Michelle O'Neill's address to 2026 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis

Michelle O'Neill: God bless ye. I think Michelle O'Neill is a wonderful person with a magnificent vision for Ireland. She is a great speaker who talks about equality and inclusion. I admire that. Yet I do have some thoughts and concern on the subject that I will share with you now. 

I am Canadian. I know nobody cares, but I do. I have Irish heritage, Scottish heritage and British heritage. My Scottish heritage actually came to Scotland from Ireland like James Connolly's family did. The name Watson descends from the OCahans of Derry. My father's mother father came from the Browns of Monaghan county. I know no one in Ireland cares about my Irish heritage but I do. 

On my mother's side I have British heritage. Mills and Smith from Yorkshire. When the movie Braveheart came out my daughter struggled with her British heritage and started saying she was Romanian. She had a hoody with the word Româncă on it because the Aunt that raised my mother was from Romania. My son's learning Irish.

I have coworkers from Belfast. Three different families who are related and all came here for the same reason. Each of the parents were mixed marriages. One was Protestant the other was Catholic. Here in Vancouver no one cares what religion you are. My father used to love the Irish Rovers. He loved the song me father was orange and me mother was green. 

Canada isn't know for its Irish roots as much as America is but there are some. The Guinness family have property in West Vancouver and built the Lions Gate bridge. The Irish Rover owner a pub called the Unicorn in Vancouver during Expo. 

I've lived in West Belfast, Lisborn and Antrim. I've been to Derry Bog side and Coleraine. I've also visited Corrymeela in Ballycastle. I do support peace, respect, equality and tolerance. 

I've seen generations of hate in the North and in Israel. You kill one of ours, we kill one of yours. As Martin Luther King said the old law of an eye for a eye leaves everyone blind.

I lived in Ireland a long time ago. I'm told it has completely changed in more ways than one. I see a resurgence in the United Ireland movement which I support but I do have some concerns which I will share with you now. 

I saw the generations of hate from Ian Paisley Sr. Using the Red hand of Ulster as a Ulster says no to a United Ireland slogan. I've seen the Orange parades on the 12th flaming, provoking and bullying the Catholics. That is ungodly. It is a bad tradition. 

Yet 51% of the north want to remain tied to England. 49% don't. If you want to include them and respect them you have to recognize that. Sinn Fein has finally achieved a slight majority in Northern Ireland not because there has been a mayor change in the 51%. Sinn Fein gained the balance of power because other parties set aside the untied Ireland quest and made other issues their platform. That split the vote and weakened the DUP. 

I'm not saying the DUP under Ian Paisley Jr and Sr was good because it wasn't. I am saying that Emma Little-Pengelly is a good person. She has a voice and an opinion that matters. 

Although I love the song A Nation Once Again and the song Erin go bragh, Tiocfaidh ár lá and I passionately support a United Ireland, I do have a concern that many may be missing a dark agenda trying to hijack that heartfelt vision. 

In the South, they no longer use the Punt they use the EU. Waterford Crystal is no longer made in Waterford. I have serious concerns with the EU leadership. Why would Ieland fight so hard for it;s independence from Britain only to bow down and surrender it to the EU. I think Ireland would be better without the EU. That's probably not going to happen.

So now your Protestant neighbours who would prefer to remain tied to England are going to become slaves to the EU as are you. This concerns me in the same way the UN's New World Order concerns me. The UN has a dark agenda. So does the EU. The talk about a United Ireland by 2030 is magnificent but that date sounds an alarm. The UN's Agenda 2030 is not a good thing. As I've said, it's like Stalin liberating Poland from Hitler. 

So wait 'till I tell ye. I've also lived in Cork, Tallaght, Dún Laoghaire as well as Ennis County Clare. I used to job on the beach at sunrise in Bray. I would love to go sailing in Galway on the restored sailing ships in the land of claddagh. 

I modified the claddagh symbol for the crest on my coat of arms. The crown represents loyalty, the hand represent friendship and the heart represents love. With these hands I give you my heart and crown it with love. Now our sacrifice is a broken heart and a contrite spirit, so it is.