IRELAND: REPUBLICANS GATHER FOR ANNUAL WOLFE TONE RALLY

Описание: (24 Jun 1996) English/Nat

Ireland's Prime Minister has called on the I-R-A to restore its ceasefire "convincingly" and immediately.

John Bruton's call came on the day Sinn Fein leaders gathered for the annual republican commemoration at the grave of Wolfe Tone.

He was a Protestant who was executed after leading the Irish uprising against the British in 1798.

More than two-thousand Republicans from all over Ireland gathered in the village of Sallins, County Kildare - 20 miles south west of Dublin on Sunday.

Those who believe Ireland should be reunited were here for what is one of the highlights of the Republican calendar.

Supporters marched from Sallins to Bodenstown cemetery in County Kildaire to pay respect to a hero of old.

They made the journey for the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration.

Prominent members of Sinn Fein - the political wing of the I-R-A - were among those making the march.

While Martin McGuiness marched from the start, the party's leader Gerry Adams joined the procession as it was approaching Bodenstown cemetery.

A leading Sinn Fein negotiator told the crowd Britain had squandered opportunities to make peace, but that there was no going back now.

SOUNDBITE:
"In these times of grave political difficulty for all sides we must not lose sight and learn by those wasted weeks and months which were frittered away by John Major - that's how we're in the situation we're in today. And distrust of the British government has been reinforced and the task of peacemaking has been made all the more difficult."
SUPER CAPTION: Rita O'Hare, Director of Publicity, Sinn Fein

Republicans paid tribute to Wolfe Tone, who is buried in the cemetery.

The Protestant was executed after leading the Irish uprising against the British in 1798 which was ruthlessly repressed.

After the I-R-A claimed responsibility for the Manchester bombing, the Irish Prime Minister urged Adams to answer two questions.

Had he gone to the I-R-A to ask for a ceasefire and if not, why, and did Sinn Fein continue to support the armed struggle of the I-R-A.

Bruton has since dismissed the answers given by Adams in an Irish newspaper interview, but Sinn Fein's leader stands by his response.

SOUNDBITE:
"I have answered the questions fully, honestly and frankly. Now, perhaps Mr Bruton wants me to condemn the I-R-A, which is a different thing entirely and leaving aside my own integrity on that issue, I don't see the sense of that at this time and at his point. And I think the signal that Mr Bruton is sending is that he has given up on the peace process. I don't think he should do that, I think he should review his situation. We're not going to be deflected from the challenges of the time ahead and Mr Bruton shouldn't be deflected."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein Leader

SOUNDBITE:
"We cannot rebuild the peace process without the active participation of the British government and the British Prime Minister. And as far as I am concerned over the course of recent months, John Major has opted out of this process, has decided to pass the baton of obstacle building from his own government and from himself to Ian Paisley and to David Trimble and that is why at this moment in time there are no real and meaningful peace negotiations taking place in Stormont."
SUPER CAPTION: Martin McGuinness, Sinn Fein

As talks on the future of Northern Ireland continue at Stormont Castle, London is sticking by its decision to keep Sinn Fein away from the table until the I-R-A resumes its ceasefire.

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