Sinn Féin will mount a general election-style campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in all 43 constituencies but with party leader Gerry Adams playing a much less prominent role than in previous Southern political drives.
The party yesterday launched the first phase of its campaign by producing an "alternative guide" to the Lisbon Treaty which will be distributed to half a million homes.
The Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, and Senator Pearse Doherty all attended the launch, as did Donegal councillor Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, who was yesterday named as the national campaign director.
However, Mr Adams was not present, in contrast to previous high-profile campaigns.
There have been suggestions that Mr Adams will take a back-seat role because of a perception among some commentators that his influence in last year's general election was more negative than positive, as far as Sinn Féin was concerned.
But Mr Ó Caoláin dismissed these suggestions out of hand, saying that all members of the national leadership, including Mr Adams, Bairbre de Brún and Martin McGuinness, would be involved in its anti-Lisbon Treaty campaign.
Mr Mac Lochlainn also said that Mr Adams consistently emerged as the most popular leader in opinion polls.
Outlining Sinn Féin's position on the referendum, Ms McDonald said it would be the only established party officially to call for a No vote. She said the National Forum on Europe had agreed to distribute the Sinn Féin pamphlet on the treaty after the party took issue with the forum's own guide.
