Fergus Black: Micheal tells his weary soldiers renewal is their destiny
A WHO'S who list of who was. They gathered as though they were turning up for a nostalgic school reunion, familiar faces that only a few short weeks ago were Cabinet ministers, members of a ruling party.
The depleted ranks of the Soldiers of Destiny assembled yesterday at the last resting place of 14 of the executed 1916 leaders.
They came to remember the ultimate sacrifice made 95 years ago of those who were executed in Kilmainham and later buried at Arbour Hill cemetery in Stoneybatter, Dublin.
And after attending Mass in the adjoining Church of the Sacred Heart, they all assembled as Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin laid the traditional wreath at the grave of the 1916 leaders.
But Mr Martin also used the occasion as a rallying call to rebuild a badly wounded party from the wreckage of the general election.
He was surrounded by a very much diminished party faithful, among them former ministers and ousted TDs, looking relaxed as they met up, many perhaps for the first time since their election meltdown.
They included former ministers Brian Lenihan, Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey, Eamon O Cuiv and the newly elected party vice president Mary Hanafin.
There too, very much in the background, was former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. But there was no sign of Brian Cowen.
Acknowledging how difficult it would be to rebuild a decimated party, Mr Martin said it would be no easy task, would not be done overnight and would take "much work".
"Our founders were great figures but they started our party with nothing," said Mr Martin. "They built our party from the ground up and now we must do likewise.
"At this special place, my pledge is this -- the Fianna Fail party stems from a great tradition and it will be renewed."
Mr Martin used Fianna Fail's annual commemoration of the 1916 Rising at Arbour Hill to remind those present that yesterday marked the very day 85 years ago when Eamon de Valera gave notice of his intention to establish a new political party.
Dev called on the country's young men and women to join Fianna Fail and in turn to offer their services to the community and the nation.
"Today I repeat that call and say it is my commitment that in every local authority area in this country, Fianna Fail, where feasible, will put forward at least one candidate under the age of 30 at the next local elections," said Mr Martin.
He also appealed to past supporters and lapsed members to return to the fold and to help with their work of "republican renewal".
Accepting the mistakes made by Fianna Fail, he said there had been "systematic failures" in the political system over the past decade and, unlike other parties, his party "are right to accept our responsibility".
"It must be our objective to do our utmost to rectify past errors and to secure a better future for every single person on this island."
He also promised that like the 1916 leaders, Fianna Fail would ensure education was central to the future of the country and that together with training, it would be protected as a priority area for funding in future budgets.
- Fergus Black
Irish Independent
