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OVER $400,000 WAS raised at the annual Friends of Sinn Féin (FOSF) fundraising dinner in New York last night with guests treated to cocktails, traditional Irish music, steak and a keynote speech from Gerry Adams.
The Sinn Féin president was in the Big Apple along with deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald for the 20th annual dinner which cost $500 a head (or €460) and attracted around 680 people to the Sheraton Hotel in Times Square.
As guests arrived for the cocktail hour in the Metropolitan West Ballroom, traditional Irish musicians played songs including The Town that I Loved so Well, Grace and Whiskey in the Jar.
As we revealed last night, guests dined on a meal of Mediterranean salad to start, with grilled filet mignon for mains and pastries and cookies for dessert.
IrishCentral.com reports that one of FOSF’s founding members Fay Devlin, a Manhattan-based construction company boss, said it was the most successful fundraising dinner in the organisation’s two-decade history, with almost 100 tables sold.
US-based trade unions and construction companies with Irish links were the main benefactors on the night, the New York-based website’s Frances Mulraney reports.
Sinn Féin has said the money raised goes towards funding FOSF’s activities in the States such as political lobbying and travel. The organisation paid for Adams’ and McDonald’s economy class flights to the US this week.
At the beginning of his keynote speech, Adams addressed the controversy at home over the fact that he and McDonald are missing key Dáil debates on the Social Welfare and Finance bills.
“Mary Lou and I are coming back. We will see you in the Dáil and we will hold you to account for all of the things that you haven’t done, despite all of your promises in the last election to do,” he told attendees.
The Irish Times’ US correspondent Simon Carswell reported that this remark drew a loud applause from the audience.
As we reported earlier, Adams also spoke at length about the “contrived” political crisis in the North and of the fear Sinn Féin is instilling in its political opponents.
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I’d say the other political parties are raging. They are despised by most of the recent emigrants and could only wish to be so popular amongst Irish America.
Who can’t vote, and what do you base your baseless claim on?
It’s just as well for FF/FG that Irish emigrants can’t vote! Those parties have used emigration as a way to maintain their control for generations.
Can one imagine what iPhone Joan, Mehole, or Enda’s turnout would be if they organised a Fundraiser in New York – presumably it could be held in a Wendy’s or McDonalds and would probably generate a child’s plastic toy for the most despised Political Parties in this part of Ireland !!!
I notice too that Hughs Editorial figures was reduced from $500,000 earlier in the day , to $400,000 now – The Journalistic spoofing and exaggeration, is a joke by some Journalists – of The Endapendent type low standards !!!!!!
“We can’t all live on a small island.’ – Brian Lenihan Snr.
So, on An article about SF an ciarroch brings up FG and labour, obsessed eh?
If a FG or labour politician were flown across the Atlantic, wined and dined at a $500 a head party, put up in an expensive hotel, you would be moaning about the rich corporate neo liberal elite and their close ties with the fascist blueshirts.
SF and their supporters don’t do irony but if they did…
Ciarroch posted the other day about his wish for rational debate, without resorting to name calling, and the resorts to name calling at every opportunity he can get.
The huge, huge majority of recent emigrants are not living in the United States
@ Eddie: “Can one imagine what iPhone Joan, Mehole, or Enda’s turnout would be if they organised a Fundraiser in New York – presumably it could be held in a Wendy’s or McDonalds”
My moneys on Wendys. Last thing McDonalds needs is more clowns.
Raging I’d say.
Really jealous of a party who is tied to the hip with terrorists and can’t see the hypocrisy of protesting against minimal water charges, but yet celebrate charging €500 per plate and taking business class flights.
Ooohhhhh the hypocrisy.
Pmsl!! Or waffle house, they’re good at waffling on about stuff
Business class? Yesterday it was reported on this site that they flew economy so do you know something that Hugh doesn’t?
For Connolly and Eddie, dissing Wendy’s or McDonald’s, a working class eatery. Stay classy you funny terrorists.
As the opposite of Dane would say – the blueshirts are livid :D
Mk76 it different now people want to know the people that brought peace to NI.Dont be so jealous
Yeah. Fair point Bobby.
But what really amazing is the selective amnesia Gerry has suffered since bringing the IRA to the table. Remarkable he has no knowledge of or connection to the IRA since that day in 1998. In fact, he thinks they no longer exist.
