Leaders join in winter sport at Meath hustings

SF campaign: The Sinn Féin leadership came under fire yesterday in Trim, Co Meath, thoughthe volleys were launched by youths…

SF campaign: The Sinn Féin leadership came under fire yesterday in Trim, Co Meath, thoughthe volleys were launched by youths throwing snowballs.

"Trim says snow," quipped SF's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, as he joined in throwing some back, along with SF president Mr Gerry Adams.

The duo travelled to Trim to accompany the party's candidate in the constituency, Cllr Joe Reilly as he handed in his nomination papers in the local courthouse.

Once the snowballs were thrown, though, it was back to business, and the message: "We are looking for support to continue the work of the peace process," said Mr Adams.

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"We are an all-Ireland party, a united Ireland party. This gives the electorate the opportunity to show their view of that," he declared.

"Meath is a constituency on the cusp of Dublin that is being used almost as a dormer suburb of Dublin. Health services are in tatters," he went on.

The result in Meath will be critical for Sinn Féin in the wake of the blows it has received since the Northern Bank robbery in December, which has been blamed on the IRA by the PSNI and the Garda Síochána.

"The people of Meath can elect Joe Reilly as the Sinn Féin TD for the county. He is a central part of Sinn Féin's negotiating team and an active local representative. The party is standing on our record in the peace process and seeking an endorsement of Joe Reilly's contribution nationally and locally," said Mr Adams.

Mr Reilly, who served a 13-year prison sentence for IRA membership and a foiled escape attempt, increased the party's vote in Meath from a paltry 641 in 1992, to more than 6,000 in 2002.