Sinn Féin's surge: Irish nationalists rock political landscape 

France 24 English should do some research,the 1918 election was not post independence. It was a British general election in which Sinn Fein ran candidates and received almost 80% of the vote in the whole of Ireland. This gave them a mandate to declare independence.The Irish Republic was declared on January 21st 1919.

That Grainne woman is an absolute dope. She puts down Sinn Fein because of the I.R.A. what were the nationalist people to do?, just sit back and let the Loyalists murder and displace them from their homes?. The brits created the I.R.A and they fought back and rightly so. Every single operation or attack from them was always not right especially if innocents were killed, but they were fighting an enemy who colluded with the british army and police force. The I.R.A have the utmost respect from most people on this island. They took the fight to an overwhelming force and brought them to a standstill. It's pretty impressive from a paramilitary group using guerrilla warfare tactics and limited resources. Imagine upper middle class Dubs and journalists telling the Irish in the north of Ireland to react to such hatred and violence with just words. Long live the Rebels who took up arms and defended their communities and country. ✊🏻🇮🇪

Sinn fèin and the ira come on like, if the British weren’t in our country the ira would never of been formed.

Within the first minute you understand why the country voted Sinn Fein, Our Economy hasn't "rebounded", the vast majority of Irish citizens still live with the Austerity measures from 2009, Only the wealthy and big business have rebounded.

I think Irish people want their own kind of people in power In Ireland 🇮🇪

Sinn fein have been left wing for years ...they didnt move with the curve

Leo Varadkar and his party Fianna Gael had policies that killed ordinary Irish people. I am a person still suffering because of his crippling neoliberal policies. The ordinary Irish people never wanted him. He was not elected he just took over from someone in his party who retired. The other main party Fianna Fail kept his minority government in power betraying the Irish People. The Irish people have been trampled under foot for the last ten years because of Varakars crushing austerity policies aimed at the poor and low paid. He did everything in his power for bankers and developers and that is why the people hated him. The left in Ireland got over half of the electorates votes.People are dying on trollies in hospitals left without care in crowded hospitals. Elderly people are dying waiting for care. There is a crisis in housing and health all generated by Varadkar and his party of the elites supported by the other main party Fianna Fail. They too were punished by the electorate. We don't want Varadkar or Fianna Gael of Fianna Fail. Theya re the parties of the bankers and the developers and the exploitative vulture landlords who have created the housing crisis. Sinn Feinis the true voice of the Irtish people.Varadkar wanted to celebrate the Black and Tans before the election. The black and tans were ruthless british prisoners put into Ireland by the British during the struggle for independence. Thats was just unbearable for Irish people who were tortured and murdered by them and showed how completely out of touch he was with the Irish people. He paid dearly for that. The Irish people rejected him and the establishment but the media is doing everything in their power to slander Sinn Fein. They are in complete denial as are the establishment. Ireland is changing. Its time for ordinary Irish people not the rich the powerful the bankers and the super wealthy. Its ends now.

Ireland needs to unite now

Sinn féin are not nationalist they are very very very very left wing More so than British Labour Party.

Grainne seems so out of touch with what is happening in Ireland right now

if they shut out sinn fein it will be worse for them next time, sinn fein must be wishing they put more candidates out

The title is wrong they are not nationalists

The social consultant on the panel is right. There is no difference b/w the two original dominant parties. They were the fake left and right ...basically they were two cheeks off the same backside...bouncing power and back and forth. They used ID politics which sexual identity I add to this list to imply a progressive outlook but it’s just a cover ...they only looked after a specific class; the banking class. In recent times the leader was running around Europe poking at the U.K. and its quest to leave the eu and it basically ignored its own people’s needs. Ironically this is exactly the same affliction that Macron in France has...running around the world annoying people but ignoring his own people.

A United Ireland will solve all problems, economic, brexit, unionists intransigence . All sorted.

Brexit brought the crisis in the Good Friday Agreement, not Sinn Fein. Unity solves the Good Friday problem.

Well done Ireland!!!!!

Not one mention on immigration? Welcome to irelandistan.....👍

The Irony of claiming Shill Fein as nationalists does not go unnoticed

In Shankill Road, Belfast, a Loyalist told me that Ulster was 50% Protestant and 40% Catholic not 70% Protestant as was reported in this programme.

100.000 homes for irish people or migrants

The overwhelming majority of Irish people voted for independence. The creation of a artificial state with gerrymandering to ensure a unionist majority was undemocratic and without any regard for the nationalist community in fermanagh Tyrone derry City Newry West Belfast and Crossmaglen amongst others.. The partition of Ireland was undemocratic and a historical wrong that will soon be corrected please god 🙏

Sinn Fein are not nationalists. They are socialists.

In thirty years time Ireland will be a member of the League of African Nations

The Irish Times journalist is the only one here with a clue about what is going on in the country.

its very good of her to use sign language too.

