By any standards the relentless personalised attacks on Sinn
Féin, and in particular its leader Gerry Adams, regarding
the killings of prison officer Brian Stack in 1983 and Jean
McConville in 1972, and the alleged rape of Mairia Cahill in
1997, are bitter and incorrigible attacks on democracy. The sheer level of
malice, prejudice and political bile which has been hurled
at Mr Adams in regard to these issues, enthusiastically
peddled in the political and media arenas, go far beyond
accepted parliamentary discourse.
Whereas I unequivocally support demands from the families
of all these victims for justice and their right to speak
wherever they choose, the alacrity with which some
politicians and political parties have exploited these
crimes, while ignoring other appalling
killings, leaves me with the impression that these events
are being played out for their full political value.
There appears to be a steely determination by opponents of
Sinn Féin in Dáil Éireann to form a cross party consensus
to create a political atmosphere where Sinn Fein is rendered
politically toxic and impotent. Opponents of Sinn Féin
seems to have forgotten something about the electorate. We may be sometimes
gullible, but we are not all stupid.
Not all no
It is time once again to choose sides
Unfortunately,Jude,your trust in the electorate is misplaced as the next round of elections 32 will demonstrate.
Would it make any difference which party they voted for to you fiosrach?
Would you be more or less optimistic if Sinn Fein had another landslide victory like they did before partition?
Just curious.
I’d love to see the Communist Party of Ireland in power. Would you not,Jessica?
My initial reaction was one of horror to be honest.
On reflection I know very little about that actual party so will reserve judgement until I find out a little bit more about what they actually stand for.
With the civil war parties squandering billions of public money on Apple and probably much more where that went, and cash for ash in the north I can see the attraction if I am being honest.
The rich get richer and the poor don’t matter is the message they are loudly sending out
I agree
what other political party doesnt try and point score agin another,except stormont of course.its politics.
This Patsy, Austin Stack that was chosen by Mícheál Martin of Fianna Fáil to lead the charge on his Party’s behalf, has been proven to be totally incompetent – though given such a soft ride by RTE and The Independent Group of Newspapers , he keeps contradicting himself with his lies.
He now has chosen to block his Twitter Account too , to everyone who disagrees with his view – referring to us as “Shnnerbots” & “Ferris Shnnerbots” !!!
He is a nasty piece of FF work unfortunately.
Hmm didn’t you block me Eddie Barrett after I exposed you for the hypocrite you are?
Oh and Declan Kearney blocked me for asking him were the Peace People right after all in 1976….
Do you think they were right Dixie?
I’m not the one who encouraged young men and women to fight a war and who now claims ownership of peace Jessica.
Thank you for replying to me Dixie.
I can respect that view ok.
I doubt any conflict works out any different.
I guess I see it as not being so much about doing nice or brave things, more about doing terrible things and then having to live with it.
It has always led to betrayal and division and most probably always will.
But it was unionism who started the conflict and the british who refused to end it when the IRA asked for a truce. They only agreed because the british army could not guarantee that they could prevent disruption again after the Heathrow triple attack.
It was a sell out, complete and total. I read the GFA and binned it. I did not vote in the GFA referendum as I could neither support it but would not vote to continue the conflict either. I will never forget that. My community was at breaking point and we could not have taken much more.
The way I see it, was Sinn Fein listened to the people they represent and delivered the peace process over to them.
And that is how it should be.
You would know plenty about smearing people yourself Barrett – and also about blocking people rather than deal with even the mildest criticism. ‘Shinnerbot’ doesn’t cover it with a cretin like you given your disgusting utterances elsewhere. Dixie is right, you are an utter hypocrite.
So which party represents the type of Ireland you would like to see Sean.
Who do you think is doing more than Sinn Fein to persuade the british to come clean about the truth of state actions and release evidence protecting the actions of their state forces?
How do you feel about the efforts to date from the Dublin establishment in helping press for a truth and reconciliation process to put the past behind us?
Do you trust and of the main parties there, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail or even Labour?
Would you accept a united Ireland under any of the above, because I wouldn’t.
