Gerry Adams MP MLA
President of Sinn Féin
Incumbent
Assumed office  1983
Preceded by	Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
Member of Parliament for Belfast West
Incumbent
Assumed office  1 May 1997
Preceded by	Joe Hendron
In office 9 June 1983 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by	Gerry Fitt
Succeeded by	Joe Hendron
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast West
Incumbent
Assumed office  25 June 1998
Born	October 6, 1948 (1948-10-06) (age 59) Belfast
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse	Collette McArdle
Website	Sinn Féin - Gerry Adams

Gerry Adams MP (Irish: Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh^[1]; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Member of the Legislative Assembly ( MLA) is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (born 2 October 1932 is an Irish republican. For other constituencies of the same name see Belfast West. Belfast West is a Parliamentary Constituency in the UK House Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Joe Hendron (born 12 November 1932) is a Northern Ireland politician a member of the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Gerard "Gerry" Fitt Baron Fitt ( 9 April 1926 &ndash 26 August 2005) was a Northern Irish politician Joe Hendron (born 12 November 1932) is a Northern Ireland politician a member of the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Belfast West is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Following is a (currently incomplete list of past and present Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom in alphabetical order Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic Abstentionism is standing for Election to a Deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. For other constituencies of the same name see Belfast West. Belfast West is a Parliamentary Constituency in the UK House He is the president of Sinn Féin, which is the second largest political party in Northern Ireland and fourth largest party in the Republic of Ireland. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe.

Adams is credited with having played a pivotal role in helping to end the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ^[2] His leadership and ability to communicate and negotiate with both paramilitary forces and also politicians such as John Hume and John Major was the catalyst that brought about the Good Friday Agreement. John Hume (born 18 January 1937) is a former Politician in Northern Ireland, founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party Sir John Major KG CH ACIB (born 29 March 1943 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an

From the late 1980s, Adams was an important figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, initially following contact by the then Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader John Hume and subsequently with the Irish and British governments and then other parties. When discussing the History of Northern Ireland, the " peace process " is generally considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland John Hume (born 18 January 1937) is a former Politician in Northern Ireland, founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party The Government of Ireland (Rialtas na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at In 2005, the IRA indicated that its armed campaign was over and that it is now exclusively committed to democratic politics. ^[3] Under Adams, Sinn Féin changed its traditional policy of abstentionism towards Oireachtas Éireann, the parliament of the Republic of Ireland, in 1986 and later took seats in the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly. The Oireachtas (ɛrʲaxt̪ˠasˠ is the "national parliament" or Legislature of Ireland, sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The D'Hondt method (mathematically but not operationally equivalent to Jefferson's method, and Bader-Ofer method) is a Highest averages method for The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved However, Sinn Féin retains a policy of abstentionism towards the Westminster Parliament.

Early life

Adams was born in West Belfast into a nationalist Catholic family consisting of 10 children who survived infancy (five boys, five girls) and their parents, Gerry Adams Sr. and Annie Hannaway. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and Gerry Adams Sr (1926 &ndash November 17 2003) was a Belfast Irish Republican Army (IRA volunteer who took part in its Northern Campaign

Gerry Sr. and Annie came from strong republican backgrounds. Adams's grandfather, also called Gerry Adams, had been a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) during the Irish War of Independence. The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic Republic" in the mid nineteenth The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla Two of Adams's uncles, Dominic and Patrick Adams, had been interned by the governments in Belfast and Dublin. Although it is reported that his uncle Dominic was a one-time IRA chief of staff, J. Bowyer Bell, in his widely respected book, The Secret Army: The IRA 1916 (Irish Academy Press), states that Dominic Adams was a senior figure in the IRA of the mid-1940s. The following is the list of those who are reported to have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army in the various incarnations of organisations bearing that name J Bowyer Bell ( 15 November 1931 &ndash 23 August 2003) was an American Historian, Artist and Art critic Gerry Sr. joined the IRA aged sixteen; in 1942 he participated in an IRA ambush on a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) patrol but was himself shot, arrested and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001

Adams's maternal great-grandfather, Michael Hannaway, was a member of the Fenians during their dynamiting campaign in England in the 1860s and 1870s. Fianna Éireann The Fenians, both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood, were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Michael's son, Billy, was election agent for Éamon de Valera in 1918 in West Belfast but refused to follow de Valera into democratic and constitutional politics upon the formation of Fianna Fáil. Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the Annie Hannaway was a member of Cumann na mBan, the women's branch of the IRA. Cumann na mBan (ˈkumˠən̪ˠ n̪ˠə mˠɒn̪ˠ Women's League is an Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation formed in Dublin on April 1914 as an auxiliary Three of her brothers (Alfie, Liam and Tommy) were known IRA members.

