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Barry Cronin/PA Wire

Gerry Adams challenges party leaders to a debate on the past

The Sinn Féin leader has accused other political parties of “contrived outrage” following his controversial comments about the Smithwick Tribunal report.

SINN FÉIN LEADER Gerry Adams has challenged other party leaders to a debate on the past in a bid to end speculation about his role during the Northern Ireland conflict.

Adams this evening said the leaders of the other parties were guilty of “contrived outrage” in recent days following his comments about the Smithwick Tribunal report.

In a strongly worded statement, Adams criticised political parties for praising people like Michael Collins or Éamon de Valera who were involved in violence but condemning Bobby Sands and other IRA volunteers.

Adams came under heavy attack after he said that two senior RUC officers killed by the IRA in 1989 had had a ‘laissez faire’ attitude towards their personal safety. His comments were interpreted as blaming the officers for their own deaths, although Adams has disputed this.

The officers had been travelling from Dundalk Garda Station and had just crossed the border in Northern Ireland when they were ambushed and shot dead. One of them waved a white handkerchief but was repeatedly shot at close-range by the IRA.

Adams said the IRA members who murdered the two officers were doing their duty ‘as they saw it’, and said the killings took place in the context of a war being fought in Northern Ireland.

“The issue of legitimacy is at the core of establishment outrage,” he said. “Other political leaders refuse to accept the legitimacy of the recent phase of armed struggle which ended  with the [IRA] cessation of 1997″.

“Although I disagree with it I accept that this view is entirely valid”.

He questioned the “inconsistency” of politicians who don’t see the legitimacy of an armed struggle.

“If the right to armed actions is illegitimate for one generation then it is illegitimate for other generations,” he said.

“The a la carte approach of establishment parties which praises the Volunteers of 1916, or of the Tan war; applauding Michael Collins or de Valera or Terrence MacSwiney while condemning Bobby Sands, Kieran Doherty or other Volunteers, is an entirely inconsistent position”.

“All war is horrific. All deaths are regrettable. War is the result of the failure of politics, in the case of the Irish conflict this includes the failure of partition. A debate on all these issues is overdue”.

It is not yet known whether any party leaders will take Adams up on the offer to debate.

Read: Sinn Féin TD claims he was ‘stitched up’ by Vincent Browne >

Read: Gerry Adams insists IRA volunteers ‘were doing their duty as they saw it’ >

Gerry Adams: ‘Laissez faire’ comments reflect what is recorded by Smithwick Tribunal >

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    Mute Temp Stuff
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:42 PM

    Just change his name to Brian Adriscoll and sorted!

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:36 PM

    @Temp Stuff: is he the one married to Amy Youtuberman?

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:48 PM

    Looks very angry in that picture

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    Mute Jonathan Sheridan
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:52 PM

    @David O Brien: Not exactly the crime of the century but the picture is a great choice.

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @David O Brien: Just smelt one.

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 4:13 PM

    @p gert: Ha ha, that could be it.

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    Mute Susan Walsh
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    Mar 25th 2025, 2:19 PM

    Hold on Caroline O’Mahony isn’t allowed to promote her own business on her own page? What? I mean I’m all for labelling ads on social media by individuals but surely if the individual is promoting their own business that’s named after them, it’s really obvious? Does that mean that someone couldn’t promote their own podcast or book for example on their own page without the hashtag?

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:31 PM

    Add #ad is the requirement? Lets not worry about the actual BS they promote.

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    Mute ben wu
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:52 PM

    @Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: The bare minimum should be to label paid sponsor spots as being *paid*.
    That a lot of them have zero morals beyond how much they can milk off the audience, saddens me.

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    Mute larry smith
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:24 PM

    C.O.D

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:43 PM

    Bodacious.

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