Wicklow’s Fianna Fáil Officially Welcome Donnelly

Press release issued by Malachaí Duddy, Fianna Fáil Cathaoirleach Comhairle Dailcheantair Cill Mhantain on February 3rd, 2017, but only received today, Monday, February 6th 2017…

Local barrister Malachaí Duddy, Cathaoirleach of Fianna Fáil’s county Wicklow constituency unit, the Comhairle Dáilcheantair Cill Mhantáin, has welcomed the return to Fianna Fáil of a Dáil seat in north county Wicklow and greeted the ‘road to Damascus’ like conversion to Irish Republicanism and Fianna Fáil membership of Wicklow-East Carlow TD, Deputy Stephen Donnelly.

Having been doled its electoral punishment by the people in 2011, Fianna Fáil lost all Dáil representation in Wicklow: Deputy Pat Casey won back Dáil representation for Fianna Fáil in the Wicklow-East Carlow constituency in 2016; now with Stephen Donnelly’s membership, Fianna Fáil holds two of the five Dáil seats. With Pat Casey as TD, Deputy Stephen Donnelly now joins Cllrs. Pat Vance and Gerry Walsh as Fianna Fáil’s north Wicklow Team.

On behalf of the local Fianna Fáil organisation Malachaí Duddy assured Deputy Donnelly’s electorate that their social democratic principles are secure with Fianna Fáil The Republican Party, where legal equality, egalitarianism and social solidarity are core values, particularly where this protects of the most vulnerable in our society.  1916 participant, founding member of Fianna Fáil and later taoiseach Seán Lemass affirmed that in terms of social justice, Fianna Fáil The Republican Party is “the real labour party”. In the words of another Fianna Fáil taoiseach, Jack Lynch “the soul of Fianna Fáil is anti-partition… To be in Fianna Fáil you must have a Republican outlook in its broadest conception. One must also have a very strong social sense, the desire to represent the broadest political spectrum of the Irish people.”

It is a challenging task for the Fianna Fáil machine to defend two Dáil seats having won back just one seat in the 2016 general election, but it is a challenge relished by a resurgent Fianna Fáil membership in Wicklow-East Carlow.

Fianna Fáil The Republican Party is founded upon the principals of the 1916 Proclamation, the ideals of the Easter leaders and strives to follow the proud political tradition set by Éamon de Valera. Fianna Fáil membership demands a complete commitment to the national interest, full subscription to the aims of Fianna Fáil The Republican Party and dedication to the Fianna Fáil electorate. This requires Deputy Donnelly to eschew all adumbrate ties so that he is in a position to come to Fianna Fáil The Republican Party unencumbered politically and with clean hands. This is part and parcel of the demands of organisational loyalty and Fianna Fáil discipline.

At a time of both international and nation economic uncertainty, brought about by the impetus of Brexit and the election of US president Donald Trump, the appointment of a Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Brexit demonstrates the Fianna Fáil commitment to dealing realistically with these challenges head on, in the absence of a Fine Gael Brexit minister or plan.

Malachaí Duddy expressed regret at the manner in which news of Deputy Donnelly’s membership of Fianna Fáil was communicated by Head Quarters to the local organisation and membership, hoping that the manner of communication would not cause damage locally but improve in future and not mar the news of the integration of Deputy Stephen Donnelly’s Dáil seat into the local Fianna Fáil organisation. He said that for the local Fianna Fáil organisation to be fully rejuvenated, it must be revitalised through the grass roots and not through the imposition of Head Quarters. Anything other than this will only damage Fianna Fáil and thus the national interest.

Malachaí Duddy said Fianna Fáil The Republican Party has a positive role to play in Irish public life: whether that role is to be a major role or not will be determined by the vitality and commitment of an empowered Fianna Fáil membership committed to the restoration of Fianna Fáil as a national movement.