Sinn Fein

Sinn Fein (Gaelic, ‘we ourselves’) An Irish political party dedicated to the creation of a united Irish republic. Originally founded by Arthur GRIFFITH in 1902 as a cultural revival movement, it became politically active and supported the EASTER RISING in 1916. Having won a large majority of seats in Ireland in the 1918 general election, Sinn Fein Members of Parliament, instead of going to London, met in Dublin and proclaimed Irish independence in 1919. An independent parliament (Dáil Éireann) was set up, though many of its MPs were in prison or on the run. Guerrilla warfare against British troops and police followed. The setting up of the IRISH FREE STATE (December 1921) and the partition of Ireland were bitterly resented by Sinn Fein, and the Party abstained from the Dáil and the Northern Ireland parliament for many years. Sinn Fein is now the political wing of the Provisional IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY and has the support of the uncompromising Irish nationalists. In 1994, following a peace initiative by the Irish and British governments, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams announced a complete IRA ceasefire. This was broken in February 1996, due to Sinn Fein's refusal to commit the IRA to decommissioning weapons as a precondition to negotiation, and Sinn Fein were excluded from talks on the future of Northern Ireland that began in June 1996. They were admitted to the talks in 1997, following a further ceasefire, and in 1998 participated in the Good Friday Agreement. However, the setting up of an executive in which Sinn Fein would participate had to be postponed as a result of the IRA's refusal to begin decommissioning of arms.