If like me you would not support unity under the above, what should we do about it?
As far as I can see, only Sinn Fein can repair the damage already done and can deliver reconciliation.
Gerry Adams will step aside in time, he has said as much. Doing so before they topple the establishment would leave these backward parties intact. They would be far more comfortable dealing with Mary Lou who I think will make an excellent future Taoiseach.
Why does the media keep pointing out how much better Sinn Fein would do in the polls if Gerry stepped aside?
All they are doing is dividing republicanism. Gerry Adams being pushed out would break their momentum and allow the establishment in Dublin to survive.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael need to go the way of the SDLP – there is no alternative.
I believe it will happen and that Sinn Fein will deliver it.
I would love Dixie to reply to my questions rather than simply use this forum to bad mouth others for actions the readers here know nothing about.
Would you be prepared to debate here with me yourself?
ex fianna fail woman,made sf taoiseach.your more deluded than i thought if you think you will ever see that headline.
If it doesn’t happen then how would they be any better than the current establishment parties we are stuck with already billy?
We can either get behind it or simply continue bad mouthing one another for our collective failures, conduct personal vendettas and just forget about Irish unity and accept we live in a fucked up country full of bitterness, begrudgery and self pity.
Sinn Fein are offering a glimmer of hope and to be honest if it wasn’t for them I would very much despair that Ireland has any sort of future outside of middle class Dublin.
I don’t believe you don’t care billy, why else would you spend so much time posting here?
Spot on Billy. That’s the reason the establishment are trying to push Adams out so Mary Lou McDonald may be the SF leader. For me, Matt Carthy or Eoin O’Brien or David Cullinane would be perfect for the job when GA decides to go.
Certainly I will discuss the issues you mention above without a problem – with any others that might arise likewise. The only reason I commented is because someone linked the article onto my Facebook. There I seen the hypocritical rant of the position-chasing and sycophant goon Eddie Barrett and thought I’d post a reply. His crass commentary, both above and elsewhere, is unbecoming of a Sinn Fein representative but I venture others within the party have already taken note of this total liability who poses as republican. I’m heading out for an hour but will reply to all your comments when I get back. Suffice to say in the meantime that New Sinn Fein are themselves hell-bent on becoming of the establishment and not effecting its end. We need only examine their trajectory, especially in the Six Counties, to see they are more than willing to uphold the established order if it strategically advances the party. That what the party stands for – or stood for – is being washed away along the journey doesn’t matter to Sinn Fein. It does though impact on the claim that we can achieve the Republic through advancing Sinn Fein. In short, if the party does not soon change it will be swallowed whole by the existing. Many contend this is already the case.
I look forward to your responses Sean.
I will say that I can see where you are coming from, I understand your frustrations over Stormont and Sinn Feins support of it.
In fact I have written a few articles disagreeing with them on this and promoting bringing down Stormont and a more robust stance against unionism myself.
But then I see subtle changes in attitudes, I see the bigger risks and threats to unity and I catch on what is happening, I see that they have already realised this and I can see that there is a plan and what they are doing was right after all.
Attacks on unionism would have been water off a ducks back to them – in fact it is what they wanted.
Tolerance and reason on the other hand has made them look bad, gone against the changing mood among the people and I can see that they have since kopped on to this.
Even gregory campbell is trying to downplay his bigotry as innocent humour and claiming he admires Barry McIlduff.
There is no party as tuned in to the people as Sinn Fein. They do make mistakes, but they also rectify them.
It has been a while since we have heard about rogues and renegades or the stench from the benches.
Why do you think this is?
Unionism is on a terminal decline that is unavoidable for them.
Any so called victories from keeping up their intransigence will be short lived. We need to not only understand this, but to believe this.
This is a one way street that cannot be avoided. The real problem is deciding what Ireland we want to unite into.
This is not two countries coming together.
This is one country with many divided loyalties. Where one section of our people achieved freedom by fighting for it and abandoned their former comrades to their fate. The recent conflict did not remove british rule, it was unlikely ever to, but it was started by unionism in the first place and we cannot forget that either.
