Sinn Féin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sinn Féin
President	Mary Lou McDonald
Vice president	Michelle O'Neill
Chairperson	Declan Kearney
General Secretary	Ken O'Connell
Seanad leader	Vacant
Founder	Arthur Griffith
Founded	28 November 1905; 119 years ago (1905-11-28)
Merger of	National Council Cumann na nGaedheal Dungannon Clubs
Headquarters	44 Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland
Newspaper	An Phoblacht
Youth wing	Ógra Shinn Féin
LGBT wing	Sinn Féin LGBTQ
Overseas wing	Friends of Sinn Féin
Membership (2020)	~15,000
Ideology	Irish republicanism Democratic socialism Left-wing nationalism
Political position	Centre-left to left-wing
European Parliament group	The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Colours	Green
Slogan	"Tosaíonn athrú anseo" (Change starts here)
Dáil Éireann	36 / 160
Seanad Éireann	3 / 60
Northern Ireland Assembly	27 / 90
House of Commons (NI seats)	Parliament dissolved
European Parliament	1 / 13
Local government in the Republic of Ireland	102 / 949
Local government in Northern Ireland	144 / 462
Politics of the Republic of Ireland Political parties Politics of Northern Ireland Political parties

Sinn Féin (pronounced "Shin Fane") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The name "Sinn Féin" comes from the Irish language and means "Ourselves" or "We Ourselves".

The original Sinn Féin group was started in 1905 by Arthur Griffith. Its members helped create the revolutionary Irish Republic and its parliament, the First Dáil. Many members were involved in the Irish War of Independence. The party later split several times. These splits led to the creation of other major Irish political parties like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. For many years, Sinn Féin was a small party.

A major split in 1970 led to the modern Sinn Féin party we know today. This happened at the start of a period called The Troubles. During the Troubles, Sinn Féin was linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. For a long time, there were rules that stopped Sinn Féin members from being heard on Irish and British TV and radio.

Sinn Féin used to have a policy called abstentionism. This meant they would run in elections for the British House of Commons and the Irish Dáil Éireann, but they would not take their seats if elected. In 1986, the party changed this policy for the Dáil.

In the 1990s, leaders like Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness helped with the Northern Ireland peace process. This led to the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement created the Northern Ireland Assembly, where Sinn Féin became part of the government.

Today, Sinn Féin is the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. They won the most votes in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. Since 2024, Michelle O'Neill has been the First Minister of Northern Ireland. This is the first time an Irish nationalist party has held this position.

In the UK House of Commons, Sinn Féin holds seven seats from Northern Ireland. They still follow their abstentionist policy there. In the Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament), Sinn Féin is a very strong opposition party. They won the most first-preference votes in the 2020 Irish general election. The current leader of Sinn Féin is Mary Lou McDonald, who became president in 2018.

What Does the Name "Sinn Féin" Mean?

The name "Sinn Féin" comes from the Irish language. It means "Ourselves" or "We Ourselves". Sometimes people mistakenly translate it as "ourselves alone". This name shows the party's belief that the Irish people should govern themselves. They believe Ireland should not be part of a political union with Great Britain.

In January 1970, Sinn Féin split into two groups. One group was called "Official Sinn Féin". The other was called "Provisional Sinn Féin". The "Officials" later changed their name to the Workers' Party. Because of this, the term "Provisional Sinn Féin" is not used much anymore. The party is now just known as "Sinn Féin".

Sometimes, people call Sinn Féin members "Shinners". This term is often used in a negative way.

A Look at Sinn Féin's History

Early Days: 1905 to 1922

Arthur Griffith helped start Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin was founded on November 28, 1905. At first, the party wanted Ireland to have its own government. They imagined a system where Ireland and Britain would share a king or queen.

In 1914, many Sinn Féin members joined the Irish Volunteers. This group was involved in the Easter Rising of 1916. Even though Arthur Griffith wasn't in the Rising, many Sinn Féin members were. Newspapers and the government started calling the Rising "the Sinn Féin Rising".

