Irish general election, 26th Feb 2016

[Halgrímur]

I only just started paying attention to this election, and I have a question. It looks like Sinn Fein are polling in a strong third place and they seem pretty set to be the main left-of-centre party in the next Dail. Has Sinn Fein ever held such a strong position, and what are the implications if the polls stand?

Part 1 of your question: No.

Part 2 of your question: The media and political establishment in the Republic are doing their utmost to damage SF. Labour and FF are trying, as best they can, to put the boot into a perceived threat to their support bases. We will probably get a FG government propped up by FF at the behest of the previously-mentioned establishment to keep the barbarians from the gate.

Any chance Gerry Adams steps down to let someone untainted (both of terrorism and "I knew my brother raped my niece and I didn't do squat about it") like Mary Lou McDonald lead them into the election? If so, would that be an advantage for them?

[Halgrímur]

Any chance Gerry Adams steps down to let someone untainted (both of terrorism and "I knew my brother raped my niece and I didn't do squat about it") like Mary Lou McDonald lead them into the election?

No.

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Probably less than you would think. SF could select Aung San Suu Kyi as leader and the groups who detest SF would still detest SF. The Adams who was never in the IRA is also the Adams who is seen as having helped to stop the war.

Okay, thanks for the answer.

Isn't it generally assumed by almost everyone that he was in the IRA?

[Halgrímur]

Any chance Gerry Adams steps down to let someone untainted (both of terrorism and "I knew my brother raped my niece and I didn't do squat about it") like Mary Lou McDonald lead them into the election?

No.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Probably less than you would think. SF could select Aung San Suu Kyi as leader and the groups who detest SF would still detest SF. The Adams who was never in the IRA is also the Adams who is seen as having helped to stop the war.

Okay, thanks for the answer.

Isn't it generally assumed by almost everyone that he was in the IRA?

Yes.

But the result of him actually admitting it would be a wave of synthetic outrage from the usual suspects North and South and another likely arrest like the one in the run-up to last year's local and European elections. IRA membership is still an indictable offence.

Yeah, the lack of a general amnesty was a weakness in the GFA (also leading to absurdities like Chief-of-Staff Martin McGuinness officially dropping out back in 1974...). A South African style Truth and Reconciliation-process would have been much better. 

I just wondered why you didn't put it as "who was never in the IRA", so had to ask.