It’s remarkable how commentators, solicitous for the electoral health of Sinn Fein, have advocating its throwing Gerry Adams overboard weighted with cement high-boots.
He not only was re-elected in Louth, but his running mate was elected there also, the first woman TD ever in that constituency. In 1910 John Redmond’s candidate had his election declared void there because of malpractice. No Sinn Fein TD has ever been accused, much less found guilty of such malpractice.
In winning and holding West Belfast in repeated elections Adams had achieved what even De Valera never did. In 1917 De Valera took the East Clare seat made vacant when the popular Major Willie Redmond was killed in the Great War, and held the seat for the next 40 years. In addition, in 1918 De Valera defeated Irish Party Leader John Dillon in Roscommon, and challenged Joe Devlin in West Belfast. But “Wee Joe” beat off the challenge and it was another 65 years before Sinn Fein won that seat, with Adams as their candidate.
Adams is a formidable politician, as impressive as any in these islands today. Sinn Fein would be well advised not to jettison him quite yet.
Surely, Donal, you’re not suggesting that all these erudite newspapers, local and foreign, might be mistaken in their carefully worked out judgment that Gerry Adams is hampering the political progress of Sinn Fein in Ireland.
After all, they are backed up by the paragons of impartiality in RTE, BBC and other satellite media who, as you well know, have the best interests of Sinn Fein and the Irish people at heart.
But then, on the other hand, they might be a shower of lying b’stards!
“But “Wee Joe” beat off the challenge and it was another 65 years before Sinn Fein won that seat, with Adams as their candidate.”
The SF that won the seat in 1983 didn’t exist when Wee Joe was around.
But important to note that West Belfast was a constitutional nationalist constituency throughout its history up to 1983.
Gerry could still hold his Louth seat and campaign for the party but not be leader. I think now keeping Gerry as leader is counter productive – and not sure he is adding value as leader – though he will have to wait a healthy period so ensure it doesn’t look like he was pushed(which he isn’t). I think Gerry is sensible enough to know his limitations (which were visible during the election) and to know that it is always better to go a bit earlier than strictly necessary.
I think he will resign in the next year.
He has done a very good job in getting SF this far – but – sin e (which will no doubt be the final line of his resignation speech).
“He has done a very good job in getting SF this far – but – sin e ”
No other party gets the same pressures as Sinn Fein, mostly unjustified attacks with every wrong that emanated from one side of the conflict and sometimes both levelled at them.
Gerry, remarkably as al of the current leadership can soak that up and leave the younger members to get on with the good work they do. (I would be locked up if I had to deal with that flak all the time, some of the people on here do my head in)
If he goes this year, how do you think they will cope with so much nastiness coming at them of which most will know nothing about?
I would like to see him stay on until he is president of Ireland in 1918.
oops 2018 🙂
“No other party gets the same pressures as Sinn Fein, mostly unjustified attacks with every wrong that emanated from one side of the conflict and sometimes both levelled at them.”
No other party was part of a terror movement that murdered nearly 2000 people and destroyed thousands of families.
“No other party was part of a terror movement that murdered nearly 2000 people and destroyed thousands of families.”
If you honestly believe this MT, how are you ever going to share this island with us?
“f you honestly believe this MT, how are you ever going to share this island with us?”
You’ve lost me. Are you saying the Provisional republican movement didn’t murder nearly 2,000 people and destroy thousands of families?
“You’ve lost me. Are you saying the Provisional republican movement didn’t murder nearly 2,000 people and destroy thousands of families?”
I am saying the Provisional republican movement is not solely responsible for the conflict in which many more people lost their lives and families were destroyed.
To be honest, I have no more time for unionism which until it faces up to its responsibility needs to be left behind.
Further more, Sinn Fein is not the IRA, I supported the PIRA not Sinn Fein during the conflict. Contrary to media portrayal, there is a difference.
But the conflict s over MT. You need to move on.
“I am saying the Provisional republican movement is not solely responsible for the conflict in which many more people lost their lives and families were destroyed.”
Nobody said it was. But PSF is the only party that was part of a movement involved in mass murder. That explains why they get special treatment in the media.
“Nobody said it was. But PSF is the only party that was part of a movement involved in mass murder. That explains why they get special treatment in the media.”
That is absolute rubbish, the British state conservative and labour parties were just as directly involved, both directly, indirectly and in the cover up.
The DUP was led by a man you acknowledge started the whole conflict and involved in bringing in weapons responsible for murders.
None of the unionist parties have clean hands, there is no difference between Gerry Adams not being in the IRA and unionist parties not being involved in the conflict.
Anyway, it is time to move on. Even the media hype will be ineffective from here on in, the people know enough about what went on already and the “special treatment” as you call it is now hurting the instigators more than the target.
Keep it going if you will, those that do are making no friends and the people will turn their backs on negativity where they see it.
