‘Sinn Féin coalition with Labour more likely,’ Fianna Fáil senator says

A SINN FÉIN coalition with the Labour Party would be more likely than with Fianna Fáil given Eamon Gilmore's history, Fianna Fáil Senator James Carroll said last night.

Senator Carroll also pointed to the Labour/Sinn Féin agreement in 2007 that saw the election of Pearse Doherty as the first-ever Sinn Féin senator to the Seanad.

Eamon Gilmore's manifesto from 1982 (Credit: Irish Election Literature Blog)

Eamon Gilmore had earlier claimed that Sinn Féin would be open to government with Fianna Fáil, a suggestion firmly rejected by Gerry Adams who said Sinn Féin has no intention of putting either of the two big conservative parties – Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael – into power:

Eamon Gilmore’s claim that he interprets my remarks this morning on RTÉ about Sinn Féin’s ability to do a deal with Ian Paisley – in response to a question about Sinn Féin’s ability to do a deal with Mr Gilmore – as some sort of overture to Fianna Fáil is a flimsy attempt to distract attention from his intention of putting Fine Gael into government.

Later, Fianna Fáil Senator James Carroll said:

Deputy Gilmore's claim that the success of the Peace Process in the North would translate into a political pact between Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil is wide of the mark.

Given Deputy Gilmore's Official Sinn Féin background and Gerry Adams's role as leader of Sinn Féin, a Labour/Sinn Féin tie-up is a much more likely prospect.

Eamon Gilmore joined the University College Galway Republican Club, affiliated to ‘Official Sinn Féin’ (later the Workers’ Party), around 1975.

He was a member until most of the handful of WP TDs (including him) broke away in 1992 to set up a new party, Democratic Left. Democratic Left merged with the Labour Party in 1999.