The conflict has also deepened divisions throughout Ireland and it also would be foolish to ignore this. If every unionist sailed to britain tomorrow and england washed their hands off us leaving the land free, there are many in the republic still wouldn’t want us, and most of them are in government and running OUR country. That is a reality you need to acknowledge.
The Dublin establishment fears Sinn Fein because they are the only serious threat to them.
We are not going to unite this country through communism or any far left or far right politics. It will have to be a middle ground starting from the left and moving towards the centre.
I am not even a socialist. Where do I fit into your vision of Ireland could I ask?
As I said, I do see where you are coming from, and why you consider Sinn Fein to be acting one way in Stormont and another in Dublin as being two faced.
I have no interest in Stormont, its future in Ireland is as a museum.
For now, it is a means to an end.
The prize is not a united Ireland – I have no interest in that. It is a new Ireland. An Ireland beyond the grip of either Fine Gael or Fianna Fail who have destroyed this country in my eyes.
The Ireland I want to see cannot be achieved by conflict and Sinn Fein are the only chance I can see of it ever being achieved.
This ‘new Ireland’ being advanced by Sinn Fein is not an Irish Republic. Years in advance of any negotiation, you have already committed to watering down its Irishness to placate a crowd of bigots. Who does that? Who undermines their negotiating position in that manner other than those who are being led? What kind of Irish Republic will legislate a connection with the British Monarchy into its constitution while removing its Irishness at the one time? That is exactly what your bogus ‘Agreed Ireland’ proposes to do. The truth is it is no Irish Republic and your ‘Towards A United Ireland’ is a complete sell out. In 1998 we were told from on high that we were not accepting unionism’s veto, that we were merely tolerating it until such times as nationalists were in a majority north of the border and at which time a United Sovereign Republic would follow. Now we are seeing that this is no longer the case and we hear nonsense like ‘I’m not interested in a United Ireland but a new Ireland’ in a pathetic effort to make it sound acceptable. Neither you or Matt Carthy – whose words you are repeating – are being magnanimous with this nonsense. You are being led down a path by British Intelligence through its agents of influence in New Sinn Fein. Furthermore, the idea that a United Ireland cannot be achieved without conflict or that a version of unity other than that peddled by Sinn Fein will end in conflict is preposterous. Even under the 1998 Agreement, it provides that should the majority internal to the North in support of remaining in the UK fail to hold that a sovereign united Ireland will be legislated for by the Dublin and London governments. The idea we need to make further agreements to placate unionism is ridiculous. They will have equal rights and protections as the rest of us in a United Ireland and if you are suggesting otherwise I would question your Republicanism.
If Ireland has a president and is not subject to any crown then that is close enough to an Irish Republic for me.
If it isn’t for you then I will let you explain why not?
The most important thing for me, is that political pressure is maintained on the british to stop covering up the truth of their past actions, I want the evidence they are protecting under national security to be released.
This is absolutely essential for me and a far greater priority than whatever you think is watering down our Irishness.
I want an end of the vilification of republicans and the IRA by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail which is party political and more about maintaining control.
It is shameful how little they have done to pressure britain on this or to support Irish citizens and to demonise Irish people for fighting for Ireland is in my eyes unforgivable and why my enemy now lies in Dublin.
It is up to the rest of the country to decide to turn on us once again or stand with us to create a new Ireland.
I am not sure what negotiations do you think are going on and with who at the moment, but I am certainly not aware of any.
There will be no negotiations or any change while Fine Gael or Fianna Fail control Dublin.
There is also no plans to legislate a connection with the British Monarchy, though if Ireland was a sovereign nation I would have no problem coming to some arrangement that would be subject only to british citizens living in Ireland and not applicable in any way to Irish citizens.
I want Ireland to be a prosperous nation, ruled within Ireland from Dublin but for the benefit of all of our people and this cannot happen without good trade relations with britain. It certainly isn’t going to happen through conflict and if you don’t agree you haven’t thought it through.
You should also not confuse my words with that of Sinn Fein. I have no insight into the party which is probably why I am against them one minute and for them the next.
