UCD McDonagh/Farrelly Welcome Mary Lou McDonald MEP

This Monday the 14th of April, Mary Lou McDonald MEP visited UCD to give a talk on the Lisbon Treaty. The event was organised by Ógra Shinn Féin UCD and all interested students where invited to come along.

Activists set up a stand early on Monday morning in the Arts Block of the college which got a great response from interested students and staff. Leaflets were distributed publicising the event and information on the Lisbon Treaty was also distributed to the student population.

At the event itself, Mary Lou was welcomed by an audience of about 25 made up of members of various other political societies and a large proportion of non aligned students. Mary Lou spoke about the treaty, it's ramifications for Ireland if passed the issues of neutrality, democracy, and economy freedom, and why a No vote would be better for Ireland. The floor was then opened up to questions on subjects such as qualified majority voting, the affect the treaty on climate change, Sinn Fein’s stance on European integration, threatened neutrality, and the scaremongering with regard to China, which she responded to in a clear and coherent manner.

Mary Lou criticized other Irish MEP's, inparticular Prionsias De Rossa, for not standing up for Irish rights in Europe and the lack of coherent explanation which the government was giving on the Lisbon Treaty. She assured the cumann that though it would be tough, it is entirely possible to defeat the treaty.

Mary Lou was given a rousing applause as the meeting ended, and she stayed to talk to interested members of the audience and activists from the UCD Cumann. Everyone agreed.

Cathaoirleach Cumann Mc Donagh/Farrelly Sinead Ní Chaoláin had this to say:

"This event was a great success. Mary Lou's visit not only gave Ógra activists a boost in the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty, but also showed the students of UCD that the argument to vote No was the right one for Ireland and Europe.”