There’s no smoke without fire

IT’S been a long time since the Armalite was ditched for the Armani, but the smell of sulphur surrounding Sinn Féin continues to linger.

Things were progressing without incident at the party’s National Gallery press conference yesterday until a handler suddenly darted up the side of the room and made a beeline for the Sinn Féin backdrop behind the party leadership.

One of the lights illuminating the backdrop had slipped and began to release a small but steady stream of smoke, briefly threatening to set the whole thing on fire.