“Ye can have Boland, but ye can’t have Fianna Fáil.”

1971 Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis

A crisis for the state and within Fianna Fáil over a secret plot to import arms to Northern Ireland deeply divided the party. It dominated the 1971 Ard Fheis, with heated and sometimes physical arguments breaking out between supporters of leader Jack Lynch and supporters of Niall Blaney and Kevin Boland. As the future president Dr Patrick Hillery started to speak, Boland appeared on the podium's edge, and sections of the crowd began chanting "We Want Boland".

Surrounded by Jack Lynch and Gerry Collins, Hillery erupted in a fiery whirlwind of words, defending the leadership with all the fervour of a cornered lion. The air was electric, as he stared down the restless rebels championing Boland. His words cracked like thunder in the air, echoing through the annals of Irish political lore: “Ye can have Boland, but ye can’t have Fianna Fáil.”