Interesting.
Emmm, did Mary Lou not fly business to Australia Brian?
A committed socialist all the same though.
The problem for the established democratic parties in Ireland Eddie is that they have to apply and practice democratic principles but Sinn Fein and their fellow travellers can pretend that they are democratic and yet be be associated with an Army council who tells them what they should be doing .
Im sure Gerry got his teeth and prostate looked at while he was in the Big Apple ,turning his back on the health services in NI and the republic that he so much talks about .
What is even more interesting is that the PIRA that existed as a fully armed, paramilitary army that was committed to an armed struggle in 1998 no longer exists, a fact that both governments agree on yet people still don’t seem to get that point. Of course coming up to an election that is completely forgotten about so as to try and attack Sinn Fein.
Maybe people would prefer if they decided “F**k this, we’ve gone down the path of peace and still people aren’t happy, how about we just start up again and go back to the old days”. Is that what people want because that seems to be what a lot of commentators on here would like? Instead of answering questions put to them by republicans and SF about the future progress of peace in NI and the ending of austerity, all FG/Lab and FF do is harp on about events over the last 40 years. Ask about austerity- Northern Bank job, ask about water charges-Jerry McCabe, ask about the health shambles- throw in anything about the conflict in NI just so long as the FG/Lab/FF lackies don’t have to answer the hard questions about the here and now.
Mk76.Gerry negotiated peace thats all that matters thats why people admire him even if you dont like it.The question Mk76 is what can sf do for us.Abolish lpt check abolish iw check bring a united Ireland check.Sf for government will put money in my pocket._.
And not to mention quality public services Bobby.. Which in the long run will see you fork out less. This government don’t think of us. There interests lie in regaining power and giving away scraps to the gullible passive voters who will vote them..
Brian ,I think you are right “They haven’t gone away you know “and Gerry was only in the boy scouts and Marie Cahill is delusional and a dreamer .,Gerry McCabe was a threat to the state and Sinn Fein get their funds from Church Gate collections.Must be a lovely planet to be a non resident of .
MK76 Adams is without doubt the only living Irish statesman.Is it not fact that himself and others helped to take the gun out of the 6 counties. You obviously have a political agenda to smear the man at every opportunity but all your doing is reminding people of his statesman like activities. Look around Ireland at the moment and what do you see.Yes indeed a country rotten with corruption and cronyism, people without homes and people dieing while waiting to see hospital consultants. I voted for Labour in the last election and by god was I fooled but never again.
Okay guys. Syriza promised something similar. How did that work out?
Maybe you explain a) where they will get the ~€5bn a year (and an extra €3bn in USC they promise to abolish)…..so that’s €8bn pa…I know your sums are fantastic b) how they’ll DEMOCRATICALLY convince the current majority who don’t want a United Ireland c) how they contracted the collective amnesia that has made them forget who the IRA are, since the GFA?
Very true indeed suernova
I give up on you MK76 are you really that brainwashed by this current government or are you on their payroll? Genuine question.
Mk76 what happened in Greece was called financial terrorism.The eu shut their banks down they had no choice.What would you have done.Thats why i think we should leave the euro go back to punt thats just my opinion.
Rechew, you are exactly the sort that I am talking about. If SF could quadruple GDP in the morning, eliminate national debt, throw out water charges, cure cancer and end world hunger you would throw it back in their face just because it was SF’s idea. Luckily enough when it came to the people that brought about the peace process they showed more maturity and foresight than you. If you want to live in the past that’s your call but don’t be whining if the rest of us are moving forward and leaving you and your kind behind.
We are socialists… No gravy train here.. My arse..
Well said brian
Oh wow Bobby!! Someone call the press! Gerry negotiated the peace process all by his little old self! No Hume? No Major, Ahern? Reynolds, Paisley, Trimble???? Wow!
Good god Brian!! The extraordinary thing is you really believe the Army Council gang could actually bring us all peace and prosperity in our times! If only they were allowed to govern….sigh….
Brian, hopefully we won’t see SF promising any of those things, but I’m not sure.
Absolutely hilarious that you talk about SF role in the GFA nearly 20yrs ago and then chastise me for living in the past. You SF boys really do hypocrisy better than anyone else.