After the Rising, many Irish republicans joined Sinn Féin. In 1917, the party decided its main goal was to create an independent Irish Republic. In the 1918 Irish general election, Sinn Féin won 73 out of 105 seats in Ireland. In January 1919, these elected members met in Dublin. They declared themselves Dáil Éireann, the parliament of Ireland.

Joseph McGuinness's campaign car in 1917. He was one of the first Sinn Féin MPs elected.

Sinn Féin supported the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence. In 1921, members of the Dáil government signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty with the British government. This treaty created the Irish Free State. However, it also caused a big split within Sinn Féin. Some members supported the treaty, and others did not. This disagreement led to the Irish Civil War.

From 1923 to 1970

After the Civil War, the Sinn Féin members who supported the treaty formed a new party called Cumann na nGaedheal. This party governed the new Irish Free State for nine years. It later became Fine Gael.

The Sinn Féin members who were against the treaty continued to boycott the Dáil. In 1926, Éamon de Valera, a key leader, left Sinn Féin. He started his own party, Fianna Fáil. Most Sinn Féin members joined him. De Valera's new party became very powerful in Irish politics.

For many years, Sinn Féin was a very small party. In the late 1940s, the IRA leadership decided to work closely with Sinn Féin again. IRA members were told to join Sinn Féin, and by 1950, they had taken control of the party.

In 1955, two Sinn Féin candidates were elected to the British Parliament. In 1957, four Sinn Féin members were elected to the Irish Parliament. However, the party lost all its national representation again a few years later.

During the 1960s, some Sinn Féin leaders started to move towards more socialist ideas. This made some traditional republicans unhappy. They wanted to focus only on Irish independence and armed struggle.

The Split and the Troubles: 1970 to 1975

Sinn Féin split again in January 1970. This happened because of a disagreement about whether elected members should take their seats in parliament. The group that walked out became known as "Provisional Sinn Féin". They were led by Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. The other group became "Official Sinn Féin".

The "Provisionals" believed in using military action more than political action at first. Sinn Féin became a protest movement after many people were arrested without trial in August 1971. They organized marches and protests.

In May 1974, the British government lifted a ban on Sinn Féin. The party became more visible in communities. From 1976, there was a ban on Sinn Féin representatives speaking on TV and radio in the Republic of Ireland. This ban lasted until 1994.

From 1976 to 1983

A mural of Bobby Sands in Belfast. He was elected to parliament while on hunger strike.

A big issue for prisoners was their "political status". This led to protests, including the 1981 Irish hunger strike. During this strike, Bobby Sands, a prisoner, was elected to the British Parliament. After he died, his election agent, Owen Carron, won his seat. These successes showed republicans that they should take part in elections.

At a party meeting in 1981, Danny Morrison famously said:

Who here really believes we can win the war through the ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot paper in this hand and an Armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland?

This idea became known as the "Armalite and ballot box strategy". In 1983, Gerry Adams became the new president of Sinn Féin.

Peace Process and Power-Sharing: 1983 to 1998

Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness (pictured in 2016) led Sinn Féin during the peace process.

Under Gerry Adams' leadership, elections became more important for Sinn Féin. In 1983, Alex Maskey was elected to Belfast City Council. By 1985, Sinn Féin had 59 seats on local councils in Northern Ireland.

The party started thinking about changing its policy of not taking seats in the Irish Parliament (Dáil). In 1986, the party voted to end this policy. Some members who disagreed left and formed Republican Sinn Féin.

In 1988, the British government also banned Sinn Féin representatives from being broadcast. Broadcasters found ways around this, like using actors to read their words. This ban lasted until 1994.

Sinn Féin became involved in peace talks in the 1990s. The Provisional IRA declared a ceasefire in August 1994. Sinn Féin then joined the talks. These talks led to the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998. This agreement set up a shared government in Northern Ireland. It also changed how the Irish government viewed its claim to the whole island.

