sinn Fein. Without an armed wing
IRA
In July of this year O'Connell
in combat with the British Army,
made his move.
RSF would have little attraction
He and a group of his supporters
for miltant Irish Americans.
removed the contents ofthe Noraid
The problem for RSF was that
office to a newlocation inRiver-
the group around O'Connell was
dale.The Noraid phone was dis-
not·particularly sympathetic to
connected and the office files and
them.Many of them were moti-
checkbooks were alsotaken.
vatedbypersonalloyalty to
According to O'Connell support-
O'Connell and Maunsell, rather
ers,this move was meanttoforce
than any coherent differences with
theProvosinIreland torescind the
Belfast.
changes. This was a miscalcula-
The advertisement was set to
tion.
appear a couple of days before the
In themiddleofthe crisisBren-
Noraid annual Unity Dance. The
dan Hughes, who led the first 1980
Unity Dance was to be followedby
686
hunger strike in Long Kesh, ar-
a day-long conference at the Tower
rivedin ure-U.S.Hughes visited a
View Center in Queens.With
number of-Noraid units across the
advance notice of the advert
October
country explaining the Belfast
Adams and Cahill issued a state-
position and allaying fears that
ment stronglycritical ofit,describ-
many Noraid members had about
ing it as “against the expressed
IRISH VOICE,Saturday,
the changes.
wishes of those directly involved
Veteran Belfast Republican Joe
in the struggle in Ireland” and “at
Cahill, who had been a primary
best a diversion, at worst a provo-
Irixh Norhhern Aid:Far Hiso Proyos Hhe Unihed
Statos was, noxt so Ireland,Hiae moor snmpertant
link betweenBelfast and the U.S.
for many years, made it clear to
cation."
baHlo fleld in Hhe propugamda wtr with e Brifish
When O'Connell and Flannery
govevamont.
O'Connellthattheywere notback-
arrived atthe day-long conference,
ing down.He also demanded the
another statement hadbeen issued