Pooka

Nah, I wasn't refering to your or anyone else here when I made that comment about Free Staters, I was just pointing out that it's an attitude some republicans still hold. Your more or less right in your description of the origins of the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael partys - although what with one thing and the other it has become more complex as time has gone on. For example it was a Fine Gael govt. that declared Ireland a Republic eventually. Other ironies include the fact that the initial govt. of the Free State executed more republicans during the Civil War than the British had in the preceding conflict with them and an Irish govt. introduced internment long before the UK got round to it.

As for the IRA they at present would probably say they were most influenced by the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, which formed a Provisional Govt., hence their name is the Provisional IRA. Tone and the other leaders of the '98 rising do have a role in their calendar of heroes, but I think it's one the intellectual end of the IRA and Sinn Fein would be more likely to appreciate. As to Sinn Fein sitting in coalition with any party in the south, I have a feeling that the politicians would prefer another round of voting than to enter into such a partnership at this time. That old phrase about when supping with the Devil and so forth.