DESPITE ATTENDING A Sinn Féin fundraiser event in 1995, Donald Trump did not make a donation to the party according to Sinn Féin.

Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin brought up the fundraiser in the Dáil this week, as he criticised the US President’s knowledge of Ireland.

Martin said, “President Trump’s knowledge of Ireland remains roughly on a par with that when he was welcomed to a Sinn Féin fundraiser by Deputy Gerry Adams.

On that occasion, a couple of months before the Canary Wharf bombing, Deputy Gerry Adams spoke admiringly of Trump, even saying Sinn Féin was happy to play ‘the Trump card’.

In February 1996 the IRA detonated a truck bomb in Canary Wharf, killing two people and injuring 100, while causing millions worth of damage.

The 1995 fundraiser which took place just months previously has been mentioned several times by major Irish and UK news outlets in the years since Trump first became a candidate.

But Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “fascinated to hear that President Trump attended a Sinn Féin fundraiser”, adding that it was new information for him and that he was “very curious”.

A spokesperson for Sinn Féin told TheJournal.ie that Trump did not make a donation to the party when he attended the New York fundraiser in 1995.

Donald Trump attended that Sinn Féin event in New York in 1995, but did not make a donation to the party. He has not attended any subsequent events and has never donated money to Sinn Féin.

Adams congratulated Trump when he was elected US President saying, “The people of the USA have spoken.

“Donald Trump had been elected as the 45th President of the USA. I congratulate him. The onus is on the President-elect to represent all the people of the USA and to play a positive and progressive role in world affairs.”

Read: Gerry Adams is in the US and has passed on congratulations to Donald Trump>

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More