VTMBH Article: Body
An enthusiastic group of U.S.-based Irish political junkies braved the extremely wet weather last Saturday morning and gathered at ONeills in Manhattan to watch results from the Irish election arrive via computer hook-up to RTE, Irelands national broadcast network.
The group started assembling at the midtown bar/restaurant, where a large-screen Macintosh was propped on the bar, as early as 6:30 a.m. For the most part, the crowd was rooting for Sinn Fein candidates, and they werent disappointed as the party wound up with four new seats, increasing their overall total in the Dail (parliament) to five.
Im happy so far with the results, said Sean Downes around noon. Downes, who lives in Bayside, Queens, had been at ONeills since 7:30 a.m., and as an officer in the U.S Friends of Sinn Fein group he had been looking forward to the election for some time.
The election results show that Sinn Fein keeps moving on as a party, Downes added. Theyre progressive and they are making strides.
Downes brother Larry, president of the Friends of Sinn Fein group, was equally pleased. The results are tremendous, he said. and I think its going to have a great impact on the elections in the North. These results will inspire people in Sinn Fein to work even harder.
The Downes brothers are American-born, but their interest in Ireland, particularly politics in the North, is intense. Sean recalls being horrified when Bobby Sands died on hunger strike in the H-Blocks in 1981, so much so that he skipped a final in political science at Queens College to protest outside the British Consulate. He and his brother have been working on Irish issues from their New York base ever since, and feel the election results are a vindication of Sinn Feins message.
Larry King, a resident of Manhattan whose parents where born in Northern Ireland, was another early riser at ONeills. It was easy to identify what party he supports by a tattoo on his leg with the Sinn Fein logo.
Ten year ago we had no seats, and now we have five. Thats quite a lot of progress, he said, studying the election scorecards that ONeills owner Ciaran Staunton provided for those in attendance. You can be sure that in the next election theyll make even more strides.
Liam MacNiallais from Co. Derry has been living in New York for 13 years, but still follows the political scene back home. I support Sinn Fein all the way, said MacNiallais, who works as a doorman in Manhattan. Theyre a party that talks about the issues. The peace process helped them do so well in the election, but theyve worked so hard on a local level as well. And they dont have the reputation for corruption that the other parties have.
Alex Maskey, a Sinn Fein councilor and member of the Norths Assembly from Belfast, was in New York on a trade delegation, and said watching the returns with fellow supporters was the next best thing to being at home. The future looks great for us, he said. A lot of people put a lot of time and energy into this campaign. Were trying to represent ourselves as an all-Ireland party, and people are listening.
Not everyone at ONeills was pulling for Sinn Fein, though. Danny Doran, a native of Finglas in Dublin, felt that Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern deserved another five years in office to finish what he started. I think hes on the right track for the country. I only wish there was an absentee ballot so I could have voted for Fianna Fail, he said.
The group started assembling at the midtown bar/restaurant, where a large-screen Macintosh was propped on the bar, as early as 6:30 a.m. For the most part, the crowd was rooting for Sinn Fein candidates, and they werent disappointed as the party wound up with four new seats, increasing their overall total in the Dail (parliament) to five.
Im happy so far with the results, said Sean Downes around noon. Downes, who lives in Bayside, Queens, had been at ONeills since 7:30 a.m., and as an officer in the U.S Friends of Sinn Fein group he had been looking forward to the election for some time.
The election results show that Sinn Fein keeps moving on as a party, Downes added. Theyre progressive and they are making strides.
Downes brother Larry, president of the Friends of Sinn Fein group, was equally pleased. The results are tremendous, he said. and I think its going to have a great impact on the elections in the North. These results will inspire people in Sinn Fein to work even harder.
The Downes brothers are American-born, but their interest in Ireland, particularly politics in the North, is intense. Sean recalls being horrified when Bobby Sands died on hunger strike in the H-Blocks in 1981, so much so that he skipped a final in political science at Queens College to protest outside the British Consulate. He and his brother have been working on Irish issues from their New York base ever since, and feel the election results are a vindication of Sinn Feins message.
Larry King, a resident of Manhattan whose parents where born in Northern Ireland, was another early riser at ONeills. It was easy to identify what party he supports by a tattoo on his leg with the Sinn Fein logo.
Ten year ago we had no seats, and now we have five. Thats quite a lot of progress, he said, studying the election scorecards that ONeills owner Ciaran Staunton provided for those in attendance. You can be sure that in the next election theyll make even more strides.
Liam MacNiallais from Co. Derry has been living in New York for 13 years, but still follows the political scene back home. I support Sinn Fein all the way, said MacNiallais, who works as a doorman in Manhattan. Theyre a party that talks about the issues. The peace process helped them do so well in the election, but theyve worked so hard on a local level as well. And they dont have the reputation for corruption that the other parties have.
Alex Maskey, a Sinn Fein councilor and member of the Norths Assembly from Belfast, was in New York on a trade delegation, and said watching the returns with fellow supporters was the next best thing to being at home. The future looks great for us, he said. A lot of people put a lot of time and energy into this campaign. Were trying to represent ourselves as an all-Ireland party, and people are listening.
Not everyone at ONeills was pulling for Sinn Fein, though. Danny Doran, a native of Finglas in Dublin, felt that Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern deserved another five years in office to finish what he started. I think hes on the right track for the country. I only wish there was an absentee ballot so I could have voted for Fianna Fail, he said.