Una Mulally`s the only one talking sense here. That other women`s an obvious Fianna Failler.

Is this how Irish politics is represented globally, my god these lot are clueless. The statement that the 1918 election was post independence just proves that they are completely clueless.

I’m almost 60 now & I support Sinn Féin , used to support Fianna Fáil . I hope some finna fáilers will come back to their original home in Sinn Féin and help build a great Ireland for everyone on the island no matter their religion or ethnicity.

Sin Féin have a young and liberal voting base despite not having any green energy policy, and being Eurosceptics, two things that are VERY unpopular in Ireland. How people reconcile these factors, I have no idea. The mental gymnastics involved is baffling

This was the most inane babble I've had the misfortune to accost.

Sinn fein are NOT Irish nationalists. They are a Liberal/ Socialist party.

Appreciate that our French friends seem far more interested, provide far more reporting on Irish affairs than our British neighbours.

I've never listened to more nonsense in my entire life

Never heard such balls

From Marxist to Bolshevik...how do you say Komrade in Gaelic?

It’s likely populist view. Throw the establishment out.

Hopefully the new government led by Sinn Fein focuses on the housing first , the sight of young children, homeless on the streets of Dublin eating their dinners on their laps with no place to go is heart wrenching in this day and age, the government of Varadkar abetted by Fianna Fáil lacked compassion for the citizenry as they continued with their austerity measures targeting the most vulnerable in Irish society, the Irish people have an ethos of empathy and compassion and have finally had enough of a soulless profit driven regime, Sinn Fein aligned with other socially fair minded elected TDs can finally put the country on track realizing the aspirations of revolutionary leaders like James Connolly 🙏🇮🇪.

The Elephant in the Room within all Irish Political discussion on policy & never mentioned by talking heads on RTE or Most Irish Radio stations, IMMIGRATION, MIGRATION, EMIGRATION, MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, ECO-MIGRANTS...That is why Irish People are feeling alienated in their own towns & country. Also migrants are effecting the housing shortages

How about invite somebody from Sinn Féin next time when you are speaking about us. Nobody has a clue here. In 1918, all of Ireland was under British occupation.

Interesting though a bit long footage

You should slow down and try to solve the issues. This is a bad time to up and down. Just stabilise. Create the stability and solve the "hunger". Don't go for bust. Don't repeat history, build something new. Slow down and deal with the issues causing the unrest.

When you say you don’t condone the past! Would that also involve the Irish government down through the years leaving the Irish in the north behind. Get real the youngsters of today are much more educated and know when the government is screwing them over. I say what is there to be lost give SF a chance.

U tube ,Stop cutting the comments on Sinn Fein Utube videos . Others ones I mean !!..Let the people chat .

Ireland will always be closer to North America because places like Chicago and New York have their roots in Ireland, Irish American buisness has had a massive impact on Irelands economy for 100 years. I´m not European, I'm Gaelic, I'm native, I'm educated, I can't afford a house in my native land. We should not be tennants on our own land.

Well this is awkward. Should we tell them about Solidarity - People before Profit?

How can you call resolving the health crisis ''Populist''???

Provisional Sinn Féin was founded in 1970, the organization founded by Arthur Griffith and contested the 1918 general election was rather different

Did he say the divorce referendum was in the last few years? :/

Personally I'd rather Pearse Doherty as leader of the party, and I'd be fully supportive 100% if they were more anti-immigrant, don't want to end up like London where the English are the minority. Don't forget when foreigners came to the America's and Africa and Asia and Europe and severely mistreated the native populations.

How is Sinn Fein's stance on Irish unity contrary to the GFA? That guy is talking nonsense. The GFA explicitly states Irish unity is a legitimate aspiration. It also states the border poll can be called if the Secretary of state deems that it is likely to pass. These people need to read up.

Whys that Cormac Ryan spouting British propaganda, Turncoat.

God bless Mary Lou & Sinn Fein!

Okay, umm, I like your content, I really do, but this was 90% dribble. Irish politics / history is complicated and its true self not widely reported (especially that of a century ago), but doesn’t mean you should bluff your way through it.

Days before the general election, the PSNI found a viable bomb attached by magnets to a refrigerated trailer parked in the Silverwood industrial estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh. The bomb had been placed there some days earlier by the Continuity IRA in the expectation that the trailer would be loaded on to a ferry bound for Scotland. The PSNI believed the aim was to blow up the ferry on January 31st, Brexit day. The Continuity IRA denied this and said the bomb was intended to be smuggled to Britain: It was timed for Britain’s exit from the EU and to bring attention to the sea border. Either way, the device could have killed any number of entirely innocent. people.

Change is good. Good luck to Shin Fein.

if it gets it unified i don't care. and then the UK can cut all ties with the republic for good.

