Patrick Smith (politician) career, Smith being said to have shouted across the floor at Dáil Éireann, "They gave us stepping-stones, but they [state forces in 1922] would not walk on them." A play on the same quote by Irish revolutionary, Michael Collins. He entered the Dáil in September 1923, as a Republican candidate. In 1926, Éamon de Valera, the Leader of Anti-Treaty Sinn Fein, approached Smith and persuaded him to join his newly founded political party, Fianna Fáil. Fianna Fail abandoned the abstentionist policy of Anti Treaty Sinn Fein and its elected members took their seats in Dáil Éireann. De Valera and Smith
Left-wing nationalism Green Party Irish nationalism has been left wing nationalism since its mainstream inception. Parties such as Sinn Féin and the SDLP are left-wing nationalist parties, but there is a strand of nationalism in Ireland that is towards the centre-right, for example Fianna Fáil are a centre-right republican party, but has only ever contested elections in the Republic of Ireland. Right wing nationalist outlooks, and far right political parties in general, were few and far between in Ireland until relatively recently, with the foundation of the unregistered National Party (Ireland, 2016) and other less relevant groups and parties. In Europe, a