THE 2004 Local Government and EU elections set a high electoral benchmark for Sinn Féin. The party had over 60 new councillors (30 of which were poll-toppers). Significant vote increases were registered across the 26 Counties as the party made gains in 31 out of the 33 city and county councils in which it fielded candidates, winning 8% of first preferences. The icing on the cake was two new European Parliament seats. This week, An Phoblacht begins to profile the key contests for Sinn Féin local and European election candidates in the 2009 poll, beginning with the four Dublin councils that make up the capital's EU constituency where this year's election will be one of the most watched on the island as - with only three seats to be won compared to 2004's four - some parties must come away losers. We also look at the key council contests in north Leinster, covering Kildare, Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Longford. Free article

"COWARDLY SCUM" was how Sinn Féin MLA Mitchel McLaughlin described those responsible for a petrol bomb attack on his family home in Derry's Bogside during the early hours of Monday morning. The attack follows a bomb scare at Sinn Féin's Sevastapol Street offices in Belfast the previous Friday. Free article

FERMANAGH/SOUTH TYRONE was the constituency that made all the world aware of the 1981 Hunger Strike and the struggle for the restoration of political prisoner status when it elected IRA Volunteer Bobby Sands as its Member of Parliament. It was also where Jim Gibney, a comrade of the Hunger Strikers, says he cut his political teeth. In fact, it was Jim who phoned Gerry Adams on learning of the death of Frank Maguire MP to say the Republican Movement should seriously consider standing Bobby Sands in the subsequent by-election. Last week, Jim returned to Fermanagh/South Tyrone to address a crowd who gathered in Killesher Hall to pay tribute to the heroism of Bobby Sands, the Hunger Strikers and their families. And Jim paid tribute also to the hundreds of thousands of people who stood with the Hunger Strikers against Margaret Thatcher and the might of Britain. This is what Jim Gibney said. Free article

THE expenses row engulfing MPs at Westminster after reports published in the right-wing Sunday Telegraph included claims about Sinn Féin MPs' costs have been described by West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty as a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the situation in the run-up to an election. "If only all the other parties were as open and transparent as Sinn Féin," he said. Free article

A TOTAL of 1,200 workers are set to lose their jobs at Eircom in a drastic cost-cutting exercise. Eircom said this week that the proposal is the first stage of its cost-cutting plan and includes cuts of up to 25pc in allowances, including subsistence and mileage rates. Staff will not get performance related annual bonus payments over the next two years, a situation that will not be reviewed until June 2010. Eircom said the economic environment had "dramatically deteriorated" and had a significant "adverse impact" on Eircom, which has a debt burden around €4bn. Free article

Amid newly announced savage cutbacks to local and regional drugs task forces in the 26 Counties, Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD launched the party's new policy document on 7 May dealing with the issue of drugs. Speaking at the launch of Injecting Urgency - Sinn Féin's Priorities for the National Drugs Strategy 2009 - 2016 on 7 May Ó Snodaigh said the state cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past and that it is economically prudent to invest in the fight against drugs. Free article

CHRISTY BURKE, Sinn Féin's longest-serving councillor on Dublin City Council, has been named as the party's candidate for the Dublin Central by-election caused by the death of Tony Gregory TD. Christy Burke was first elected to Dublin City Council in 1985 and has worked on many committees, projects and forums to protect and deliver for the city. Christy leads the Sinn Féin team of councillors on Dublin City Council. Free article

Sinn Féin vice-president and Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald led Sinn Féin's contingent on Saturday's Irish Congress of Trade Union rally held in Dublin to mark International May Day. At the rally Sinn Féin distributed the party's 10-Point Plan for supporting workers through the recession. Free article