I took the animosity subjected by the southern establishment towards the north pretty badly and I am not sure too many on this site agree with me never mind Sinn Fein. These are my words alone. You can consider them pathetic if you like, I consider it pathetic to behave so desperate for a united Ireland as to tolerate such verbal abuse from the better class of Irish south of the border.
I don’t repeat anyone’s words but if Matt Carthy is sharing my views that is good for me but could possibly a surprise to him. I have some unique views.
I do not need for money and could not be bought by British Intelligence and as people on this site will affirm, I am an opinionated and stubborn person occasionally overtly blunt.
If you are convinced that a United Ireland cannot be achieved without conflict, then who should we fight.
London, Dublin or both?
I see no point in killing, dying and rotting in jail constrained within the 6 counties while Dublin lines its pockets and looks down its nose at us.
As for placating unionism. Unionism will not exist in a new Ireland. You are still not thinking it through.
As for questioning my Republicanism. Go ahead, I am Irish first and foremost.
I think you should read what I actually wrote and not what you thought I wrote. I never said we needed conflict to achieve the Republic but on the other hand YOU suggested that a republic other than the bogus ‘Agreed Ireland’ tripe of New Sinn Fein cannot be realised without it leading to conflict.
I reject that fully and do not believe a United Ireland on the back of a nationalist majority will create further conflict. Nor do I believe we should allow the threat of such a conflict to prevent such an Ireland being realised.
Nor AGAIN did I say anything about a connection between yourself and British Intelligence. What I said is that the ‘Agreed Ireland’ sell out of former Provisionals-cum New Sinn Fein was shaped by agents of influence within their rank. And it is.
If only uncovering the past were as important to your beloved Sinn Fein – who you’ve obstinately defended elsewhere on this thread even to the point of playing down child rape and its cover up. If they shared your conviction then they would never have folded on their position that agreement on the past be integral to the Stormont House negotiations and the a wider deal could not go forward in its absence.
A deal DID go forward in its absence and Sinn Fein continues to administer the British occupation of Ireland while those families go without justice indefinitely. And you would try and tell us all these people are the ONLY way forward. Please Jessica, spare us the rhetoric.
Further again, I never said negotiations were ongoing but that Sinn Fein have already negotiated down of their own volition, years in advance of any negotiation that might ever arise. Who does such a thing? If the ‘Agreed Ireland’ sell out that is the substantive of ‘Towards A United Ireland’ is their offer in advance of any negotiation to come then we can only imagine what they will actually settle for.
I suggest you read that document by the way before repeating your ill-informed claim that ‘there [are] also no plans to legislate a connection with the British Monarchy’. Oh but there are.
All that aside, there are two other points in your comment which I wish to address. You say on the one hand, ‘that is probably why I am against them [Sinn Fein] one minute and for them the next’. How you reacted to Dixie’s pretty accurate comment about Adams not only covering for but promoting a child rapist suggests that you are for them no matter what Equally, so does the nonsense that they are the ONLY pathway. I cannot then take your attempts to appear as though neutral serious in any way.
You also speak of a new Ireland, presumably delivered by your 10-foot tall heroes in Sinn Fein, where ‘Unionism will not exist’. I suggest you take the time to read ‘Towards A United Ireland’ – absent your rose-tinted spectacles – and you soon will realise it is none but yourself who is ‘not thinking it through’.
I apologise if I misunderstood you Sean, but I don’t think we are understanding one another.
I could not care less about unionism.
When I talk about reconciliation on this island, I mean among the people of Ireland north and south – not nationalism and unionism.
I judge Sinn Fein on their actions and whether it is moving Ireland to one I would be more comfortable with and I do believe in them.
As for removing british intelligence and uncovering the past.
Sinn Fein are right to pressure Dublin to do more, it is an Taoiseach who has the responsibility to pursue this. We should not have been left on our own
I really couldn’t care less whether stormont collapsed or not.
To me it is irrelevant. Its purpose is no more than to administer the north in the interim.
I agree that it would be better to control as much of it directly – but you should not consider it as having a long term future.
I would be very interested to know what the plans to legislate a connection with the British Monarchy’ are.
