Louth SF veteran says 30 members have quit over Mitchell Principles

A Louth Sinn Fein veteran who resigned from the party last Thursday has claimed that up to 30 members in the county have now quit, and that several cumainn have effectively collapsed as a result.

Mr Fra Browne, a former Louth county councillor who polled 3,700 votes when he contested the 1982 general election for Sinn Fein, said the resignations arose from the leadership's refusal to call a special ardfheis on the Mitchell Principles.

He claimed the lead of the nine who resigned at last Thursday's comhairle ceanntair meeting had been followed yesterday by others, and he put the total figure at 30. He believed their action was a precedent which could be followed elsewhere.

"I would imagine in every county there are people who have been feeling the same, and who didn't know what way to go until now. But I'm not running round the country organising them."

Sinn Fein's former chairman in Louth, Mr Owen Hanratty, said he had indicated to friends months ago that he might resign over the Mitchell Principles.

Speaking from his home in Dundalk yesterday, he said he had been the first to leave Thursday's meeting, having asked party councillor Mr Sean Kenna to take over the chair. But he said he departed Sinn Fein "as a friend, and I want to stay that way. I don't want a bunfight with the leadership."

He described the situation as "sad, very sad" for him and his family.

"I've been in this movement all my life, man and boy. It wasn't an easy thing to walk out." He added that he still had confidence in the party leadership, but "I don't have the same confidence in some of our new-found friends".

The PRO for Louth Sinn Fein, Mr Malachy Foots, said the nine resignations appeared to have been organised, and added that he had had no warning of them until telephoned by The Irish Times on Thursday morning. He said the walkouts had been greeted with "regret rather than bitterness", and claimed most of the membership remained loyal to the leadership.

Both Mr Hanratty and Mr Browne denied there had been a concerted move before Thursday night's meeting. Mr Browne said: "This had been an ongoing debate in the party. We had been fighting from within, but it just got to the stage where we couldn't continue."

Mr Rory Dougan, another to resign, said he had been strongly opposed to the attempts to take office facilities in Westminster after the party won two seats in the British general election. "For me that was the first step towards recognition of the parliament.

How can you take up office facilities and not recognise it?"

Mr Browne insisted there was no likelihood of the dissidents organising against the party, or joining other groups. "I'm certainly not going to join Republican Sinn Fein - that's not a possibility. We're just going to sit and watch what develops from this, but I honestly can't see a solution as of now."

Of the the Stormont talks, he said: "It looks like they're heading for an internal settlement". He added that he did not trust the party leadership. "I think they've been sucked in by the main players, and once you're caught in the vacuum it's very hard to get out."