I am no longer going to argue with you over it.
You can believe whatever you want to.
“That is absolute rubbish, the British state conservative and labour parties were just as directly involved, both directly, indirectly and in the cover up.”
Even if that were true, it’s irrelevant. Neither the British Conservative nor Labour parties stands for election to the Dail.
“The DUP was led by a man you acknowledge started the whole conflict and involved in bringing in weapons responsible for murders.”
I have never “admitted” that Paisley was involved in importing weapons. But even if he had it’s also irrelevant, since the DUP doesn’t stand for election to the Dail. And in any case the DUP doesn’t justify or support illegal arms importation.
“None of the unionist parties have clean hands, there is no difference between Gerry Adams not being in the IRA and unionist parties not being involved in the conflict.”
That doesn’t make sense. And there is a huge difference in Adams leading a party linked to and supportive of murder gangs and the leaders of parties that weren’t so linked or supportive.
“And in any case the DUP doesn’t justify or support illegal arms importation. ”
The DUP were involved in arms smuggling, half of the weapons are still unaccounted for so the DUP arms are still not decommissioned.
They may have dropped their military wing bit they certainly continued to indirectly support the UDA and UVF instead afterwards.
Those guns have been linked to the DUP through Ulster resistance and been verified involved in catholic murders.
When are you going to acknowledge this MT?
It is a bit of a one sided peace process until you do. Eventually the elastic will break and it will backfire on unionism.
http://thepensivequill.am/2012/09/loyalist-guns-from-south-africa.html
The massive consignment had been divided between three loyalist terror gangs – the UDA, UVF and the fledgling Ulster Resistance, which had only been formed a few years earlier with strong DUP backing. It was suspected that the UDA’s part was deliberately sacrificed to ensure the bulk of the remainder of the initial consignment made it past the security forces. The DUP later distanced itself from Ulster Resistance – known for its distinctive red berets – after Resistance members were ironically involved in a plot to smuggle missile plans to apartheid South Africa.
It is thought many of Ulster Resistance’s consignment were distributed to the UDA and UVF. According to the nationalist sources’ documentation, in spite of the loyalist terror ceasefires and decommissioning, just under half the original consignment remains unaccounted for.
“The DUP were involved in arms smuggling,”
It wasn’t. And Jude might want to be careful about allowing such allegations to be published on his site.
“The DUP were involved in arms smuggling,”
It wasn’t. And Jude might want to be careful about allowing such allegations to be published on his site.
Well, we all seen robbo and the boys in the berets, they are recorded as starting the third force ulster resistance, the psni have confirmed that group were involved in arms deals, ever trying to get shorts missiles back over to south africa to help apartheid.
We are talking long term leadership members of the DUP being involved MT.
It is one thing to say you are not involved on the nolan show, but do you really think they would go to court to try and say these claims are false?
I would love to see them try. Wasn’t emma who was promoted over ruth s father one of the gun runners. Seems those elements still have sway over the DUP, just ask Ruth.
I would love to see what else would come out of such a legal case. It would be opening a big can of nasty worms.
If you have any evidence of the DUP importing arms I suggest you bring it to the police. Otherwise I’d desist from making allegations on a public forum.
“If you have any evidence of the DUP importing arms I suggest you bring it to the police. Otherwise I’d desist from making allegations on a public forum.”
I’m not making any allegations, it is common knowledge MT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Resistance
Ulster Resistance (UR) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary movement established by unionists in Northern Ireland on 10 November 1986 in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
The group was launched at a three thousand-strong invitation-only meeting at the Ulster Hall. The rally was chaired by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Press Officer Sammy Wilson and addressed by party colleagues Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Ivan Foster.
At a rally in Enniskillen, Peter Robinson announced; “‘Thousands have already joined the movement and the task of shaping them into an effective force is continuing. The Resistance has indicated that drilling and training has already started. The officers of the nine divisions have taken up their duties’
At a rally in the Ulster Hall, Paisley spoke of a need for an extra-governmental Third Force to fight against the aims of Irish republicanism. He was then filmed dramatically placing a red beret on his head and standing to attention.
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson was also photographed wearing the militant loyalist paramilitary regalia of beret and military fatigues at an Ulster Resistance rally.
The group collaborated with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Red Hand Commando (RHC) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) to procure arms. In June 1987 the UVF stole more than £300,000 from the Northern Bank in Portadown. The money was used to buy 206 Vz. 58 assault rifles, 94 Browning 9mm pistols, 4 RPG-7 rocket launchers and 62 warheads, 450 RGD-5 grenades and 30,000 rounds of ammunition which arrived at Belfast docks from Lebanon in December 1987
Jessica,
We will see. He is still vital as a vote getter and intellectual force but I think he needs to move on sooner rather later as on balance he is not adding any value as leader and his shortcomings are an easy target for his critics.