Eirigi recruits its first elected Sinn Fein politician in north
Dissident republican group eirigi has recruited its first elected member in Northern Ireland – former Sinn Fein councillor Barry Monteith.
Dublin city councillor Louise Minihan, who resigned from Sinn Fein earlier this month, has also now defected to eirigi.
Former mayor of Dungannon Barry Monteith resigned from Sinn Fein in August last year citing political differences, but has remained on the council as an independent.
Ms Minihan, who once sat on Sinn Fein’s ruling Ard Chomhairle, resigned saying she felt the party had “moved away from the core values of Irish republicanism”.
At the time she hinted at an alliance with another republican group saying there were “very real limits of what any one individual can achieve on their own”.
In May members of Eirigi voted in favour of registering as a political party in the Republic. A decision on whether or not to extend that stance to the north has yet to be made.
Both councillors will remain registered as independents.
The republican grouping already boasts a number of former high ranking Sinn Fein party activists among its membership including Garvaghy Road residents’ spokesman Breandan Mac Cionnaith.
A spokesman last night welcomed the move saying it was another “important stage in eirigi’s development”.
“The two are being treated in exactly the same way as other dozens of other activists who have joined eirgi in the last few months,” he said.
“Eirgi are in constant dialogue with other republicans some of whom are elected representatives.
“If any other elected representative decides to apply to join eirigi they will be considered on a case by case basis just like any other republican.
“The fact that the two councillors are based both north and south, urban and rural is indicative of eirigi’s growing support across Ireland.”
“The fact that they are based in the capital and in the republican heartland of east Tyrone further highlights the diversity of support that eirigi is attracting.”
He added that there was no decision at present as the whether the group would be officially contesting the 2011 local government elections in Northern Ireland.
Two former eirigi activists have been charged in connection with the dissident republican shooting of two soldiers in Co Antrim.
Lurgan republican Colin Duffy (41) and Brian Shivers (44) from Magherafelt in Co Derry are both in custody charged with the gun attack at Massereene army base in March.
An eirigi spokesman later said that both men were no longer affiliated with the group.
