22/05/2026
𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐑𝐈𝐏 🙏
It is with great sadness that we learned in recent days of the passing of our friend and comrade, Francie Braniff
Before we could even dream of having MPs or MLAs in South Down, it was stalwarts like Francie who smashed through the ceiling for the next generation of republicans coming through
Indeed, on a personal note, Francie was the man who welcomed me into the party 25 years ago in the summer of 2001 in Ballynahinch
As a local Sinn Féin representative in the 1990s & 2000s, Francie was a hard-working, on-the-ground presence. He was humble and modest, but a real grafter who simply never stopped working
From potholes to housing, disability payments to play parks, Francie was a trojan worker for his local community
Alongside that everyday graft, during some of the most challenging times, he was a fearless champion for nationalists in the Ballynahinch area, and he never hesitated to speak out against sectarian attacks on local families or to publicly challenge injustice, RUC brutality, and human rights abuses
His courage, resilience, and unwavering solidarity helped build and shape our party locally. The strong community representation we have today stands directly on the shoulders of dedicated activists like Francie
His loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege to campaign, work, and stand alongside him over the years
On behalf of Sinn Féin, and the wider republican family in South Down we extend our most heartfelt condolences to his children Francis, Paul, Kevin, Anthony, Colleen, Jarlath, Conor, and Grace, his sister Mary, and the entire family circle, as he goes on to be reunited with his dearly beloved wife, Rose
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis 🇮🇪
𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝘾𝙡𝙡𝙧 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚, 𝘾𝙡𝙡𝙧 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙈𝙘𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 (𝙍𝙄𝙋), 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙡𝙧 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛 (𝙍𝙄𝙋)
