The current Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is seemingly took the first punch in the upcoming election battle after he hit out at the Sinn Féin party.
Mr Martin took a swipe at Gerry Adams and his fellow party members during his address at the annual Fianna Fáil Easter Rising Commemoration at Arbour Hill this recently. Mr Martin has claimed that Sinn Féin aggressively promoted a false claim that they have some connection to 1916 and the volunteers who fought then. Mr Martin also says the claims add to a wider agenda of trying to falsify recent Irish history and claim legitimacy for the sectarian campaign of murder and intimidation which they carried out for 30 years.
The Fianna Fail leader strongly criticised Sinn Fein’s failure to deal with child abuse by the provisional movement. Mr Martin claims that there must be a redoubling of efforts to fulfil the promise of lasting peace and reconciliation on this island.