A concept within Irish Republicanism, Irish republican legitimatism denies the legitimacy of the political entities of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and posits that the pre-partition Irish Republic continues to exist. The concept informs aspects of, but is not synonymous with, abstentionism.
The only political party to subscribe to this principle is Republican Sinn Féin which, running on an abstentionist platform, received 2,522 first preference votes, or 0.38 per cent of the valid poll in the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly elections and 2,403 first preference votes, 0.13 per cent of the valid poll, in the 2004 Republic of Ireland local elections. The Continuity Irish Republican Army, Cumann na mBan and Fianna Éireann also subscribe to republican legitimatism.
Read more about Irish Republican Legitimatism: Historical Development, 1938 – Second Dáil To Army Council, 1969 – Official/Provisional Split, 1986 – Provisional/Continuity Split
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