O’Dea calls for boycott of Sinn Féin’s Easter events

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea called on all Irish people yesterday to boycott the 100 Sinn Féin commemorations of the Easter Rising being held this weekend because they are organised by “criminals”.

In a hard-hitting statement, Mr O'Dea said it does not take the media or the political establishment to label Sinn Féin "criminal" because the party does it very well itself.

"They (Sinn Féin) are criminals not republicans and they have hijacked this term as part of their publicity strategy, but as the true face of the IRA becomes apparent, their support is waning," the minister added.

Mr O'Dea said the only form of republicanism that is acceptable to Irish people is constitutional republicanism, of the type which Fianna Fáil supports.

"All self-respecting people should boycott the 100 commemorations being held by Sinn Féin this Easter because they are being organised by criminals," the minister added.

And the best message Sinn Féin can give this Easter is to tell the murderers of Robert McCartney to hand themselves in, Mr O'Dea added.

This must be followed by decommissioning of all illegally held weapons and the disbanding of the criminal wing of its illegal organisation because Sinn Fein and the IRA are two sides of the same coin, Mr O'Dea added.

Responding to Mr O'Dea's comments, Sinn Féin said the party was confident that his comments will be duly ignored by tens of thousands of Irish people who will join it in honouring those who died in the fight for Irish freedom.

Sinn Féin's Waterford city councillor David Cullinane said: "We will not be put off by Willie O'Dea as he spews out another load of anti-republican claptrap."

Sinn Féin and true Irish republicans the length and breadth of this island will commemorate with pride all those who have died in the pursuit of Irish freedom from 1916 onwards, Mr Cullinane added.

Junior Environment Minister Batt O'Keeffe, who will be delivering the Government's keynote address to mark the Easter Rising in Co Cork on Sunday, was equally critical of Sinn Féin.

He accused the party of hijacking the term republican. "Sinn Fein is not beyond exaggerating their position, but history questions the validity of their claims," Mr O'Keeffe said.

Both Minister O'Dea and O'Keeffe were responding to a statement made by Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly at the launch of the party's Easter Lily ceremony.

Mr Kelly said the political establishment is once again set on criminalising the republican struggle and by extension our patriot dead.

"This weekend provides republicans with an opportunity to send out a clear message that we are rightly proud of our heritage and our struggle and will not allow that to be tarnished or criminalised," Mr Kelly added.

The Government will not hold its major celebration of the Easter Rising this year until April 24 the actual date that the rising started and the keynote speech at Arbour Hill will be given by Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv.