Adams is finished, surely?

[cricket]

I would certainly agree that the truth of Kincora should be revealed
But are you suggesting that Adams was a sexual abuser or what exact guilt does he hold?
Bearing in mind that Suzanne Breen is simply pushing her career along the line
for her it does not matter whether the allegation is true or false (false in this case)
if it sells news papers thats enough

How do you know the allegation is false ? Haven't the time to check back, but that posting makes me suspect you're acting on behalf of SF.

The latest " explanation " from SF is Bertie- esque in it's fantasising.
Adams couldn't get the brother to get lost during a canvass. Provos have form in this regard, usually resulting in someone failing to clear off being short of a kneecap , at least.

[LDF]

The photograph I saw in the Tribune showed G Adams looking away from the brother - maybe he didn't see him there.

Look, is anyone surprised that Gerry Adams is a liar? This chap still insists that he was never a member of the IRA. I do hope this story brings about his downfall and if he was leading a normal party, it would do.

However, SF is not a normal party. It is a quasi-cult and I do not see anyone in the party who would be willing to demand Adams' resignation.

[Congalltee]

I hate to be partitionist for a moment, but the views of Southerners hardly matter when the North is four months away from a general election. Adams would have to go immediately or stay until after May (eg in the South kenny is safe despite his weakness due to the proximity to an election and his party's standing. Same logic applies).

How is story running in the occupied territory/the 6 counties/Northern Ireland?

Then who succeeds him?
McGUINNESS - hardly, he must have known also and would hardly be a great leader for the south.
Mary Lou - please God no.
Pearse Doherty , a tad young.
Any of the TDs - all crap
Conor Murphy - he comes across as having no personality.

[blacbloc2]

Gerry Adams career should be over for this. But the big problem with that for politicians and the political system is that it will set a precedent for any/all politicians who were ever told about abuse and who continued to associate with the perpetrators or neglected to do anything about it.

[LDF]

I hate to be partitionist for a moment, but the views of Southerners hardly matter when the North is four months away from a general election. Adams would have to go immediately or stay until after May (eg in the South kenny is safe despite his weakness due to the proximity to an election and his party's standing. Same logic applies).

How is story running in the occupied territory/the 6 counties/Northern Ireland?

Then who succeeds him?
McGUINNESS - hardly, he must have known also and would hardly be a great leader for the south.
Mary Lou - please God no.
Pearse Doherty , a tad young.
Any of the TDs - all crap
Conor Murphy - he comes across as having no personality.

I'd say SF would need to go for an interim leader - Gerry Kelly would be an obvious choice or Ruane. After that, they'd look to the younger folk. Ms Ferris would be an interesting choice if they could manage to get her elected to a significant office.

Congratulations on getting Kenny into this story by the way. It couldn't have been easy!

[Thac0man]

I thought this merited its own thread. Gerry Adams version of what transpired after the revelation by his niece of her sexual abuse by her father has been shown to be untrue. I knew there was something wrong in the picture being painted by Adams, and now we know what. He apparently continued to campaign with his brother Liam many years later.

Suzanne Breen in today's Tribune:



Exposed: Gerry Adams' lies over brother's Sinn Féin role

If this story gets legs in the broadcast media this week, he'll be gone within 10 days, surely? Or will it be a protracted slow-burn of unnecessary embarrassment for all concerned?

I'd say he's finished.

If its true that he tried to get his brother barred from the party, then those that blocked that move allied themselves with someone who is on the run for an (alledged) aweful crime. Sinn Fein is not going to remove their president at the behest of the media or non-SF members and internally those who could displace Adams may already have weakened their hand. Throughout this affair politics goes on. While I do not doubt Adams personal integrity in the family side of this affair, he may have equally played the situation to the disadvantage of his internal opponents. That he canvassed for his brother is only proof that he put the party, and the wishes of the party first. In the cold light of day now the affair is in the open, Adams may have been preparing for this day and at a stroke neutralised his internal oppostion.

[turdsl]

Adams has brass neck. It won't sit well with most people but people who concern themselves about issues of morality don't reallyvote SF to begin with.

Of coarse from a Fine Gael point of view you are right, they are the real upholders of morality,but then again when you look at their cool clean hero Michael Collins the most notorious gun mam this country ever produced , if he had not sold out the republicans in the North,Mr Adams would never be required to defend those people.but then again when you look at the founders and their first leaders, maybe, the people in the South were smarter than we thought and just kept them out of power for most of their existence,People in Fine Gael are been foolish if they think they can lecture the electorate on the morals of others, Morals had nothing to do with the founding of this state, when the most foul murders were carried out than cannot be equaled anywhere in the world to this day..

[Amach na Casca]

I would suspect Adams will want to go on his own terms and in his own time and so won't resign. It would be a sad way for him to end his career by his resignation being linked with this issue. How heavy the media go on him will also have a bearing on whether it will be easy or harder for him to hang in there.

My feeling is he will tough it out for a few more years and leave at a different time under more favourable circumstances. There certainly won't be a push from inside the party to get rid unless SFs support falls drastically in the O6C as a result of this which i seriously doubt it will.

As for a new leader, Pearse Doherty is the most likeable of the contenders imo and SF should groom him for the job.

[Sync]

Gerry Adams’s spokesman yesterday insisted the photographs did “not in any way punch a hole” in Mr Adams’s statement that he acted against his brother in Louth to prevent him being selected as the party’s candidate.
Asked about the pictures in the Sunday Tribune of Gerry Adams and Liam Adams together on the canvass with Mr Hanratty, the spokesman said Gerry Adams could not prevent his brother joining a canvass in which the Sinn Féin president was participating.
“What was he to do: stand up and say on a loudspeaker that there are allegations of abuse against my brother?” he said.
The spokesman also said the sources of the claims in Dundalk against Gerry Adams were “dissidents” motivated by antagonism against the Sinn Féin leader.


Gerry Adams did block brother, says SF - The Irish Times - Mon, Dec 28, 2009


So the defence is that the brother jumped out and forced Gerry Adams to sit smiling beside him, and nothing could be done to prevent the brother acting effectively as his man in Louth. Sorry, it's not going to wash. Not even close. quote, toxic avenger

Washes for me. I've had pictures taken with people who have tried to have me fired, and with people I've had fired that I'm sure were uncomfortable for all. Adults rarely reduce themselves to pushing people off camera. In a single moment of surprise when the camera appeared who knows how anyone would react. I'm reminded of Prince Charles shaking hands with Mugabe that I had similar thoughts abouts. A man may smile and smile and be a villain etc.

The picture won't sink Adams, especially as no one named seems to be disputing that Adams did in fact sabotage Liams efforts to be elected.

What will sink him is the trial, which there seems certain to be. Adams will get called, as he had knowledge of the event given to him by both parties. Then he'll be asked what he did when he was first told, what he did to get her justice in the intervening years, what he did when he discovered his brother was trying to work with other children.
Which is nothing, and is inexcusable.

He can ride this immediate issue out, but ultimatly he seems unlikely to survive.

[Sync]

How do you know the allegation is false ? Haven't the time to check back, but that posting makes me suspect you're acting on behalf of SF.

If she cared about the veracity of an article, she would have stated how she tried to contact any of the people in the photograph prior to publication. I'm not SF, that's simple journalism.