But to clarify on my support for Sinn Fein, I have been for and against them in the past and was foolish enough not to vote for them in the last election, basically over their toleration of unionist intransigence and blocking of everything through their veto which I now think was deliberate to maximise dissention and encourage nationalist voter apathy. I wont make the same mistake again so no I am not neutral in my support for them only in my capacity to speak for them though I am thinking about joining to change that.
I do however consider Dixie’s comments to be a disgusting attempt to use a young girls suffering to attack Gerry Adams who has much greater responsibility on his shoulders. How is it any better than the sickening behaviour of the southern establishments media.
When britain leave Ireland to its own devices, what purpose will there be in declaring yourself a unionist?
The fight with unionism is over. We need to focus on making Ireland the way we want it to be.
Sinn Feins priority at the moment should be mobilizing in as many of the remaining constituencies in the republic and preparing for the inevitable fall out between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail which will bring down the Dail in the next few years. That alone will guarantee their continued growth.
The real war going on at the moment is between the southern establishment and Sinn Fein.
They are trying disgustingly to turn people against republicanism through one sided bias. If the people see through this then Sinn Fein will win the Dail, if they don’t then I will not accept we did anything wrong in the conflict unionism started.
You are very good at criticising others and pointing out problems. What about solutions?
You talk about a 50% + 1 nationalist majority but you have not given it the slightest thought.
Who is going to sell a united Ireland to the nationalist electorate? Polls suggest there is no desire among nationalists for it.
I am not surprised as most feel Dublin is not interested. I wouldn’t vote for a united Ireland tomorrow.
Selling out Gerry Adams and ex provos will not make everyone suddenly support a united Ireland and will guarantee that the british never release any evidence of collusion.
And by the way, I supported the IRA before I supported Sinn Fein so that strategy is hardly going to persuade me or many others to dump on them or to trust you.
‘I would be very interested to know what the plans to legislate a connection with the British Monarchy are.’ Wouldn’t we all Jessica but that has yet to be defined. It is though referred to within Sinn Fein’s latest move away from republicanism, ‘Towards A United Ireland’. I suggest you read it – critically and without the ‘St Gerry’ rose-tinted goggles.
Suffice to say that Britain’s Monarchy has no place in the Republic so why Sinn Fein are intent on making it otherwise surely tells us it is no longer the Republic that they seek but this ‘Agreed Ireland’ substitute – an Ireland where the British stay and the Irish agree to it, where Ireland is settled as a permanent British redoubt.
‘When Britain leave[s] Ireland to its own devices, what purpose will there be in declaring yourself a unionist’ you ask. I don’t think you have grasped what is happening. Britain is not leaving Ireland and has no intention of doing so. She is being actively assisted in redrawing relationships between Ireland and Britain to secure that end by her puppets in the Sinn Fein leadership. That is what the ‘New Agreed Ireland’ is really about and you are rowing full swing in behind it.
That you would suggest this is acceptable fare for the national movement and the ONLY way it can hope to succeed is bonkers. Those who are set to succeed are not Irish republicans or this proud nation but those intent on denying our national rights no matter what demographic emerges in the Six Counties.
where the british stay and the irish agree to it.(clasic,ha.haaa)
jessica needs only to look at SF in the North to realise that once in government they became worse than FF or FG going as far as to surrender welfare back into the hands of the Tories after McGuinness saying it wasn’t a line he was willing to cross.
They are powerless against the DUP who refuse to even concede an Irish Language act to them, this despite McGuinness and to a lesser extent Adams making the British Queen and her repugnant family acceptable to nationalists. Republicans are being jailed and kept imprisoned with little or no evidence against them yet SF claims that policing and justice is under their control.
When Declan Kearney apologised to the British military for the ‘hurt they experienced during the war’ he did what no other Republican, from Tone to Bobby Sands, did throughout the long history of Irish Republicanism, he turned the term Unapologetic Republican completely on it’s head.
Does she forget that SF was siphoning off public money using fake historical societies and a fake research company? They are just another corrupt party no different to their DUP colleagues or both FF and FG.