Because of rampant prejudice against Catholics in the North, Adams's family (along with the majority of Catholic families) had trouble finding work and faced potential internment without trial. In addition, the republican cause was not supported by the larger Irish community until the 1960's, when the civil rights campaign first began in the North on a largte scale, so Adams's family did not find many that shared their political views when Adams was a young child.

Adams attended St Finian's Primary School on the Falls Road where he was taught by De La Salle brothers. St Finian's Primary School was a primary school that was located in the Falls Road area of west Belfast. Lasallian educational institutions are Educational institutions affiliated with the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as the Religious orders ('Religious Institutes' cf canons 573-746 are the major form of consecrated life in the Roman Catholic Church. He then attended St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School after passing the eleven-plus exam in 1960. St Mary's CBGS (Christian Brothers' Grammar School (in Irish: Scoil Mhuire na mBráithre) is a Roman Catholic boys' Grammar school in In the United Kingdom the Eleven Plus or Transfer Test is an Examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education He left St. Mary's with six O-levels, and became a bartender, but became increasingly involved in the Irish republican movement, joining Sinn Féin and Fianna Éireann in 1964, after being radicalised by the Divis Street riots during the general election campaign. The O-level (Ordinary Level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education (GCE The name Fianna Éireann (ˈfʲiənə ˈeːɾʲən) also rendered as Fianna na hÉireann and Na Fianna Éireann ( Irish: " Soldiery of ^[4]

When Third Way Magazine asked Adams whether he was a Christian he said: 'I like the sense of there being a God, and I do take succour now from the collective comfort of being at a Mass or another religious event where you can be anonymous and individual – just a sense of community at prayer and of paying attention to that spiritual dimension which is in all of us; and I also take some succour in a private, solitary way from being able to reflect on those things. Third Way Magazine is a UK current-affairs magazine written from a Christian perspective '^[5]

Early political career

The Easter Lily is a badge worn at Easter by Irish republicans as symbol of remembrance for Irish combatants who died during or were executed after the 1916 Easter Rising. The Easter Lily is a Badge worn at Easter by Irish republicans as symbol of remembrance for Irish combatants who died during or were executed after the The Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na Cásca was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916

In the late 1960s, a civil rights campaign developed in Northern Ireland. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Adams was an active supporter and joined the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in 1967^[4]. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( Cumann Chearta Sibhialta Thuaisceart Éireann) was an organisation which campaigned for Civil rights in Northern However, the civil rights movement was met with protests from loyalist counter-demonstrators, and Northern Irish government forces. Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. This culminated in August 1969, when Northern Ireland cities like Belfast and Derry erupted in major rioting and British troops were called in at the request of the Government of Northern Ireland (see 1969 Northern Ireland Riots). From 13- 17 August 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intensive Sectarian rioting

Adams was active in Sinn Féin at this time. In August 1971, internment was introduced in Northern Ireland under the Special Powers Act. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial The Civil Authorities (Special Powers Act (Northern Ireland 1922 was an act of legislation passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland shortly after the formation of the Northern Adams was interned in March 1972, on HMS Maidstone, but was released in June to take part in secret, but abortive talks in London. Facilities She was built to support the increasing numbers of submarines especially on distant stations such as the Mediterranean and the Pacific Far East ^[4] The IRA negotiated a short-lived truce with the British and an IRA delegation met with the British Home Secretary, William Whitelaw. William Stephen Ian Whitelaw 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL (28 June 1918 &ndash 1 July 1999 commonly known as The delegation included Sean Mac Stiofain (Chief of Staff), Daithi O'Conaill, Seamus Twomey, Ivor Bell, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams , and Myles Shevlin, a solicitor. Seán Mac Stíofáin ( 17 February 1928 &ndash 18 May 2001) was an Irish republican and first chief of staff of the Dáithí Ó Conaill (1938 – 1 January 1991) was an Irish republican, a member of the IRA Army Council, vice-president of Sinn Féin Seamus Twomey ( 5 November 1919 &ndash 12 September 1989) was an Irish republican and twice chief of staff of the Ivor Malachy Bell is an Irish Republican, and a former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA who later James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The IRA insisted Adams be included in the meeting and he was released from internment to participate. Following the failure of the talks he played a central role in planning the bomb blitz on Belfast known as Bloody Friday. Bloody Friday is the name given to the bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army 's (IRA Belfast Brigade in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland ^[4] He was re-arrested in July 1973 and interned at Long Kesh internment camp. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Her Majesty's Prison Maze (known colloquially as The H Blocks, Long Kesh, or The Maze) was a Prison used to house Paramilitary prisoners After taking part in an IRA-organised escape attempt he was sentenced to a period of imprisonment.

