News

Singer calls for SF leadership change

CONTROVERSIAL singer Sinead O'Connor has joined the ranks of Sinn Féin - but true to form has called for the party's leadership to step down. The Dublin-born musician, who is best known for her Prince-penned hit Nothing Compares To U, announced on her blog she was joining the republican party to push for a "proper socialist Ireland".

But in an attack on the party leadership on her Facebook page, she said:

"I might not even be the kind of person they want, because I'm gonna write here that I feel the elders of Sinn Féin are going to have to make 'the supreme sacrifice' and step down shortly in the same way the last Pope did." Comparing the recent fall-out over Máiría Cahill's allegations about sex abuse cover-ups to Pope Benedict standing down amid child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, O'Connor said it was the "smart thing for him to do" because "the Church were losing bums on seats, if I may use a showbiz term".

In a statement, Sinn Féin said they were looking forward to working with O'Connor to change Ireland but defended Gerry Adams's leadership. A long-time republican supporter, O'Connor fell out with Sinn Féin's former director publicity Danny Morrison in 1999 after pulling out of a performance at the west Belfast Féile an Phobail. It was said the singer wanted to bring victims of IRA and loyalist punishment beatings on stage during her performance but that the festival organisers objected and asked Mr Morrison to write to the singer outlining their concerns. O'Connor pulled out of the planned gig and later accused republicans of trying to manipulate her.

John Manley