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18 September 2015

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Gerry Adams hits back at Tánaiste claims of 'Sinn Féin hijacking 1916'

SINN FÉIN President Gerry Adams has hit back at Labour Party leader Joan Burton after she accused the republican party of trying to "hijack" the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Noting that unlike other parties, Sinn Féin has held commemorations to mark the Easter Rising every year since 1917, Gerry Adams said Joan Burton's comments encapsulated the "schizophrenic approach" of the Government parties to the 1916 Centenary:

"The men and women of 1916, including Thomas Kent who we will re-inter here in Cork, engaged directly in revolutionary armed activity against British rule in Ireland. Unlike Joan Burton, Sinn Féin makes no apology for this," he said.

He said Sinn Féin has always saluted the stand made by Irish republicans against British imperialism and his party "will not attempt to re-write history to fit narrow party political objectives or to misrepresent the facts."

The Sinn Féin leader said Joan Burton's party have nothing in common with the men and women patriots of 1916 and said the Labour Party have no intention of promoting the ideals of freedom and equality for which many gave their lives in 1916 and after.

"Joan Burton knows that commemorating 1916 raises a myriad of contradictions for her own party and its actions in Government, not least their partitionist attitude and failure live up to the egalitarian ideals of the Proclamation," he said.

"The Tánsiste does not wish people to be reminded of the unfinished business of 1916 including the need to achieve a peaceful, united and socially just Ireland. Sinn Féin will continue to pursue those objectives proudly and unapologetically."



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