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An Phoblacht's ROBBIE SMYTH has been at Ard Fheiseanna as a reporter for the paper and at times as a member of the Steering Committee, who co-ordinate the delegate speaking times, Ard Chomhairle elections and other thankless tasks. This year, Robbie was attending as Sinn Féin General Secretary and reports for us on how he saw the weekend's events unfold.

Photo: Delegates que to speak at the Ard Fheis

Media mesmerised by Sinn Féin growth

"A decade after the ditching of Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, which prevented Sinn Féin from being interviewed on television or radio, the targeted party has gone from strength to strength." These words could easily have been written by the Sinn Féin publicity department. But they weren't. Their author was Senan Molony, who wrote them in the Irish Independent last Monday. His comments, and those of many others after this year's Ard Fheis, are a sign of a change in the times.

Tokenism with a capital T - Women and the Ard Chomhairle

-BY ELLA O'DWYER As someone who was gradually brought to see the necessity of introducing affirmative measures in order to ensure gender equality on the Ard Chomhairle, I was deeply disappointed to see that the republican family were denied any real opportunity to decide for themselves which republican women they would elect. While not all republicans, as demonstrated during the Ard Fheis debate on Sunday, accept the 50-50 legislative measures introduced last year, a certain level of acceptance had gradually emerged.

Photo: Martina Anderson and Ella O'Dwyer

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