Sinn Fein Wins

 

(Sinn Fein headquarters I took when I was in Belfast in June 2010)

For the 1st time in the history of Northern Ireland (ie. since the UK divided the Island in 1921) Sinn Fein has won the majority in the Northern Irish Assembly  - called  Stormont.

It is the first-time that a Catholic Nationalist Party has gained control in Northern Ireland in 101 years of divided Ireland/Northern Ireland.

As with most Parliamentary Systems Sinn Fein will have to share power with all the various Protestant/Loyalist Parties – but the top spot is now Catholic/Nationalist.

It may not seem that big of a deal, but you have to remember that every year (on July 12th) the Northern Irish Protestants build bonfires and burn Catholic symbols (like the Pope) and parade through Catholic neighborhoods to show their “superiority” through the Protestant Ascendancy and there are always attacks and violence. The Protestant Governments could have stopped these bonfires and anti-Catholic attacks, but they tend to side with them.

Note: the Northern Irish Catholics do not have similar anti-Protestant bonfires.

Sinn Fein could work to hold a vote on whether Northern Ireland: A. Remains part of the UK and out of the EU, B. Reunites with the Republic of Ireland and rejoins the EU or C. Becomes a separate Country where they could either join or stay out of the EU.

The 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement (which ended the 30 year Troubles) guarantees that such a vote occur yet no Protestant/Loyalist Governments in the past 24 years even wanted to consider holding a vote – which they could lose.