Israel's prosecution of its war on Hamas in Gaza was the topic which, more than any other, dominated the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis.
The tone was set early on when Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill told delegates, to thundering applause, that her party stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
There was a rapturous reception for the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid when she addressed the Ard Fheis over lunch.
The ambassador said the situation in Gaza was a "living hell", adding that 11,500 people, including members of her own family, have been killed in the Israeli bombardment over the past five weeks.
The Sinn Féin position had been outlined earlier by the leader Mary Lou McDonald.
She told journalists in Athlone that the Government needed to support her party's Dáil motion, to be tabled next week, which calls on Ireland to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court.
The coalition has yet to decide its position on the matter, but the ICC prosecutor has already said that it has jurisdiction over what's taking place in Gaza.
Ms McDonald also clarified that Sinn Féin will support a Social Democrats motion that calls for the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland to be sent home, a strategy the Government opposes.
In her keynote speech, Ms McDonald used very pointed language.
To ovations from delegates, she declared: "Israel claims to act in self-defence. Carpet bombing civilians, Collective punishment, massacring children in their thousands is not defence."
The Sinn Féin leader added: "These are not justifiable responses to the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th. The world sees Israeli actions for what they are, barbaric, hateful, cowardly, war crimes."
Ms McDonald's address did also contain some domestic big ticket items.
Read more: Ireland should refer Israel to International Criminal Court - McDonald
She said that Sinn Féin in Government would "roll up its sleeves" and deliver the biggest housing programme in the history of the State.
With housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin applauding, Ms McDonald put the boot into the Coalition.
She said: "The stark choice at the next election is between a worsening housing crisis under this government or a new Government, led by Sinn Féin, that will fix housing, once and for all."
Indeed, Sinn Fein was very keen to present itself as a Government in waiting.
Health spokesperson David Cullinane was outlining during the morning session what his party’s priorities would be, if in office.
His party leader was doing the same thing in her speech that night, saying: "We have a plan to deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time.To cut the cost of healthcare."
And that was the crux of it, Sinn Fein is ready to lead but needs to electorate to back them.
Ms McDonald encouraged voters to make history, voting in a Government which, for the first time in a hundred years, didn’t contain either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.
She said: "The longer they remain in power the worse things get. I’m asking you to back Sinn Féin. To back change and the future that you and your family deserve."
That pitch will be made again and again as the elections roll-up: local elections, European Parliament elections and ultimately the General Election.