Bobby, don’t totally discount what you’re saying, but why did Syriza promise everything when then knew they could deliver nothing.
MK as usual you are selective in what you read but that doesn’t surprise me. Out of everything that I wrote you concentrate on the fact that SF were instrumental in the GFA in the past but completely ignores the part where I said “the rest of us are moving forward”. The GFA is in the past, austerity, rent increases and lack of affordable house, water charges are all in the here and now. The General Election is going to be in 2016 and some of those people voting in it will have been only born around the time of the GFA. They couldn’t give a monkeys about what happened in NI over the last 40 years, all they care about is their future which is something that FF, Lab and FG don’t seem to get.
They don’t want Enda, Michael and Joan avoiding the hard questions put to them about college fees, austerity and being able to have a place to live by selectively picking out their victim of choice and repeating it over and over again as though that will make the questions just vanish. We all learned history in school, we all know that people died on all sides, we know that. What people want to know is can they afford to go to collage, will they have a job here afterwards or will they have to emigrate. If they stay will they be able to afford a place of their own? To them the PIRA and the conflict in NI over the 40 years or so is about as relevant as the Second World war.
Most young people today think that the Army Council are the lads that keep the roads swept and the hedges tidy up in the Curragh Camp.
Good God Robert, if you actually read what wrote and maybe got someone to explain hyperbole to you then you might not seem so foolish. Oh and you might also ask them to explain the meaning of negotiate as well seeing as you clearly don’t understand that either.
did the vermin from the army council make an appearance or was it just the SF stooges?
Not a cent of public money was spent on that fate but you already knew that I am sure
That’s right Margaret but public money is paying gerry and Mary lou while they’re living it up in the usa
And they should be allowed to vote like a lot of different ex pats around the world , and you know they will never be given a vote by this government who forced many of them to emigrate because they would be certain to vote en masse against them
very well said paul mc
Great love of the concept of an Irish republic in the USA.
Sometimes I feel they take it more seriously that side of the water than we do here.
Irish Republican history is an important component of the wider global democratic republic debate upon which the American tradition is based.
Of course Tommy and everyone knows that if socialist sinn fein were a political party in america they would be loved by those rich american donors. If theres one thing that rich irish americans love.. Its socialism.
Top o the mornin to ye.
Left does not mean Socialism just as right does not mean fascism.
Karl pilkington.. You are the funniest man in the world.
the hunger strikers must be spinning in their graves. 53% child poverty in west belfast and SF charge 500 dollars for dinner. its the galway tent on steroids
ANOTHER MARXISTS LOVER, THANKS FOR ALL THOSE $ THAT WAS USED 2 KILL IRISH CATHOLICS IN THE NORTH. PS… GERRY HALES HO CHIN MINH A HERO AND HAMAS AS FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM AMERICA BUT HYPOCRISY IN ITS MILLIONS.
Dane we all know it’s you as the taxi services finish at around this hour.. I had an incline as to why you only post at this hour.. Serious egg on face for Dane, no doubt he had some serious comments to upset the shinners :D :D friends of fine Gael next year being held in McDonald’s toilet. “great atmosphere”
we all know gerry adams was in the IRA…. your point is
Wonder if there is anything that could have been served that would not have evoked a comment with sarcasm as its intent. How much do FG make on their golf dos? what do they serve? Fish and chips? What do right wingers like? Bratwurst?
Food looks great looks like a great night had by all
Looks good sf
I wonder is there a book corner
Good to see the New York tent in operation…
At least they aren’t corrupt Irish companies handing over donations in return for favours like the FF Galway tent brigade or the FG Denis O Brine love in for the last few years.
Galway tent was a lobbying tent, this is a fundraiser.
So there is no politics going on? Go away would ya.
Policy is decided at sinn fein Ard fheis one member one vote, thousands vote on their policy. I don’t see a bus load of sinn fein members there so I don’t get your point.
So no influence from anyone? No outside consultancy ir feedback? No army council input? Get real.
