Doyle quits Sinn Féin to avoid ‘censure’

February 1984

The hard-line attitude being adopted nationally by Sinn Féin and portrayed so vividly by its leader, Gerry Adams, was reflected locally last week with the attempted censure of Cllr. Sean Doyle for remarks he made condemning the recent Don Tidey kidnapping and the bombing of Harrod’s department store in London.

Mr Doyle, who is a member of Enniscorthy Urban Council and one of only two Provisional Sinn Féin public representatives in the county, anticipated a motion at last Thursday night’s meeting of the Sinn Féin Comhairle Ceanntair (Co. Committee), that called for his resignation.

It is understood that he did not give a reason for tendering his resignation, though he is privately said to be very concerned and unhappy about the direction the party is taking and about certain individuals who are aspiring to the leadership of the party in Co. Wexford.

Sean Doyle has for the past 27 years been a member and officer of Sinn Féin and he has defended their actions and preached their ideas at each and every opportunity. It is clear, however, that he has become more and more disenchanted with the party in recent years, believing that they had deviated from the principles and ideals that initially attracted him to the Republican cause, and has been an opponent of certain methods used to advance their ideals.

He has always been against kidnapping as a political strategy, believing it would achieve very little. Nor has he favoured the indiscriminate bombing and maiming of innocent people. His attacks have always been directed against the British Army’s occupation of Northern Ireland and the intransigence of the British Government.

It was his actions in publicly condemning the Don Tidey kidnapping and the bombing of Harrod’s store in London that prompted the Notice of Motion to the Comhairle Ceanntair to eject him.

Sean Doyle’s only comment on the whole matter was that he may make a statement of clarification in the coming weeks.