When Fine Gael cancelled St Patrick's Day

WITH Taoiseach Enda Kenny using his St Patrick's Day trip to Atlanta, USA, as a chance to demean his office by making despicable and opportunistic remarks about the leader of Sinn Féin, An Phoblacht is reminded of another time that Fine Gael politicised Ireland's annual cultural and religious festival.

In 1984, during a period when they were busy imposing censorship, Fine Gael decided to deprive the people of Longford Town of their St Patrick's Day parade because they had voted for the "wrong" people.

In the first week of March 1984, Defence Minister Paddy Cooney – notorious for his concerted efforts to crush free speech – warned that no Irish Defence Forces members or reservists would take part in any St Patrick's Day events which Sinn Féin was attending.

In Longford, a Sinn Féin member held the position of chairperson of the town council and would be on the viewing stand alongside other councillors and local celebrities.

Cooney's order came at a time when Fine Gael and Labour TDs were engaged in an "isolate Sinn Féin" policy with TDs regularly refusing to meet any local council or delegation which included a Sinn Féin member.

In Longford, the music for the St Patrick's Day parade was traditionally supplied by a military band based in nearby Seán Connolly Barracks.

However, the decision from Minister Paddy Cooney coupled with the inability to source another band in time forced the organisers to cancel the parade, with the local Chamber of Commerce condemning the decision as a major blow to the town.