9 June 2005 Edition

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SF Centenary celebrated in Wexford

Cllr Anthony Kelly, Cllr John Dwyer, Martin McGuinness MP and Cllr Maurice Roche at the Sinn Féin Céad Bliain launch in Wexford

Cllr Anthony Kelly, Cllr John Dwyer, Martin McGuinness MP and Cllr Maurice Roche at the Sinn Féin Céad Bliain launch in Wexford

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator and MP for Mid-Ulster, Martin McGuinness, paid an extended visit to Wexford over the past weekend as the local party organisation hosted a series of events to mark the centenary of the founding of Sinn Féin, Ireland's oldest political party.

On Friday afternoon, McGuinness was accompanied by local Sinn Féin Councillors, John Dwyer, Maurice Roche and Anthony Kelly as he paid a visit to the Westgate Heritage Centre in Wexford Town where the Sinn Féin Céad Bliain Exhibition was on display. The exhibition, which is touring the country throughout this centenary year, is an audio-visual display and comprises a collection of documents, posters and photography covering the 100-year period 1905-2005.

Speaking at the launch of the Exhibition, Martin McGuinness said he was delighted that "the exhibition was travelling the length and breadth of Ireland, entertaining, encouraging debate and dialogue and analysis about the history of Irish republicanism".

"The exhibition itself is a portrayal of the political and personal commitment of generations of republican activists and provides a great sense of the meaning of Sinn Féin," he said.

Later on Friday evening, at a packed celebratory Dinner Dance at the Riverbank House Hotel in Wexford, attended by some 300 guests, special presentations were made by Martin McGuinness to a number of local veteran republicans. Each of the recipients on the night was presented with a sterling silver commemorative coin, one of a limited edition which has been specially struck as a memento to mark the centenary year and which is sure to be a treasured collectors' item.

Also launched on the night was a commemorative booklet: Loch Garman 100. This 36-page booklet, produced by Gorey's Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, outlines some of the 100-year history of Sinn Féin in County Wexford and focuses on some of the key events and personalities of the past century.

On Saturday morning, before departing County Wexford, Martin McGuinness, accompanied by local Councillor John Dwyer, laid a wreath at the Three Bullet Gate in New Ross to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of New Ross.


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