A few queries…… August 16, 2012
Posted by irishelectionliterature in Republicans, Sinn Féin, Ulster.trackback
I was lucky enough to receive a quantity of scans of assorted mainly Republican material from the 1920s onwards. I’ve a few questions which I hope some of you may be able to help me with 🙂
Firstly a query regarding the address given on various leaflets/pamphlets (from the late 60s early 70s) as to were they both Sinn Féin or was one Official Sinn Féin ?
The Addresses were in Dublin,
One being 30 Gardiners Place the other 2a Lr Kevin Street.
I’m also still trying to date a few of the items.
“Sinn Fein Today”
“Republican Education -What We Need to Know to win”
“Peace In Ireland” by Gerry Adams (Long Kesh)
and “Know Your Rights -What to do if arrested in the 26 counties”
The last query regards a group called ‘The Ulster Party’, I’ve searched online and can find little or nothing.
Anyone know anything about them?
Flyer from them below.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
The ‘Ulster Party’ has ‘dirty tricks’ written all over it – but I guess from some angles you could say that of a lot of political formations in the North, often quite unjustly.
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Seems like it, twenty years it says. 1990? 1988? Interesting timing.
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Gardiner Place was the traditional SF office up to the split in 1970 and continued to be the office of Official SF, who became SFWP in 1977, afterwards.
Kevin Street was the HQ of the Provisionals. I can remember them being referred to as Sinn Fein Kevin Street on the news when I was a kid though the usage changed to Sinn Fein at some stage in the seventies.
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Brilliant Thanks Eamonn
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From my recollection (it was well over 40 years ago) the initial titles of both organisations was Sinn Fein, although the Provos did suggest at one stage ‘you can call yourselves Sinn Fein and we’ll keep the IRA’. The media started calling what became the Officials, Sinn Fein Gardiner Place (not Gardiners Place) and the Provos Sinn Fein Kevin Street for convenience sake and clarity for readers as statements from the two sides normally carried identical party names but the different addresses. The IRA statements were differentiated by the nom de guerre, JJ NcGarrity in the case of the Officials and, I think, T P O’Neill for Provos
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It was ‘P O’Neill, Runai’.
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Re: the ‘Ulster Party’ such wee ‘Ulster Nationalist’ parties cropped up in the 1980’s and ’90’s (& Ballymena tho’ a smallish town – has a vigorous political life – including anarchists).
Something called the NI Progress Party was set up just before Christmas – but it only has a web-page to its credit.
No humanoid members have manifested themselves yet.
An ‘Ulster Communist Party’ had a feeble web-life about 15 years ago…
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Thanks Seán
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