/”Sinn Féin’s American wing, known as Friends of Sinn Féin, transferred $51,000 (about €47,700) to the base in Belfast, new filings from the United States authorities reveal. These filings, conducted biannually with the US Department of Justice, mandate international subsidiaries of political factions to report their undertakings.
Sinn Féin is slated to run candidates in 14 out of 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland at the UK general election taking place on July 4. As per a recent spate of events and discussions held by the organization, it appears that members of the Irish diaspora across America are recognizing the viability of a unified Ireland.
“Our communications in the US are programmed to keep US parties privy to a myriad issues; plans for a united Ireland, dealing with past conflicts, and the necessity of upholding the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement” read an emailed association sent in reply to enquiries. “A similar approach is being taken with our activities on social media. American nationals are progressively understanding that the idea of unity isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s an achievable goal and, in the forthcoming months, we are set to disclose some precise strategies for providing the diaspora its deserved place in the unity discourse.”
Over a six-month period ending in April, the organisation spent or allocated $374,351, with newspaper advertising consuming nearly a third of the budget, that is $113,139. Additional costs involved an amount of $69,427 used for a fundraiser at the Hudson National Golf Club in New York. The report further elaborates on the degree of the party’s political undertakings in the US throughout the six months, categorised as briefings and discussions backing Irish unity and the Belfast Agreement.”/
Prior to the summit, a number of face-to-face encounters took place, involving individuals such as Mary Lou McDonald, the party leader, and Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty, as well as a speech made by Kathy Hochul, the Governor of New York. In a series of meetings hosted at Ireland’s permanent mission to the UN on the eve of the summit, Ms McDonald interacted with the UN representative from Palestine to engage in talks on Gaza, global geopolitical issues and UN endeavours. She also took time to interact with the staff at the Irish Arts Centre.
Bank of America officials, along with representatives from the congress, including Rashida Tlaib from Detroit, were among those Ms McDonald met. The major topics of discussion were the political progression in Ireland and the continued turmoil in Gaza. Financial records indicate that Friends of Sinn Féin managed to accumulate $55,753 during this period, including a $20,000 grant from the Knights of the Red Branch, a California-based charity, and nearly $9,000 from merchandise sales.
The balance of the funds collected comprised minor contributions that varied from $5 to donations in the thousands. The figure aligns with annual patterns, where most of Friends of Sinn Féin’s revenue is earned in the latter half of the year. Over the last five years, the group has amassed over $2 million. Mr Guilfoyle expressed immense satisfaction at the support received in terms of fundraising and the growth of a committed activist network in the US.