Regarding considering my comments to be a disgusting attempt to use a young girls suffering to attack Adams, does she forget that Adams reported that girl’s mother to the welfare for having a dirty home and the children having nits, the day after Aine and her Mother forced him to confront his brother in Donegal?
All this is an attempt to make Adams the victim in all this. In fact with more cases of rape by prominent Sinn Fein members coming out at present we are seeing that party is worse than the Church or State when it comes to cover up.
If jessica thinks a party which is closer to a cult can bring about change in this country then she is seriously deluded. Seriously.
There are things in my own past I wouldn’t like to be sprawled over the Internet or media. I don’t believe I am a bad person though I am sure many would.
I will respect your right to make them however. You are joining a list of others on this site who would be very supportive of this with you, but I wouldn’t trust any of them either.
I don’t believe your personal attacks on Gerry will change the views of many who want real change on this island or damage his popularity in any way.
He is building an extremely effective and talented young team all over the country and it is thy who will take over the reigns.
If he can do likewise in the remaining parts of the island Sinn Fein did not have any presence in on the last election then he is doing good work in my eyes.
I don’t give a shit about a 6 county state or Stormont.
No Billy it is not politcs, It is fear of Sinn Fein.. It is FF, FG, Labour and the Independants showing that the Status Quo must remain so that the rich can get richer and the poor poorer.
Well said Jim
There are too many so called republicans with their heads well and truly stuck in a 6 county bubble that they cannot see this.
not politics..all parties the world over dish the dirt on their opponents if they get the excuse to.
your right about the poor getting poorer though,you only need to look at the coalition in stormont as a prime example imposing cuts on pensioners and the poorest while they literally burn money,and not a word about it.
Jim Neeson interestingly enough Gerry Adams flew by KLM, business class no less, to attend the funeral of Castro. How ironic.
Lie, Dixie
Tom Cooper wrote that letter to a number of newspapers but only one published it. It was passed to me by one of his correspondents, and I asked Tom could I pass it to Jude
to be posted as a BLOG.
It’s Tom Cooper’s letter, not mine or Jude’s.
I don’t think Tom is affiliated to any party, but what I’ve seen of his letters in The Irish Times, for example, convince me that he has an informed sense of fair play.
It seems to me that Michael Martin and Enda Kenny are men of no principle and I’m disappointed that no Fianna Fail or Fine Gael TDs have repudiated their antics. As for
Irish Labour, its founders must be turning in their graves.
as for irish labour,its founders must be turning in their graves……..yes they must be indeed seeing the way some people were fawning over and forelock tugging to the queen of england,
The reference to ‘allleged’ rape shows appalling insensitivity to the trauma experienced by Mairia Cahill at the hands of IRA members. Individuals who avail themselves of the bully pulpit that is the internet need to show some personal responsibility and a reflective capacity for human empathy. Sadly, in this case, any such capacities were long ago buried in an ideological carapace.
You may not be aware that Mairia Cahill reported a number of people to the RUC for involvement in her alleged rape. The RUC brought them to court and this duly appointed judge found them all ‘not guilty’.
So according to the law, there was no rape, just her unfounded allegations!
“By any standards the relentless personalised attacks on Sinn Féin, and in particular its leader Gerry Adams, regarding the killings of prison officer Brian Stack in 1983 and Jean McConville in 1972, and the alleged rape of Mairia Cahill in 1997, are bitter and incorrigible attacks on democracy.”
Indeed. In any other democracy, the leader of a party that suported a terror campaign, and whose leader is implicated in murder, rape cover-up, and withholding names of murder suspects from.the police, would be left alone.
Not to mention protecting a child abuser.
Well said Tom, if the enormous amount of effort that FF/FG/Labour and the INM group and RTE et al have put into campaigning for the Stack family, was put into seeking the truth for all victims, reconciliation may be a lot nearer.
How the Establishment politicians and media strain every sinew to avoid mentioning any murders committed by Britain or it’s surrogates, is amazing.
The full truth must emerge, however inconvenient for the powers that be.
Keep up the good work.
