Sinn Féin’s work in the US and Canada towards Irish unity continues all year round

"The connection between the US and the Irish Republicans stretches from the American Revolution to today. It is deep and enduring"

For many, the annual influx of politicians to Washington for St. Patrick’s Day celebration appears to be the pinnacle of engagement with the US.

All year-round Sinn Féin representatives travel across the US and Canada hosting delegations, speaking at commemoration events and organising discussions on Irish unity from San Francisco to Chicago to New York.

While Sinn Féin was not in Washington for the two days over St. Patrick’s, our work in that city and across the US and Canada continues.

I travelled to New York and attended a breakfast event at Gracie Mansion, the residence of New York Mayor Zohran Mandami. 

The mayor honoured former Irish President Mary Robinson and made an impassioned speech on the contribution of the Irish to human rights, standing on the side of justice and anti-colonialism in the US and across the world.  

As part of his contribution, he recognised the 1981 Hunger Strikers and the right of the Irish and other nations to self-determination. 

One of those who gave his life in the struggle for Irish self-determination was James Connolly.

After the event with the Mayor Mandami, I addressed the James Connolly Labour Coalition on the role of the US in progressing the cause of Irish Unity. 

Connolly had been a labour organiser in the city, and I was proud to march along with labour leaders behind their banner on Fifth Avenue. 

While President Trump was ruminating in Washington on the merger of Ireland, North and South, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a proud Irish-American, when asked at the parade, made clear her unequivocal support for Irish Unity. 

There is life beyond the Washington beltway.

The previous week, a Sinn Féin delegation led by my colleague, Louise O’Reilly TD, travelled to the State Capitol in Albany and New York City.

She met with New York State Assembly and Senate Members as well as supporters, labour unions, members of Congress and the wider Irish diaspora, sharing platforms with Mayor Mandami and labour leaders.

At the centre of all these engagements was Irish unity. 

This was an extremely busy but not unique week in Sinn Féin’s engagement in the US.

Over Easter, Sinn Féin representatives will speak at commemorations in Chicago, San
Francisco, Toronto, New York, Long Island and Philadelphia.

This is because the US and Canada are important players in our peace process. and the Irish abroad, remain an important part of the Irish nation.

The US facilitated the Good Friday Agreement. They have acted as guarantors of the agreement, holding all parties and the governments to account. 

During Brexit, the US withheld trade talks to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement would not be undermined and no hard border would be imposed on the island. These actions brought the British Government back to the negotiating table with the EU. 

The US and Irish America are rightly proud of their work on the Good Friday Agreement. 

But the conversation has moved on. 

Irish America is now looking for the full implementation of the Agreement, including the enactment of the right to self-determination by referendum in both the north and the south. 

A united Ireland is a hope that unites the diversity of Irish America. An unyielding dream held by generations.  

The democratic right of the people to determine their future in line with the Good Friday Agreement is a growing demand among Irish Americans. 

The fact that debates and discussions on Irish Unity are being hosted in Washington and are the conversation in State Houses across the US is evidence of how far that debate has developed. This weekend the joint Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland and avowed peace process supporter, Rep. Richard Neal in a lengthy opinion piece on the role of Irish American in the history of the US and throughout the peace process, stated: “As guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, we must start a robust conversation here in the United States about the prospects of a united Ireland.” 

Representative Neal had attended many of the events in Washington.

The connection between the US and the Irish Republicans stretches from the American Revolution to today. It is deep and enduring. It is also robust enough to accept that we can agree to disagree on certain issues, while finding common ground in protecting the Good Friday Agreement and ensuring its full implementation.

I, like many, welcome that Unionists are engaged in the debate on the constitutional future of the Island. The case for Irish unity or continued partition will not be won or lost in the US. That is a matter for the people who share our island. 

However, the US can and will play a role as a guarantor of the Agreement to enact the right to self-determination. The Unity debate, as recognised, is alive in the US, and the demand for the right of the people to have their say is irresistible in a nation built on democratic principles. 

Sinn Féin's work in the US will continue until we have secured and won Irish Unity referendums and it will not stop there, but will continue to help build a new and united Ireland for all. 

And that will be marked by a truly historic St. Patrick’s celebration.