Sure like all parties they probably run polls and bring in experts to help build and debate the policy proposals. Rich Americans though I don’t get what you assume happens ? Sure they can insert ideas into the small number of sf members there but each member only has one vote. As I’ve said you could join today and be equal in your vote to gerry. When enda kenny invites George hook to his party events I’m sure they have a chat about newstalk or when he meets Denis they talk write downs but all we can do is speculate. Their actions will speak louder. Enda has proved to be in the pocket of both Merkel & the likes of Denis obrien. Gerry Adams has yet to prove as he’s yet to take power. All we have to go if is voting record and party policy
I am no fan of sinn fein… what so ever…but so what if they have a fundraiser I don’t get the big deal about this??
So much jealousy, it’s fantastic!
Disgruntled people sick of the parties of old that made them leave their country of birth.
I’d love to hear what policy they think will be effected from this fundraiser and how. It’s a laughable assumption
SF hypocrisy laid bare for all to see
It’s their “Galway tent”
Worthwhile night,New York,best of grub,2 hours of music and a few speeches from Gerry and Mary Lou.Even a biased journalist would have enjoyed it,certainly enjoying milking it.
Hugh is getting more out of this meal than those who attended…..sad life.
Agreed Al.
Hugh has an awful habit of reporting the facts. Never a good thing for the Shinners.
A blueshirt acknowledging that everything written by journalists and certain media are facts? That’s dangerous..
Struggling to see the word “everything” in my post Super, but sure don’t let the facts get in the way……
Although if you’re a Shinner, that’s all facts do.
When someone say “an awful habit” I tend to think it’s a regular occurrence. So you agree with almost everything he says. So yeah a person who regularly agrees with journalists is incredibly naive even for you’re standards mk
Nice climb down Super.
Stooopid facts.
‘awful habit of reporting facts’ = I agree with almost everything he says.
Almost, or everything Super?
Like I said, nice climb down.
well done to the journal for exposing shinner hypocrisy
He has gotten three articles out of this , In his first one he even used the word shinners funny how i didn’t see him write anything about the fund raiser for Fine Ghoul last year where they hoodwinked the British Ambassador into speaking ,
Not to mention the money from redacted as this post in politics.ie pointed out
Redacted can be described as a patriot. In an 18-month period between March 1995 and June 1996, O’Brien supported Irish democracy by attending 14 Fine Gael fundraising events, donating over IR£20,000 to the party which was then in government. On behalf of Esat, Telenor, the Norwegian telecommunication company, donated $50,000 to Fine Gael in 1996. The Taoiseach, John Bruton, later rejected this.
The Telenor donation happened to occur just two months after Redacted’s company, Esat, won the single largest procurement award in the history of the State. The other donations to Fine Gael happened to occur, according to the tribunal, “during the currency of the GSM competition and subsequent licensing negotiations”.
No we won’t find Hugh mentioning any of these facts
How can they afford this on the average industrial wage that they claim they receive?
Don’t think Gerry was asked to pay now.
Did you even read the article?!?!..It was $500 dollars a head paid for by benefactors of the night..Sinn Fein didn’t pay for anything
So it’s bribery?
Bribery or lobbying would imply sf policy is effected by such donations. In fact people pay money to support SF ideals and support them in their campaigns back here. Whatever your views on how parties are funded it’s hardly moriarty
So it’s ok for SF to take money from neo liberal right wing rich Americans?
Scarce…you mean rich Irish Americans.
Doesn’t matter who they are. What matters is how sf policy decided and it’s the most democratic system on the island. For 5 euro your vote on SF policy equals to that of Gerry Adams.
Doesn’t matter who they are? So that applies to FG too? Good to know.
What matters with FG lobbying from business figures in Ireland is that FG policy is manipulated to return the favour. Denis Obriens IBRC writedowns a prime example. Where do you see sf returning the favour as it were to irish Americans still wishing of a united ireland?
How many Sinn Fein members were executed for their participation in the Rising?
Surprised Gerry didn’t also have a poster of the moon landing to commemorate Sinn Fein’s involvement in that too.
@OneTrueVoice Well the pilot in the command module of Apollo 11 was called Michael Collins…That’s why Gerry didn’t let him walk on the moon. The goodamn Free Stater.
Good stuff. More funds raised to lobby for the Irish diaspora stateside. Well done to all involved!
(@thejournal: If you milked a cow as much as this non-story, you’d be done for animal cruelty)
So Connolly. It’s ok to be flown and wined and dined if you’re a SF politician? If a similar thing was done for a FG politician you’d be apoplectic with anger and indignant rage. I love your double standards. You also fail to answer directly asked simple questions.