“if the enormous amount of effort that FF/FG/Labour and the INM group and RTE et al have put into campaigning for the Stack family, was put into seeking the truth for all victims, reconciliation may be a lot nearer.”
If there was any effort whatsoever it would be a positive Mark.
Fianna Fail are no better than the rest.
Robin,are you the Robin Wilson that was a member of the WP in the 80s
If Robin was a WP member would that affect how you read his post?
Possibly you also should clarify any present or previous political affiliations.
Yes because if this Robin was a WP member,he would have been a member of what one journalist accurately described as “the biggest lie in the history of Irish politics.The WP had it’s own IRA that submitted many people to severe “trauma” and therefore would be liable to accusations of severe hypocrisy.I have no problem in declaring my total support for SF since Gerry Adams assumed the leadership.Prior to that I would have been of the Bernadette McAliskey / Peoples Democracy school of thought.
“I have no problem in declaring my total support for SF since Gerry Adams assumed the leadership.Prior to that I would have been of the Bernadette McAliskey / Peoples Democracy school of thought.”
What was it about Adams becoming leader that led you to switch to the Provos?
Were you anti-terror before that, or did PD support terror too?
The PD were to the forefront in the H block campaign from the late 70s and werealways anti the armed forces of the orange state.SF were not an effective organisation until Adams took over and was able to mobilise thousands that smaller groupings could never do.
Bizarre that an organisation that began life as a civil rights organisation ended up supporting terror.
It could be argued that the National H-Block committee galvanised thousands and SF merely benefited from it. If the British state terror forces hadn’t decided,for some reason, to kill the leaders of that committee, who knows what influence/leadership they could’ve wielded amongst the public. Mrs Devlin, for example, would’ve been well and capable of strong leadership.
p.d.remember them,at least the sticks done a bit early on.
The rape of Aine Adams by her Father, Adams’ brother, was not alleged as was proven in court.
And supporters of Adams conveniently forget this…
” The Director of Public Prosecutions publicly apologised to Mairia Cahill in May 2015 citing ‘I wish to make clear that no fault or blame attaches to Mairia Cahill. The Public Prosecution Service let you down, and for that I am sorry.”
Now Gerry Adams not only protected his brother Liam and lied for him he dedicated a book to him fully realising what he had done.
Yet he has no hesitation informing on those who remained faithful to him.
Regardless of who gave him the names it was he, Gerry, who passed them on to the Garda Commissioner. He fingered them.
This made the antics of Ferris and Ellis in Leinster House look all the more ridiculous as they attempted to blame everyone, but the man who should really have known the facts about who was and wasn’t in jail at the time of the killing, had he Adams only asked them.
The wishful thinking that FF and FG fear an imaginary rise of Sinn Féin, so they are out to get Gerry Adams, is at the very least idiotic given that despite what both those parties did to Ireland and it’s people they still look down on the Shinners as that party have risen nowhere near them.
In fact both parties are living secure in the knowledge that it is Gerry Adams himself who helps keep that safe distance between them and Sinn Féin…
This is a disgusting rant Dixie.
Whether you like it or not, Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams have the majority support of Irish nationalism and are the ONLY chance we have of repairing the divisions that are rife in Ireland today.
I am sure that you have noticed how divided the country is. I doubt very much Gerry throwing himself under a bus will change that regardless of what personal satisfaction it might give you.
I fully support Gerry Adams 100% and I doubt very much he would have sent anything in an email if there was the remotest chance it would finger anyone, a point you seem oblivious to or are deliberately ignoring for your own reasons. The email was sent because mr Stack had already broken confidentiality by giving those names to Michael Martin and the Gardai and seems to be a Fianna Fail plot to attack Sinn Fein.
I am sure there are people could come on here and bad mouth Michael Collins and call him a traitor also, but I don’t care. Both are heroes in my eyes.
I fucking detest what Ireland has become in 2016, but there is not a thing I can do about it.
I blame Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.
You seem to feel Sinn Fein are at fault which is fine.
So who should we instead look to, to undo the damage and division that is rife in Ireland today?
Sinn Fein are the ONLY party I can see who give a damn about the country being reconciled with itself.