Recent Years: 1998 to Present

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was the first Sinn Féin TD to take his seat in the Dáil since 1922.

In the 1997 Irish general election, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was elected to the Dáil. He was the first Sinn Féin member to take his seat there since 1922. This marked the start of Sinn Féin's continuous presence in the Irish Parliament.

In 2005, the British government stated that Sinn Féin and the IRA were closely linked. The Independent Monitoring Commission also reported that the IRA was responsible for a major bank robbery in Belfast in 2004. They said some senior Sinn Féin members were also senior IRA members. Sinn Féin denied these claims.

On January 28, 2007, Sinn Féin ended its boycott of policing in Northern Ireland. The party voted to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Some members left the party because they disagreed with this decision.

In November 2017, Gerry Adams announced he would step down as president of Sinn Féin in 2018.

Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill in February 2018.

On February 10, 2018, Mary Lou McDonald became the new president of Sinn Féin. Michelle O'Neill was elected vice president.

Sinn Féin was against Northern Ireland leaving the European Union. They suggested a vote on the reunification of Ireland to solve problems caused by Brexit.

In the 2020 Irish general election, Sinn Féin received the most first-preference votes. This was their best result since the 1922 election. However, other parties formed a government, and Sinn Féin became the main opposition party.

In the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, Sinn Féin won the most votes and seats. This was the first time they became the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Michelle O'Neill said this marked "a new era". In 2023, Sinn Féin also became the largest party in local government in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin's Structure and How It Works

Sinn Féin follows a principle called "democratic centralism". This means that once the party makes a decision, all members must support it publicly. They cannot openly disagree with it.

The party's decisions are made by two main groups: the national officer board and the Árd Comhairle (national executive). The national officer board has seven members, including the President and Vice President. The Árd Comhairle has 47 members. Most members of the Árd Comhairle are from Northern Ireland, even though most of Sinn Féin's members and elected officials are from the Republic of Ireland.

When the Árd Comhairle makes a decision, all Sinn Féin members must follow it. In 2020, all Sinn Féin candidates for the Irish general election had to sign a pledge. This pledge said they would follow all directions from the Árd Comhairle.

Some people outside and inside Sinn Féin have said that the party's structure is not very democratic. They claim that a small group of leaders makes all the important decisions. However, Sinn Féin denies these claims. They say that decisions come from their annual national conference (Ard Fhéis) and the votes of regular members. Mary Lou McDonald has also said that suggestions of "shadowy figures" controlling the party are sometimes based on sexism.

What Sinn Féin Believes In

Sinn Féin is an Irish republican, democratic socialist, and left-wing party. Their main goal is to create a united Ireland.

Social and Cultural Policies

Sinn Féin supports:

• Allowing Northern Ireland MPs to also sit in the Irish Parliament.
• Ending academic selection in schools.
• A law to give the Irish language the same status in Northern Ireland as the Welsh language has in Wales.
• Making same-sex marriage legal in Northern Ireland (this happened in 2019).
• Banning "conversion therapy".

Sinn Féin believes in immigration. They think immigrants can help fill jobs and that people fleeing war should be protected. They also want faster processing for refugees.

Economic Policies

Sinn Féin wants to:

• Build 100,000 affordable homes over five years.
• Ban rent increases for three years.
• Remove a tax called Universal Social Charge (USC) for lower-income workers.
• Create a state-owned childcare service.
• Support small and medium businesses.
• Work towards an "all-Ireland" economy with one currency and one tax system.
• Get rid of Property Tax.

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin also wants to:

• Build 100,000 affordable homes over 15 years.
• Remove VAT (a type of tax) on fuel and energy.
• Freeze domestic and business rates.
• Help families with rising energy bills.
• Make the minimum wage the same for all age groups.
• Ban "zero-hour contracts" (where workers are not guaranteed hours).
• Give workers a "right to disconnect" from work (not answer calls/emails outside work hours).

