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Ourselves Alone by Siobhán Fenton a former adviser''s candid, insider account of Sinn Féin behind closed doors. Order your copy now at Chapters Bookstore.
"What actually goes on inside one of Ireland''s most guarded political parties? In Ourselves Alone, Siobhán Fenton takes readers somewhere few outsiders ever reach: behind the closed doors of Sinn Féin.
Fenton came to the job an outsider herself a Belfast journalist with no republican background, brought in from 2020 as a press adviser and spokesperson just as the party set its sights on government and Mary Lou McDonald looked set to become Ireland''s first female Taoiseach. What she found, by her account, wasn''t the flawless political machine many imagined, but an organisation wrestling with the same misjudgements, pressures and human failings as any other strains that would ultimately cost it its moment.
Part memoir, part insider history, the book moves through the years when Sinn Féin seemed on the cusp of power, and Fenton is unsparing about where it went wrong including a striking account of the party''s fumbled response to the Dublin riots. Candid, sharply observed and genuinely revealing, it''s a book for anyone trying to make sense of modern Irish politics and the story Sinn Féin tells about itself.
Mary Lou McDonald: A Republican Riddle - https://chaptersbookstore.com/products/mary-lou-mcdonald-biography
Irish politics & current affairs - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/politics
"
''I don''t actually need to read the tell-all account of Sinn Fein. I lead Sinn Fein. I''m very much on the inside and I know what we''re at'' Mary Lou McDonaldWhat really goes on behind closed doors in Ireland’s most secretive political party?Long defined by message control and secrecy, Sinn Féin has rarely allowed outsiders a glimpse behind the curtain.
Ourselves Alone, by former communications adviser and party spokesperson, Siobhán Fenton, is therefore a unique insight into its inner workings. Fenton’s recruitment in 2020 reflected Sinn Féin’s ambition to broaden its appeal as it pushed toward government in the Republic. A Belfast native with a career in Northern Irish and British media, and no republican pedigree, Fenton was an unlikely insider.
What she found – watching the leadership shape policy and strategy, dealing with the fall-out when these unravelled – was not the slick political machine many assumed, but an organisation grappling with the same pressures, misjudgements, and human frailties as any other, stresses that would eventually prove ruinous for its hopes. Charting the years when Sinn Féin seemed poised for power, with Mary Lou McDonald set to become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach, Fenton traces how its momentum faltered. Particularly revealing is her account of the party’s ham-fisted response to the Dublin riots, a critical turning point.
With nuance and candour, she recounts strategic missteps, the strains on its leadership, and her own role in a project that lost its way. Part political memoir, part insider history, Ourselves Alone is an illuminating portrait of a pivotal moment in modern Irish politics—and of a party confronting the limits of its own myth-making.
FAQs
"What is Ourselves Alone about?
Ourselves Alone is Siobhán Fenton''s insider account of Sinn Féin, drawn from her years as a press adviser and spokesperson for the party. It charts the period when Sinn Féin looked poised to enter government in the Republic, and examines how that momentum stalled."
"Who is Siobhán Fenton?
Siobhán Fenton is a Belfast-born journalist who worked as a press adviser to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and later as the party''s Deputy Head of Press in Leinster House. Ourselves Alone draws directly on that firsthand experience."
"Is Ourselves Alone critical of Sinn Féin?
Yes, Fenton writes candidly about the party''s strategic missteps and internal strains, including its handling of the Dublin riots. She frames it as a nuanced insider reckoning rather than a simple attack."
"Where can I buy Ourselves Alone in Ireland?
You can order Ourselves Alone from Chapters Bookstore, Ireland''s largest independent bookshop, with nationwide delivery and click & collect available at our Dublin store on Parnell Street."
"What has the reaction to Ourselves Alone been?
Ourselves Alone has drawn significant attention as a rare insider account of Sinn Féin, with coverage in outlets like The Irish Times highlighting the candour of Fenton''s portrait of the party."