During the Hunger Strikes of 1981, Adams played an important policy-making role, which saw the emergence of his party as a political force. The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. In 1983 he was elected president of Sinn Féin^[4] and became the first Sinn Féin MP elected to the British House of Commons since Phil Clarke and Tom Mitchel were elected in the mid-1950s. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Following his election as MP for Belfast West the British government lifted a ban on him travelling to Britain. For other constituencies of the same name see Belfast West. Belfast West is a Parliamentary Constituency in the UK House The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In line with Sinn Féin policy, he refused to sit in the House of Commons.

On 14 March 1984, Adams was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt when several Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) gunmen fired about twenty shots into the car in which he was travelling. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The Ulster Defence Association ( UDA) is a loyalist Paramilitary criminal organization in Northern Ireland, outlawed as a Terrorist After the shooting, under-cover plain clothes police officers seized three suspects who were later convicted and sentenced. ^[6] One of the three was John Gregg. John Gregg (1957? - February 1, 2003) (nicknamed "Grug" was a senior member of the UDA/UFF Loyalist organization in Northern Ireland Adams claimed that the British army had prior knowledge of the attack and allowed it to go ahead. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ^[7]

Alleged IRA membership

Adams has stated repeatedly that he has never been a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the ^[8] However, noted scholars such as Ed Moloney, Richard English, Peter Taylor and Mark Urban have all named Adams to be part of the IRA leadership since the 1970s. Ed Moloney (born Edmund is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and particularly the activities Richard English is a Historian from Northern Ireland. He was born in Belfast in 1963 Peter Taylor born Scarborough, North Yorkshire is a British Journalist and documentary -maker who had covered for many years the political ^{[9][10][11][12]} Adams has denied Moloney's claims, calling them "libellous," ^[13] however he has not taken legal action on Moloney.

President of Sinn Féin

In 1978, Gerry Adams became joint-vice-president of Sinn Féin and he became a key figure in directing a challenge to the Sinn Féin leadership of President Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and joint-Vice President Dáithí Ó Conaill. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (born 2 October 1932 is an Irish republican. Dáithí Ó Conaill (1938 – 1 January 1991) was an Irish republican, a member of the IRA Army Council, vice-president of Sinn Féin

The 1975 IRA-British truce is often viewed as the event that began the challenge to the original Provisional Sinn Féin leadership, which was said to be Southern-based and dominated by southerners like Ó Brádaigh and Ó Conaill. However, the Chief of Staff of the IRA at the time, Seamus Twomey, was a senior figure from Belfast. Seamus Twomey ( 5 November 1919 &ndash 12 September 1989) was an Irish republican and twice chief of staff of the Others in the leadership were also Northern based, including Billy McKee from Belfast. Billy McKee ( Liam Mac Aoidh; is an Irish republican and was a founding member and former leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA Adams (allegedly) rose to become the most senior figure in the IRA Northern Command on the basis of his absolute rejection of anything but military action, but this conflicts with the fact that during his time in prison Adams came to reassess his approach and became more political. Northern Command is a command division in the Irish Republican Army (IRA and Provisional IRA, responsible for directing IRA operations in the northern part of It is alleged that "provisional" republicanism was founded on its opposition to the communist-inspired "broad front" politics of the Cathal Goulding-led Official IRA, but this too is disputed. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Cathal Goulding ( 2 January 1923 - 26 December 1998) was Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army and the Official The term Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (informally the Officials) refers to one of the two organisations&mdashthe other being the Provisional

One of the core reasons that the Provisional IRA and provisional Sinn Féin were founded, in December 1969 and January 1970, respectively, was that people like Ó Brádaigh and O'Connell, and Billy McKee, opposed participation in constitutional politics, the other was the failure of the Goulding leadership to provide for the defence of nationalist areas. When, at the December 1969 IRA convention and the January 1970 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis the delegates voted to participate in the Dublin (Leinster House), Belfast (Stormont) and London (Westminster) parliaments, the organizations split. Gerry Adams, who had joined the Republican Movement in the early 1960s, did not go with the Provisionals until later in 1970.

