“As the Republican Party, we must sell this message to all young people on the island” observed Fianna Fail’s Jim O’ Callaghan in an interview with the Irish Independent last week. The ‘message’ O’Callaghan was trying to sell big time is that his party should highlight the benefits of a united Ireland to young voters to make the party more attractive to them.
I nearly fell off the chair when I read it. Anyone in Fianna Fail talking about Irish unity is right up there these days with hen’s teeth.
According to the Dublin TD his party should be trying to attract the cohort of young people who were neither ‘orange nor green’ but who could clearly see the ‘illogicality of partition’. He suggested Covid 19 had proved this.
After turning down a junior ministry offer from the Taoiseach it would seem O’Callaghan is setting out his stall, trying to create clear blue water between himself and Martin for a possible leadership challenge somewhere down the road. He denies it of course but it would seem that’s the plan.
Under Michael Martin Fianna Fail has run away from the whole concept of Irish unity, so much so that recently a leading unionist commentator, Alex Kane, was of the opinion he was a Taoiseach his community could do business with…unlike Leo Varadkar who was ‘too green’. An amazing observation when you think about it.
O’Callaghan obviously sees distancing himself from Martin’s stance in regard to unity might well prove rich political soil awaiting to be ploughed.
He explained it like this: “Unfortunately, we now see a political landscape in this country where Fine Gael has placed itself on the right and Sinn Féin has placed itself far on the left, each representing their own interest groups. I believe the growth of a national centre-left party, such as Fianna Fáil, that can attract the support of young people is the most effective way to confront the increasing threat of polarisation.”
It goes without saying that many nationalists in the North would appreciate a more engaged Fianna Fail now that the party is in power in the Republic but if Micheal Martin’s past record is anything to go on it wouldn’t be too wise to get hopes up. But it would seem there is something afoot within the bowels of the party when a TD many see as a possible future leader is talking about unity in this way….
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