Amazon.com description: Product Description: From 1926 onward, Sinn Féin, which had been instrumental in the revolutionary period of 1919-23, faded into oblivion as a result of its intransigent and doctrinaire stance. This book unravels a chapter of history that has not been dealt with in detail until now, although the operation of the party raises fundamental questions on issues such as democracy and the role of history in the construction of a national narrative. Through a close analysis of newspaper reports of the fortnightly Standing committee minutes and through the study of interviews carried out by the author, it looks at the manner in which Sinn Féin operated and put itself forward as the guardian of republicanism in Ireland. Its constant preoccupation with destroying the institutions sheds light on the value that was put on political and democratic representation, a criticism that is still levied to this day against Sinn Féin. In this specific regard, the party was seen as being, if not revolutionary, at least subversive and was dealt with as such by successive governments; the rapprochement with the IRA in the late 1940s compounding this process. Sinn Féin's strategic journey and the type of political nationalism that it advocated offer a valuable insight into the meaning of Republicanism. Its narrative represents an integral part of the political and social fabric of contemporary Irish society which will be of relevance not only to academics and scholars but to all readers with an interest in Irish republicanism.