Des Dalton is an Irish political activist. He was the president of Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) from 2009 until 2018.Connla Young
Former president of Republican Sinn Féin Des Dalton has resigned from the party
, ''The Irish News'' (11 March 2021). Previously a member of Ógra Fianna Fáil, Dalton later joined RSF and was a candidate for

Athy Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 11,035 (as of the 2022 census) made it the sixth largest town in Kil ...

Town Council in 2004. Dalton became president of RSF in 2009, succeeding his close friend Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. Dalton is a leading

dissident republican Dissident republicans () are Irish republicans who do not support the Northern Ireland peace process. The peace agreements followed a 30-year conflict known as the Troubles, in which over 3,500 people were killed and 47,500 injured, and in whi ...

, rejecting the

Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...

Henry McDonald
Irish republican says violence is counter-productive
, ''The Guardian'' (March 7, 2021). and opposing the Irish peace process.Henry McDonald
Catholics who join devolved PSNI 'in line of fire' says Republican Sinn Fein
, ''The Guardian'' (February 7, 2010). In 2010, Dalton said that the devolution of powers over the

Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...

(PSNI) made no difference to dissident republicans; contended that the PSNI's function was "to uphold British rule"; and warned that Catholics and republicans who joined the PSNI were "putting themselves in the line of fire." In July 2011, Dalton spoke at a demonstration in

Lurgan Lurgan () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and roughly southwest of Belfast. The town is linked to Belfast by both the M1 motorway (Northern Ireland), M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin rail ...

County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...

(attended by about 200 people) protesting the imprisonment of Martin Corey. The demonstration was peaceful, but illegal because it had not been approved by the Parades Commission. Dalton was subsequently arrested and charged. As president of the

Continuity IRA The Continuity Irish Republican Army (Continuity IRA or CIRA), styling itself as the Irish Republican Army (), is an Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It claims to be a direct continuation of the or ...

-aligned RSF, Dalton rejected an overtures from the mainstream

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

for peace talks and Irish republican unity, saying, "Our position is that they are now an integral part of the machinery of British rule in Ireland and that consequently as Irish republicans we have nothing to say to them.Henry McDonald
Sinn Féin offer of peace talks spurned by republican dissidents
, ''The Guardian'' (1 April 2013). Dalton stepped down as RSF's president in 2018, but remained a member of the party's national executive. In March 2021, Dalton denounced violence as counterproductive, saying that violent acts (such as the 2019 killing of journalist Lyra McKee) turned the people against the cause of

Irish republicanism Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish Republic, Irish republic, void of any British rule in Ireland, British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously ...

. Dalton defended the legitimacy of " armed struggle" in principle, but expressed a personal view that a suspension of violence by the Continuity IRA,

New IRA New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, and other factions would best promote dialogue toward

Irish reunification United Ireland (), also referred to as Irish reunification or a ''New Ireland'', is the proposition that all of Ireland should be a single sovereign state. At present, the island is divided politically: the sovereign state of Ireland (legally ...

and take advantage of "major opportunities opening up" in the wake of Brexit.Des Dalton resigns from Republican Sinn Féin following his calls for dissident republican ceasefire
, ''The Irish News'' (10 March 2021). Dalton pointed to previous IRA ceasefires in 1923 and 1962 as precedent for his stance. Dalton criticized the

dissident Irish republican campaign The dissident Irish republican campaign began at the end of the Troubles, a 30-year political conflict in Northern Ireland. Since the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA or PIRA) called a ceasefire and ended Provisional Irish Republican Arm ...

as a series of "sporadic actions" rather than a true armed campaign, saying that it was morally unjustifiable and unhelpful politically. After expressing support for a ceasefire, Dalton was suspended from RSF; Dalton refused to accept the suspension, and instead resigned from RSF. Dalton lives in

County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalton, Des Irish republicans Living people Republican Sinn Féin members Year of birth missing (living people)