FG wine and dine with all sorts every day of the week. Not only is it not news but people don’t really care. Already well known fg are bought and paid for.
No Scarce….it’s Ok if it’s not at the taxpayers expense….which is something FG’ers love doing, sure they even claim for the passport photos.
Like photocopying al ca?
True…that was bad alright.
Scarce / Dane – What would you serve at a YFG Annual Bash – Steak & Kidney Pie and Mushy Peas from the local Chipper in Wexford – would you raise a Fiver ?
It’s great to see how well the most popular Internationally , Political Party from Ireland, can do to Fundraise , isn’t it – The Citizens of Ireland living in USA just love SF and put their money where their mouths are – admirably too !
meanwhile children go hungry due to savage SF austerity.
My I’m sure the established parties back here are raging. SF still popular?
Theres a lot more Paul Murphy’s out there ,watch over your left shoulder guys .
Mk76,Wayne Scales,ReChew A and Powerabbey,and the buzzword in FG headquarters tonight is “guys”,guys….
Don’t you know horses.all the posters you mentioned are all the same person
Indeed I do Derek.Just letting Dane know he needs to mix it up a bit…
Did Mary Lou go business class this time?
Reg have a read of the article
Wouldn’t worry he normally just jumps in without reading the article.Gets excited.
The taxpayer didn’t foot the business class bill last time Reg….but do keep repeating the lie if it suits you to do so.
They flew economy. Glad to clear that up for you reg.
At someone else’s expense. At the expense of rich white neo liberal Americans.
the business class socialists- the hypocrisy
My goodness SF/IRA guys in Parnell Street are in full flow today in their multi-aliased accounts. Hope you guys are getting overtime tonight!
They work on a voluntary basis, for the cause!
The SF/IRA guys in Parnell Street hate Adams mote than you do.
Makes one wonder what’s your goal. I’m talking to one person here right ?
Like you Diarmuid-Tap-Pat-Dane-patjoe
Seems to me its the blue shirts out in force here on these three articles Blue Hugh has milked out of this story , you can imagine the scene as they franticly type away trying to remember who they are commenting as at the moment , funny bunch lol
If memory serves me right the FF fundraising diner some weeks back was only €80 per head or €75 each if booked for table of 10.
Sounds like a bargain. Was the food served in little brown envelopes?
Sinn féin do it in style though. Fianna Fáil scrubs.. And anyway if fianna Fáil wanted to do it they couldn’t.. Not a hope people would pay 500$ to be in the company of people that destroyed the country and a party that pretends they want a United Ireland.
I take it most of them paid the 80.
There was only one table anyway.
Just under 1,000 actually.
Still only filled one table……….just like the boom….too many houses not enough buyers.
what would bobby sands have made of all this?
Imagine what HE would have made of you a spineless moron spewing idiocy at every possible opportunity , :-)
Ah the dear old Shinners…….these Army Council boys can do no wrong in some people’s eyes…..Laundering fuel? Ah sure it’s just a bit of auld fundraising. The Northern Bank robbery? Ah sure the old army veterans needed a retirement find after ending their noble cause…well, before they just rebranded under new names like AAD. Gerry raising some shillings in Amerikay?? Well I suppose someone has to keep Mary Lou in Krispy Kremes.
Seriously journal.by allowing 3 maybe 4 posters using multi accounts this forum will die out quickly .it’s time you cleaned this house and you could start with Robert and his multi accounts
Seconds??? I doubt any of the poor guests had anything at all with that fat auld heifer stuffing her face.
Stay classy there..
How much do the other parties collect from the same way of doing stuff but theirs is more lobbying I believe?
Did Mary Lou get seconds I wonder
Is that the Army Council on the stage?
I heard they travel under the guide of being a Trad Band so as not to arouse suspicion with the US authorities. Like the Von Trapp Family Singers, escaping tyranny in their homeland by going to America,
It must be 3 articles on this non story by now?! Wtf?!
It’s fantastic that so many influential and powerful Irish Americans are fully behind Sinn Fein and the peace process.
Scandalous and shameful that Fine Gael,Labour,Fianna Fail,and the british government are not showing the same commitment.
Hugh you loser.journalist my hole.fg lapdog.slan
sinn fein socialist hypocrits and their comrade caviar..
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