Bomb blasts in Dublin as I.R.A. leaders meet

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33060, 30 October 1972, Page 15

Bomb blasts in Dublin as I.R.A. leaders meet

(N.Z P.A.-Keuter—Copyright* DUBLIN. October 29. Hundreds of militant Irish republicans met in Dublin yesterday to map out future tactics in their struggle to break Northern Ireland away from British rule and unite the country.

Two Dublin hotels were damaged by incendiary bombs late last night and a gelignite bomb was found in the city’s main railway station. The police are searching for six men with Ulster accents.

In Belfast, a spokesman for the militant Protestant Ulster Defence Association has denied responsibility’ for the bomb attacks. LEGAL IN SOUTH More than 800 delegates from all over Ireland are attending the conference of the Provisional Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army, in Dublin. The conference can take place in the Republic because the Sinn Fein—Gaelic for “Ourselves Alone”—is legal, while the 1.R.A., its military offshoot, is banned. Sean Macstiofian, national leader of the Provisional, was expected to appear at the convention’s open session today. STUDENTS PROTEST During today’s closed-door meeting scuffles broke out between Sinn Fein stewards and students from Queen’s University, Belfast. The students surrounded the conference building and carried placards “Wise-up Provos,” “619 Dead—Why?”, and “Would you like it if your city was blown up?” The students distributed a statement saying: “We condemn the tactics of the Provisional LR.A. as not only immoral but stupid. The only kind of unity they will

achieve is the unity of death.” ELECTION “ORDERS"

The delegates will discuss recent official moves to curtail both Sinn Fein and I.R.A. activities in the Republic.

This week the Sinn Fein publicity chief (Mr Sean O’Brady, a Dublin schoolmaster) issued a summons in the High Court seeking the quashing of a police order closing the movement’s headquarters in the Republic. Among other resolutions for discussion are many expressing confidence in the leadership of both wings of the movement. There have been persistent rumours of disagreements between I.R.A. leaders. One resolution calls on the movement to contest all future elections, both North and South, by ordering its supporters to abstain. Another resolution calls for talks between the Sinn Fein and members of Protes-

tant organisations in the North, to discuss how both “can best serve Ireland and the Irish people.” REFERENDUM TALK Meanwhile, political sources in Dublin say that the Irish Cabinet is expected to decide next week to hold a referendum in the Republic lon the future of the border i between North and South, to coincide with a similar poll scheduled in Northern Ireland—Protestants outnumber Catholics in Ulster by two to one. The Irish Prime Minister (Mr Lynch) has urged Britain not to hold such a referendum, but now that it has been decided to go ahead, he is understood to be keen to hold one in the South, to show that most of the Irish —the Republic has two million and a half people—want unity. The British Government has ordered a six-month postponement of Northern Ireland’s first local elections in five years so that the referendum on union with the

• Irish Republic can be held ■first. The elections had been [fixed for December 6. A new date has not been announced ; but it may be in about six i months. ONE MAN—ONE VOTE Polling will be on the oneman. one-vote principle, the I demand of the minority ■Roman Catholics, who opj posed the old voting system I based on property rights. I Political groups had opI posed the December 6 polling date, urging that a referendum on Irish unity should be held first. The date for the referendum vote is also still to be fixed. New’ Zealand Press Associ-ation-Reuter reported that the postponement came as no surprise in Belfast, where militant Protestants have said the elections would not 'be allowed to take place. “FOREGONE RESULTS” I The result of the referen- ! dum is considered a foregone conclusion against unity. Another of the demands by militant Protestants was that elections should not be held under the proportional representation svstem, which gives minority parties more chance of gaining seats.

But a Government spokesman said this system would be used.