‘Who is Fianna Fáil for?’

Sir, – Jack Sheehan’s suggestion of an existential crisis for Fianna Fáil seems to be centred on the difficulty in placing the party along an outdated left-right spectrum beloved by some political scientists (“Who is Fianna Fáil for? A dwindling, increasingly regionalised demographic”, Opinion & Analysis, June 17th).

The concept that an Irish centrist party with nearly 100 years of service at the heart of Irish political life may have nuance, complexity and contradiction as part of its overall contribution to the development of this new and evolving nation seems to have escaped the writer’s analysis.

That there are pragmatic policies and civic republican principles at the heart of Fianna Fail’s story in Irish politics is my genuine experience as an active member of just over 30 years.

I would also suggest that nearly all political parties in Ireland, with the possible exception of Labour, have had significantly stranger and more incoherent journeys to account for on Jack Sheehan’s therapist’s couch. – Is mise,