PLAYWRIGHT Brendan Behan said the first item on the agenda for any republican organisation was always a split, but now the malaise seems to have spread to the Christian pro-family movement in Irish politics.
The Muintir na hEireann party has split into two factions which are competing for the organisation's birthright.
The split centres on the politics and personality of Mr Richard Greene who, as a member of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown council, is the party's sole elected representative.
A statement on Muintir na hEireann notepaper yesterday, issued by Mr Fintan Dunne, who was described as a "party spokesperson", declared Mr Greene had been expelled from the party last month. The proceedings of that meeting were recorded on audiotape.
However, Mr Greene said the statement had "no status whatsoever" and added: "I am still the party leader and I am also chairman of the national executive since before Christmas."
The two factions are now involved in a bitter dispute over the details of the party's registration. Mr Greene has a copy of a letter from the office of Registrar of Political Parties in Leinster House, the Clerk of the Dail, Mr Kieran Coughlan, stating that Mr Greene, Mr Kevin Caulfield and Ms Lelia O'Flaherty were the registered officers of Muintir na hEireann.
Mr Greene's opponents will request that these details be changed at the registrar's office this morning. Mr Dunne said the position of Mr Caulfield and Ms O'Flaherty was also being reviewed.
The crisis in the party came to a head at a meeting of executive members on December 19th in the Goose Green Tavern in Marino, Dublin. Mr Dunne said this was the meeting which expelled Mr Greene; the meeting was taped and Mr Greene was aware of that fact.
But Mr Greene said he was not told the meeting was being taped - "I wasn't even told of the meeting." Mr Greene, who was previously expelled from Fianna Fail and the Green Party, is standing for the Dail in the general election in the Dublin South constituency.
Events surrounding November's bail referendum brought disagreements to a head. Mr Greene's opponents, led by the party chairwoman, Ms Rosemary Kavanagh, say the party treasurer, Andrew Byrne had died, but that Mr Greene insisted on holding a press conference about the referendum "the same night as the removal of the deceased".
Mr Dunne said Mr Greene had "an unreconstructed autocratic style which was incompatible with modern politics". Mr Greene said the true position in the party was that the national executive had voted no confidence in Ms Kavanagh as chairwoman and expelled her from Muintir na hEireann.