Health Policies

Sinn Féin wants to:

• Create an "All-Ireland Health Service" similar to the UK's National Health Service.
• Limit how much doctors can be paid.
• Remove charges for prescriptions for certain patients.
• Expand local health centers.
• Offer free breast cancer screening for women over forty.

International Relations

Mary Lou McDonald signing a book of condolences for Fidel Castro in 2016.

Sinn Féin has long-standing friendships with groups like the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. Nelson Mandela called Sinn Féin an "old friend" in the fight against apartheid.

Sinn Féin supports:

• The independence of Catalonia from Spain.
• Palestine in the conflict with Israel.
• The right of the Basque Country to decide its own future.
• Ending the US trade ban against Cuba.

Sinn Féin members at a pro-Palestine rally in Dublin in 2017.

In 2016, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams attended the funeral of Fidel Castro in Cuba. Adams called Castro a "freedom fighter" and a "friend of Ireland's struggle". Sinn Féin is also against joining NATO.

Views on the European Union

Sinn Féin has changed its views on the European Union (EU) over time. In the past, they were against Ireland joining the EU. However, they now support a policy of "critical engagement" with the EU. This means they want to work with the EU but also disagree with some of its policies.

Sinn Féin members protesting against Brexit in 2019.

They are against the idea of a "European superstate" that would reduce countries' independence. They also criticize the EU for some of its economic policies.

Sinn Féin supported the UK staying in the EU during the 2016 Brexit vote. They believe that leaving the EU would be bad for the economy. In 2022, Mary Lou McDonald said Sinn Féin strongly supports Ukraine's desire to join the EU.

Party Leaders Over Time

Sinn Féin in Government and Opposition

Northern Ireland Roles

• First Minister of Northern Ireland: Michelle O'Neill
• Minister for Communities: Deirdre Hargey
• Minister of Finance: Conor Murphy
• Minister of Infrastructure: John O'Dowd

Republic of Ireland Roles

Sinn Féin is the main opposition party in the Republic of Ireland. Here are some of their key spokespeople:

Election Results

Sinn Féin takes part in elections in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland Elections

Sinn Féin has grown to become the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Westminster Elections (UK Parliament)

Sinn Féin MPs elected to the UK Parliament do not take their seats.

Republic of Ireland Elections

Sinn Féin has seen its support grow significantly in the Republic of Ireland in recent years.

Dáil Éireann Elections

Presidential Elections

Local Government Elections

Sinn Féin has representatives on most county and city councils in Ireland.

European Elections

Sinn Féin has elected members to the European Parliament from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Images for kids

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  Results in Northern Ireland from UK general elections. Sinn Féin increased its number of seats from two in 1997 to five in 2005, four of them in the west. It retained its five seats in 2010, was reduced to four in 2015 before increasing to seven in 2017.

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  Treasurer: Pearse Doherty

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  Treasurer: Conor Murphy

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  Chairperson: Declan Kearney

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  Director of Publicity: Ciarán Quinn

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  General Secretary: Ken O'Connell

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  Vice-President: Michelle O'Neill

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  President: Mary Lou McDonald

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  Mary Lou McDonald signing a book of condolences for Fidel Castro at the Cuban Embassy in Dublin in 2016

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  Niall Ó Donnghaile, Seán Crowe and members of Ógra Shinn Féin at a pro-Palestine rally held by the party in Dublin in 2017

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  Members of Sinn Féin protesting against Brexit and a "hard border" being implemented between Northern Ireland and Ireland in 2019

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  Martin McGuinness, Seán Crowe and Gerry Adams in 2014 showing their support for Catalan independence by holding a red Estelada

See also

In Spanish: Sinn Féin para niños

• Friends of Sinn Féin (an international group that supports Sinn Féin)
• List of current Sinn Féin elected representatives
• List of political parties in Northern Ireland
• List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland
• List of Sinn Féin MPs (for members elected to the British Parliament)