Does anyone actually believe that Gerry Adams wasn't in the IRA?

James Brown

rob316 wrote: »

Sinn Fein is the political wing of the IRA, the notion that anyone part of that party doesn't have ties to dissident Republicans is bollox.

The only political party that did/does business with Republican dissidents is Fine Gael and Labour.

Danzy

rob316 wrote: »

Sinn Fein is the political wing of the IRA, the notion that anyone part of that party doesn't have ties to dissident Republicans is bollox.

Lol.

Is that a typo.

JohnnyFlash

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Good man yourself, Blanch. Still fighting the good fight of 1993. Heroic stuff.

Aren’t you the punter who can be counted on to mention William Martin Murphy, Strongbow, or the colour of letterboxes during one of your ponderous and turgid diatribes on this site? Bit rich then for you to be accusing others of fighting the good fight. Real dilettante of history sort of behaviour - viewing the past through the glasses of your own prejudices.

It’s very relevant that we know about the past of Adams, as he was up until recently the leader of a party who had designs on running the country. If he was the leader of an organisation which planted bombs in shopping centres or disappeared young men like Columba McVeigh then we ought to know about it.

Shinners are always accused of being extremely sensitive creatures. This is a perfect example. If the scrutiny then want festooned on others is then shone into their dark and murky corners then they start with the victim complex. The last shower who get to do that to be honest.

suicide_circus

Portsalon

suicide_circus wrote: »

Is that goat male or female?

(And, just to be absolutely clear, I mean the goat on the right hand side.)

Danzy

Portsalon wrote: »

Is that goat male or female?

(And, just to be absolutely clear, I mean the goat on the right hand side.)

Female

Danzy

Portsalon wrote: »

Aged over 18?

Think so, her name is Jenny and her milkshake brings all the Billys to the yard.

That isn't a dig against Protestants btw.

partyguinness

TBH it's somewhat academic now. Old news.

Sure public figures lying is all the fashion now so perhaps he was just ahead of his time.

rob316

Danzy wrote: »

Lol.

Is that a typo.

Jesus yes wtf did I post there just read it back. I'll just delete and forget it ever happened

Danzy

rob316 wrote: »

Jesus yes wtf did I post there just read it back. I'll just delete and forget it ever happened

It fits perfectly with the thread, sure leave it.

FTA69

[Deleted User] wrote: »

At least McGuinness had the stones to own up, Adams is a spineless jellyfish.

People always say this but McGuinness was a convicted IRA member, spent time in prison in Portlaoise and admitted his membership as he was being sent down. Adams was never convicted of membership so is unlikely to admit he was a member of an illegal organisation. While leading Sinn Féin he pursued a strategy of building a separate political alternative over a period of many years, tagging himself as an IRA member would hardly be conducive to that.

It’s largely irrelevant now and to be honest it’s a boring topic when some journalist thinks they’re being clever by asking him that question. He wasn’t convicted of it therefore he won’t say he was.

End of story really.

Danzy

Tree Provo files on Adams.

LoughNeagh2017

If a war ever started again in my life time I would sign up for membership so that I could die a hero, the most visited grave in my graveyard is the IRA members who got blown up by their own bomb, that tells us that you get no thanks for being a law abiding man, their grave will be kept in pristine condition for hundreds of years.

Sinbad_NI

niallers1 wrote: »

The RUC, PSNI, Gardai, MI5, MI6, and all the rest of British Intelligence have never been able to prove he was in the IRA even though they have all the resources in the world available to them.. They would have loved to have been able to prove this but the proof isn't there.

Alternatively, in the real world....
No sane person would have grassed on him in the early 70 / 80s as they'd get rough justice dished out. He's obviously not stupid and kept himself well separated from the low ranks that got picked up and are more likely to turn.
Then later 80s and beyond it was in the interests of all to keep him in position as he was seen as an important figure and moving in the right direction and could take the rest of the organisation with him. Huge risk that some even more hardliners could have moved in and hey ho another few decades of murders and bombs. Jessie **** no.

realitykeeper

If he says he was not in the IRA, I believe him. A few years ago, a particular Minister for justice said that if the Garda Commissioner says so and so was in the IRA or involved in a particular crime, then the Commissioner`s opinion should be considered fact. This is the type of prejudice that makes me believe Gerry Adams.

Milosmith

I heard he was in the Professional IRA

SafeSurfer

realitykeeper wrote: »

If he says he was not in the IRA, I believe him. A few years ago, a particular Minister for justice said that if the Garda Commissioner says so and so was in the IRA or involved in a particular crime, then the Commissioner`s opinion should be considered fact. This is the type of prejudice that makes me believe Gerry Adams.