Schoolboy analysis ..and that's a shame

After the rising in 1916, some of the women of Dublin poured their chamber pots from out their windows on top of the captured Irishmen( who were fighting for those women's freedom) when they were being marched through the streets. The husbands of these women would have been taking the Kings crown....this woman Grainne Dirwin would have been one of those women.

Sinn Fein hasn't got the numbers. I reckon FF and FG plus Greens will form the next Government.

...its not complicated. Anyone under 50 years of age cannot afford to buy their own home. And being an island race this desire is intense. And doing the maths and bear in mind the govts in the past 20 years have only stoked the problem so you now have a huge demographic which will vote for alternative party to fix this problem.

Why does he have his scarf on,must be chill in the studio or me thinks he looks stylish,which he does not.

how will this affect the mass migration in ireland

This was just dreadful!Who is Grainne Dirwan?cringeworthy and inaccurate appraisal throughout the program.

I am not Irish, so you will have to forgive me, but why are " Irish Nationalists" considered left wing?

"Too IRA for the Irish" & you Grainne are too Non-Irish too speak for the Irish.

I hope you people have enough sense to put aside your differences and pull together. Your politicians are importing your replacements. Muslim and African replacement.

France 24 Recognise the 1916 Rising as independence..... Brilliant!!!!!!

bande d'abruits panel, but sane commonsense from Una

I am NOT shocked Sin Fein is leading the charge infact I saw this coming way back in 2008. People thought I was crazy including some Irish people fast forward 2021 there you have it. #RealityCheck 😂😆👍. I lived in Ireland back then and I am back with a bang in Ireland now after the stupidity of Brexit.

Whats wrong with a united Ireland; the UK which already excludes The Channel Islands and the isle of Man,will still be Great Britain."Beyond the Pale" no longer means unacceptable anyway. Its Europe Day today; ReUnite.

Up the ‘RA!

dear one?

Tolerant?Not towards Brits living in N.I.

Ann GeretySmyth

Worst soil erosion in Europe,which has effected water quality and food quality subsequently the health of the population. All frontiers closed to immigration the usual solution.Ireland is sleepwalking into catastrophe and their oil dependancy and neglect of their ecology (which is phenomenal) is the root cause. You would have to question if these vandals are Irish at all.

Who let her on the tv

Now let's all pray and hope that they put the Irish people first before any foreign or any immigrants. There is no social housing for the Irish people no work for Irish people they have to go abroad. We are Irish I looking at the master replacement of our native Irish people.

What a strange collection of panelists.

Hurt by the IRA..... the IRA gave you a republic silly woman

Our time will come!

Graininne is a stuttering mess

It should be noted that SF winning isn't receiving the same type of attack as the parties of the right in Europe. Why not? Surely extremism is the same regardless of ideology. The inequality SF talks about, contradicts their words here. SF objected to abortion in the North of Ireland. They support mass migration, something that ensures low wages and restricted opportunity for the poorest in society. Everything that is said here goes out of its way to say what we all know. SF and a lot of Ireland despises Britain. But it is ultra-dependent on the UK for any prosperity. The EU couldn't give a f@ck about Ireland. America pumped millions into their economy but it didn't last. The Irish deserve everything they will get for electing a bunch of murdering gangsters. Listening to anyone connected with SF should turn the stomach. House prices in Dublin are extreme because it's the only part of Ireland where it's possible to earn money. Ireland is, like Portugal and Greece, an historically poor society. It manufactures nothing and has almost no industry of its own. How anyone thinks it's on the verge of establishing a prosperous, thriving economy with a Marxist terrorist government is flabbergasting.

Viva sin fein......making Ireland a better place.

🇮🇪💚Unity

Vive la Irelande

Leo out up Sinn Fein

how did u make this so boring?

Up the raaaaaaaaaaa

Nearly the same as uk vote for single currency ,oh no that's not the result we wanted,vote again until you vote FOR a single currency, Now to join Ireland as one they will have to war against federal European state, It going to be even longer now to get a joined independent Ireland. But at least they have got a official group to fight their corner,hope they got strong mep's like Farage,

Pourquoi n'avez-vous pas remarqué que vos lèvres ne connaissent pas la raison

They are not nationalists

Embarrassing grainga

Sinn Fein is not a nationalist party

All of those referenda were pushed on by European interests. No counterargument was allowed in main stream media. We are going from bad to worse. Interesting times nevertheless.

Left vs right is not thing anymore.... It's nation god tradition and race and right for a people to live amongst their own.....

Ms Dirwan cannot conceal her contempt for the newly elected Sinn Fein. She reflects the pervasive attitude towards Sinn Fein in the Irish media.

grainne should stop the silly school girl nonsense and read the history of ff and fg , please god through time and it is only time ireland will be rid of british rule forever.

Your presenter/host needs to learn how to pronounce names.

Sinn féin are not a nationalist party

FF and FG tell youth get the Famine Plane