Tag Archives: Gerry Adams

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41 years ago this week, a Provisional IRA delegation consisting of a 23 year old Gerard Adams met representatives of the British Secretary of State on the outskirts of Derry city. Notes from the meeting detail Adams’ respectful approach to the British addressing them as “Sir”.

Their behaviour and attitude appeared to bear no relation to the indiscriminate campaigns of bombing and shooting in which they have been prominent leaders.

 

British propaganda or was Gerry just there to make the tay?

YOU decide.

Via ConflictNI

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Richard O’Rawe, was IRA public relations officer in the H Block during the Hunger strike.

Writing on Ed Moloney’s blog ‘The Broken Elbow’, O’Rawe this week says he believes Gerry Adams not Margaret Thatcher must carry blame for most of the deaths during the hunger strike.

According to O’Rawe:

An offer was made to a committee headed up by Gerry Adams which would have gone some way to meet the prisoners’ demands i.e., prisoners could wear their own clothes, prison work would be “educationally based” and [they] would be segregated from loyalist prisoners in Long Kesh.

Danny Morrison delivered the British offer to the prisoners’ O/C (Officer Commanding) Bik McFarlane on July 6, 1981.

McFarlane, in turn notified O’Rawe, who said there was enough in the offer to end the hunger strike.

Within 24 hours, a ‘comm’ was received from Gerry Adams saying the offer was not acceptable and did not validate the deaths of the four hunger strikers.

A further six men died before the strike ended on October 3.

O’Rawe asserts that Adams and his committee should accept culpability in the deaths of those men and should be honest in their account of the strike.

Meanwhile, Gerry Adams in today’s Impartial Reporter says he was “very philosophical” about Mrs Thatcher’s death and could “forgive” her.

“It isn’t up to me to forgive her for what she did to the prisoners; that’s up to them and their families. I can forgive her, because I think we have to be about forgiveness. I can forgive her for anything that was done to me under her rule and I don’t have any problem with that – I actually believe in forgiveness. I just know as an individual; hatred or failure to forgive is most corrosive to the person involved as opposed to the perpetrator who mightn’t even be conscious of what you are thinking about him or her.”

 

‘Adams, Not Thatcher, Culpable For Last Six Hunger Strike Deaths’, Says Former IRA Prison Leader (The Broken Elbow)

Gerry Adams: I can forgive Thatcher (The Impartial Reporter)

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Margaret Thatcher did great hurt to the Irish and British people during her time as British Prime Minister.

Working class communities were devastated in Britain because of her policies.

Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge.

Here in Ireland her espousal of old draconian militaristic policies prolonged the war and caused great suffering. She embraced censorship, collusion and the killing of citizens by covert operations, including the targeting of solicitors like Pat Finucane, alongside more open military operations and refused to recognise the rights of citizens to vote for parties of their choice.

Her failed efforts to criminalise the republican struggle and the political prisoners is part of her legacy.

It should be noted that in complete contradiction of her public posturing, she authorised a back channel of communications with the Sinn Féin leadership but failed to act on the logic of this.

Unfortunately she was faced with weak Irish governments who failed to oppose her securocrat agenda or to enlist international support in defence of citizens in the north.

Margaret Thatcher will be especially remembered for her shameful role during the epic hunger strikes of 1980 and ’81.

Her Irish policy failed miserably.

Gerry Adams, today.

Pic Saoirse32

Meanwhile…

Screen Shot 2013-04-08 at 17.02.39Via Aidan Allen

Gerry Adams on the fiscal treaty during his address to the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Killarney this evening.

When considering what way to vote people need to ask themselves if the austerity of recent budgets led to jobs and growth? The answer is obvious. The answer is no.
If you accept that, you should vote No.
Austerity isn’t working now and won’t start working on 1st June.
Neither will it bring stability or certainty.
Austerity means more cuts.And increased charges.
Right now if you do not like the policies of the government you can sack them or re-elect them.You won’t be able to do that with unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats in Frankfurt and Brussels.
That is undemocratic.
Don’t give up your power.
Don’t give your democratic rights away.
And don’t write austerity into the constitution.
Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil have not offered any positive arguments in favour of this Treaty.
The Taoiseach won’t even debate the issue!
That’s not leadership!
That’s not showing citizens the respect they deserve!
Instead Mr. Kenny, Mr. Gilmore and Mr. Martin are trying to scare people into voting Yes.
Whether it was British rule or a domineering church hierarchy, Irish citizens have had enough of being ruled by fear.
We are done with that.
The Irish government is also out of step with the rest of Europe.
Other EU states are delaying ratification because they know the mood in Europe is changing.
But not our government.
They settled for much less than anyone else, despite Sinn Féin’s clear warning about the foolishness of accepting this bad Treaty.
When the Taoiseach endorsed it in the Dáil he never mentioned growth or jobs.
Not once!
Or a write down of Bank debt.
The truth is Mr. Kenny and Mr. Gilmore are out of their depth.
This Government simply cannot be trusted on this Treaty.
It claims we will be locked out of funds if citizens vote NO.
That’s not true!The legal mandate of the ESM is very clear.
Funding will be provided, and I quote, where it is ‘indispensable to safeguard the financial stability of the euro area as a whole and of its Member States.”
So don’t be fooled.
Remember what Fine Gael and Labour said during the election.
Remember all Fianna Fáil’s promises.
Don’t be fooled. Be wise.
Join with the millions across Europe who are demanding an end to austerity.
It is a good and patriotic and positive action to say NO to a Treaty that is bad for you, bad for your family and community, bad for society and entirely without any social or economic merit.
Next Thursday. Vote No..

Adams: Don’t be fooled by treaty Yes side (Irish Examiner)

With Senator Kathryn Reilly following the address. She does enjoy being picked up.

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

Thanks James Jones