It would be hard to know whether to believe an organization which pretended one of its members was a paedophile or an organization which pretended none of its members were.

holyhead

I would imagine legal implications of admitting IRA membership would act as the context for his denials. I'm more curious as to what role he played in the disappearance of Jean McConville. Both Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes both state that Adams had a hand in her disappearance.
Lets say she was passing on information to the British Army where does that leave double agent Freddie Scappaticci. The theory is that his killing would indeed be confirmation that he was a double agent and therefore given his position as head of the nutting squad would be a huge embarrassment to the IRA.

kildare lad

I think once Adams denied it , he kept dening it for the rest of his life . It's hardly groundbreaking

lola85

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

If a war ever started again in my life time I would sign up for membership so that I could die a hero, the most visited grave in my graveyard is the IRA members who got blown up by their own bomb, that tells us that you get no thanks for being a law abiding man, their grave will be kept in pristine condition for hundreds of years.

I’d say the 3,4,5 year old graves of children blown up by the IRA are visited every day too I heartbroken families.

Yeah real brave hero’s alright.

All for what? A piece of land.

Phoebas

Deleted User wrote: »

PS: Hilarious that this is being discussed in 2019.

And yet, here you are, discussing it in 2019.

weldoninhio

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Do you see any hypocrisy in a known liar consistently calling for a truth and reconciliation commission?

If he took the risk of telling the truth it would be a very powerful statement and throw down the gauntlet to others. Instead he chooses to continue to lie.

The UK will NEVER allow a truth and reconciliation commission. Watched No Stone Unturned last night. Documentary about the Loughinisland atrocity during World Cup 1994. They Brits knew it was going to happen, knew/know who was behind it, no one ever charged. The gunman lives a few miles from where he murdered 6 innocent people watching Ireland vs Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kX_319hrfI

JohnnyFlash

As an aside, I know a good few people who have met him over the years, and all of them have mentioned how ‘off’ he is as a person. He gives people the creeps when they meet him. The twitter persona was a very carefully crafted one.

begsbyOnaTrain

Deleted User wrote: »

If IRA membership is the worst his opponents can throw at him (before they put on their poppies to commemorate all sorts of British thugs, of course), they must be desperate.

Ah I see you're of the noble intellectual tradition of George Dubya. You're either with us or against us.

SafeSurfer

holyhead wrote: »

I would imagine legal implications of admitting IRA membership would act as the context for his denials. I'm more curious as to what role he played in the disappearance of Jean McConville. Both Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes both state that Adams had a hand in her disappearance.
Lets say she was passing on information to the British Army where does that leave double agent Freddie Scappaticci. The theory is that his killing would indeed be confirmation that he was a double agent and therefore given his position as head of the nutting squad would be a huge embarrassment to the IRA.

I thought stakeknife was just a British agent who was simultaneously head of IRA counter intelligence rather than a double agent. The IRA was heavily infiltrated with informers and agents to the highest levels especially towards the cessation of violence. It really was a rotten organization with powerful members having comrades tortured and killed as “touts” to cover up their own child sex abuse.

Portsalon

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

As an aside, I know a good few people who have met him over the years, and all of them have mentioned how ‘off’ he is as a person. He gives people the creeps when they meet him. The twitter persona was a very carefully crafted one.

Not to mention an ego the size of Mount Everest!

Look how annoyed he got recently when one of his deranged scribblings wasn't fawned upon sufficiently by some fellow members of his cult.

Gerry Adams attacks Sinn Fein TDs for not pushing his Irish unity leaflet.

Woke Hogan

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

Ah I see you're of the noble intellectual tradition of George Dubya. You're either with us or against us.

He's still fighting the good fight of 1916. Heroic stuff.

Galwayguy35

I think he would have been better off to have done like Martin McG and admitted years ago that he was in the IRA, it was a tough time to be a catholic/nationalist back in the 1970s getting burned out of their houses and shot by soldiers so people would have seen how he like many other young men would have wanted to join up.

maccored

lola85 wrote: »

I’d say the 3,4,5 year old graves of children blown up by the IRA are visited every day too I heartbroken families.

Yeah real brave hero’s alright.

All for what? A piece of land.

If you think it was all for a piece of land then maybe you shouldnt be commenting?

maccored

blanch152 wrote: »

There have indeed been some notable posters strenuously denying the reality.




So you agree that Gerry was a member of the IRA and lied about it?

what are you on about this time? If in doubt make it up?

As I have ALWAYS said, imo Adams wasnt technically in the IRA, as his job was to build up the political wing and therefore couldnt be seen to be part of the paramilitary wing.

Technically not a part, as he probably didnt sign up in any way - but in reality he was involved in the war against the british as much as anyone in the IRA was