"What actually goes on inside one of Ireland''s most guarded political parties? In Ourselves Alone, Siobhán Fenton takes readers somewhere few outsiders ever reach: behind the closed doors of Sinn Féin.
Fenton came to the job an outsider herself a Belfast journalist with no republican background, brought in from 2020 as a press adviser and spokesperson just as the party set its sights on government and Mary Lou McDonald looked set to become Ireland''s first female Taoiseach. What she found, by her account, wasn''t the flawless political machine many imagined, but an organisation wrestling with the same misjudgements, pressures and human failings as any other strains that would ultimately cost it its moment.
Part memoir, part insider history, the book moves through the years when Sinn Féin seemed on the cusp of power, and Fenton is unsparing about where it went wrong including a striking account of the party''s fumbled response to the Dublin riots. Candid, sharply observed and genuinely revealing, it''s a book for anyone trying to make sense of modern Irish politics and the story Sinn Féin tells about itself.
Mary Lou McDonald: A Republican Riddle - https://chaptersbookstore.com/products/mary-lou-mcdonald-biography
Irish politics & current affairs - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/politics
"
''I don''t actually need to read the tell-all account of Sinn Fein. I lead Sinn Fein. I''m very much on the inside and I know what we''re at'' Mary Lou McDonaldWhat really goes on behind closed doors in Ireland’s most secretive political party?Long defined by message control and secrecy, Sinn Féin has rarely allowed outsiders a glimpse behind the curtain.
Ourselves Alone, by former communications adviser and party spokesperson, Siobhán Fenton, is therefore a unique insight into its inner workings. Fenton’s recruitment in 2020 reflected Sinn Féin’s ambition to broaden its appeal as it pushed toward government in the Republic. A Belfast native with a career in Northern Irish and British media, and no republican pedigree, Fenton was an unlikely insider.
What she found – watching the leadership shape policy and strategy, dealing with the fall-out when these unravelled – was not the slick political machine many assumed, but an organisation grappling with the same pressures, misjudgements, and human frailties as any other, stresses that would eventually prove ruinous for its hopes. Charting the years when Sinn Féin seemed poised for power, with Mary Lou McDonald set to become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach, Fenton traces how its momentum faltered. Particularly revealing is her account of the party’s ham-fisted response to the Dublin riots, a critical turning point.
With nuance and candour, she recounts strategic missteps, the strains on its leadership, and her own role in a project that lost its way. Part political memoir, part insider history, Ourselves Alone is an illuminating portrait of a pivotal moment in modern Irish politics—and of a party confronting the limits of its own myth-making.
FAQs
"What is Ourselves Alone about?
Ourselves Alone is Siobhán Fenton''s insider account of Sinn Féin, drawn from her years as a press adviser and spokesperson for the party. It charts the period when Sinn Féin looked poised to enter government in the Republic, and examines how that momentum stalled."
"Who is Siobhán Fenton?
Siobhán Fenton is a Belfast-born journalist who worked as a press adviser to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and later as the party''s Deputy Head of Press in Leinster House. Ourselves Alone draws directly on that firsthand experience."
"Is Ourselves Alone critical of Sinn Féin?
Yes, Fenton writes candidly about the party''s strategic missteps and internal strains, including its handling of the Dublin riots. She frames it as a nuanced insider reckoning rather than a simple attack."
"Where can I buy Ourselves Alone in Ireland?
You can order Ourselves Alone from Chapters Bookstore, Ireland''s largest independent bookshop, with nationwide delivery and click & collect available at our Dublin store on Parnell Street."
"What has the reaction to Ourselves Alone been?
Ourselves Alone has drawn significant attention as a rare insider account of Sinn Féin, with coverage in outlets like The Irish Times highlighting the candour of Fenton''s portrait of the party."
- Publisher Name:PENGUIN IRELAND
- Product Format:Trade paperback
- ISBN: 9781844887095
- Author:Fenton, Siobhán
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