Who else has the remotest chance of delivering that?
I would very much like to hear your thoughts on this Dixie.
Jessica this reply alone proves you have a cult like idolization of Adams whereas all commonsense goes out the window.
Adams himself was forced to admit he sent the email to the Garda Commissioner. It doesn’t matter who gave him the names or who else passed them on, he admits he passed the names of those who remained faithful to him on.
Trying to argue with people like you becomes wearisome because the likes of you are blind to all reason.
I understand your frustration. The problem is you are trying to convince someone your views are better than theirs.
You see things from your own point of view, I see things based on my own experiences.
Other people on this site have different views again.
It is very difficult to not get frustrated when others don’t see things your way, I am often guilty of this myself.
I cant imagine how Sinn Fein keep their calm when dealing with the british and unionism, all the while being attacked from Dublin and from people within our own communities. How they get out of bed in the morning I don’t know.
As for being a cult.
In many ways I think you are right. Sinn Fein is more like a cult or a family and the same probably exists within unionism.
There is probably a bit of tribalism in there also.
In many ways, if your views are more abhorrent to people, then your attacks on Sinn Fein will actually drive people towards the party, just as the blatantly biased media attacks will have the opposite effect in the south.
Which must be even more frustrating.
But other than criticism and resentment of Sinn Fein, I still don’t get what your actual views are.
Sinn Fein are using money from Stormont to develop trade relations with many global nations such as the US and China.
These give them even more credibility in my eyes. Being able to put political stability over petty politics is something the south need very much.
If you look at it from a 6 county point of view, yes it may well look weak. If you look at it in a 32 county context and with the aim they have made no secret off, that their aim is to be elected into power on both sides of the border then I think it shows they have the right stuff.
I understand these can be seen as excuses. It is just as frustrating for me that you don’t see things from my point of view.
Only time will tell which of us was right.
I believe winning the 2023 rugby word cup will also have a major impact in changing opinions on this island. I expect the first referendum to take place shortly after, possibly in 2024 and I expect that will be when Ireland will begin its transition out of the UK.
what has winning a rugby game to do with leaving the uk.imo nobody over 40 will see a united ireland,going on the odds of living 3 score and ten.
It isnt about winning the match billy.
The Rugby world cup will be the single biggest event that has ever happened in Ireland if we win the rights to host it.
The sense of pride and achievement of hosting such an all island event will be a catalyst for change that no political movement or no charismatic leader could ever inspire.
It will promote Ireland as a single nation to the rest of the world for the first time in our history.
Our young people will embrace such an occasion and it will bring a momentum that neither Dublin or London can control.
Irelands destiny will be in our own peoples hands and I can live with that.
An uncomfortable truth about Adams (at least it should be…his cult follwers don’t seem to care).
Whether Adams was / was not in the IRA; whether Adams did / did not direct terrorism; whether Adams was / was not directly / indirectly involved in various murders…what we do know is this: when a 9 year old girl was raped, he took the side of the rapist.
What would you have done,joe. Shopped your brother to the RUC or tried something else. Remember at the time the abuse was not ongoing.
Defending the indefensible I see! I would have confronted my brother, probably beaten the life out of him and reported him to the police, severing all ties with him and offering to house my niece if necessary. “abuse was not ongoing” – wow! Just a bit of casual, incestuous rape…nothing to get all hot under the collar about….
And what would you do about the systemic cover up of child abuse and rape in a paedophile ring conducted by unionist politicians, their business buddies right the way to the british cabinet. that are still protected by the british state today who refuse to allow an inquiry that is able to compel the security services to hand over documents or even testify?
I’m not defending anything. Not all humans would react like you think you would. By not ongoing I meant that it was historic but no less serious for that. Ask Jude if you can do a guest blog on some of your heroes till we see the other side of the story.You know – checks and balances that you upright citizens are so fond of.
None of my heroes directed terrorism. None of my heroes covered up for paedos.
Let us judge their shortcomings.
Joe, I read your comments on the hunger strikers & the profile of one of them. I would really like to know who your heroes are and are there any from Ireland, north & south.