In Long Kesh in the mid-1970s, and writing under the pseudonym Brownie in Republican News, Adams called for increased political activity, especially at a local level, by Republicans. Republican News was a longstanding newspaper/magazine published by Sinn Féin. ^[14] The call resonated with younger Northern people, many of whom had been active in the Provisional IRA but had not necessarily been highly active in Sinn Féin. In 1977, Adams and Danny Morrison drafted the address of Jimmy Drumm at the Annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration at Bodenstown. Daniel Gerard Morrison (born 1953 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) known generally as Danny Morrison is an Irish republican activist and writer Theobald Wolfe Tone, commonly known as Wolfe Tone ( 20 June, 1763 – 19 November, 1798) was a leading figure in the United The Address was viewed as watershed in that Drumm acknowledged that the war would be a long one and that success depended on political activity that would complement the IRA's armed campaign. For some, this wedding of politics and armed struggle culminated in Danny Morrison's statement at the 1981 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in which he asked "Who here really believes we can win the war through the Ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot paper in one hand and the armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland". ArmaLite, originally the ArmaLite Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, is a Small arms manufacturing company For others, however, the call to link political activity with armed struggle had been clearly defined in Sinn Féin policy and in the Presidential Addresses of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, but it had not resonated with the young Northerners (It can be argued that Sinn Féin had been trying to link political activity with military activity since at least the late 1950s). Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (born 2 October 1932 is an Irish republican. ^[15]

Gerry Adams at the Fermanagh Commemoration, reading aloud into a microphone.

Ironically, while Adams was advocating that the Republican Movement needed more involvement in politics, he was one of the key opponents of Sinn Féin putting forward a candidate for the first election to the European Parliament, in 1979. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Even after the election of Bobby Sands as MP for Fermanagh/South Tyrone, a part of the mass mobilization associated with the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike by republican prisoners in the H blocks of the Maze prison (known as Long Kesh by Republicans), Adams was cautious about political involvement by Sinn Féin. Robert Gerard Sands (Roibeard Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh commonly known as Bobby Sands, (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981 was a Provisional Irish Republican Army The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. Her Majesty's Prison Maze (known colloquially as The H Blocks, Long Kesh, or The Maze) was a Prison used to house Paramilitary prisoners Her Majesty's Prison Maze (known colloquially as The H Blocks, Long Kesh, or The Maze) was a Prison used to house Paramilitary prisoners Her Majesty's Prison Maze (known colloquially as The H Blocks, Long Kesh, or The Maze) was a Prison used to house Paramilitary prisoners Charles Haughey, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, called an election for June 1981. At an Ard Chomhairle meeting Adams recommended that they contest only four constituencies. Instead, H-Block/Armagh Candidates contested nine constituencies and elected two TDs. This, along with the election of Bobby Sands, was precursor to the a big electoral breakthrough in elections in 1982 to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Adams, Danny Morrison, Martin McGuinness, Jim McAllister, and Owen Carron were elected as abstentionists. Election is a 1999 film adapted from a critically acclaimed 1998 Novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. Owen Gerard Carron (born February 1953 is an Irish republican activist and the former Member of Parliament (MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The SDLP had announced before the election that it would not take any seats and so its 14 elected representatives also abstained from participating in the Assembly and it was a failure. The 1982 election was followed by the 1983 Westminster election, in which Sinn Féin's vote increased and Gerry Adams was elected, as an abstentionist, as MP for West Belfast. It was in 1983 that Ruairí Ó Brádaigh resigned as President of Sinn Féin and was succeeded by Gerry Adams.

Republicans had long claimed that the only legitimate Irish state was the Irish Republic declared in the Proclamation of the Republic of 1916, which they considered to be still in existence. The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed In their view, the legitimate government was the IRA Army Council, which had been vested with the authority of that Republic in 1938 (prior to the Second World War) by the last remaining anti-Treaty deputies of the Second Dáil. The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA a Paramilitary group dedicated to bringing World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty The Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16 August 1921 until 8 June 1922. Adams continued to adhere to this claim of republican political legitimacy until quite recently - however in his 2005 speech to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis he explicitly rejected it. An Ardfheis or Ard Fheis ( pronounced ˈɛɕ plural Ardfheiseanna) (Ardfheis is an annual convention or special convention usually of a political party

As a result of this non-recognition, Sinn Féin had abstained from taking any of the seats they won in the British or Irish parliaments. At its 1986 Ard Fheis, Sinn Féin delegates passed a resolution to amend the rules and constitution that would allow its members to sit in the Dublin parliament (Leinster House/Dáil Éireann). At this Ruairí Ó Brádaigh led a small walkout,^{[16][17][18][19]} just as he and Sean Mac Stiofain had done sixteen years earlier with the creation of Provisional Sinn Féin. Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (born 2 October 1932 is an Irish republican. This minority, which rejected dropping the policy of abstentionism, now nominally distinguishes itself from Provisional Sinn Féin by using the name Republican Sinn Féin (or Sinn Féin Poblachtach), and maintains that they are the true Sinn Féin republicans. Abstentionism is standing for Election to a Deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business Republican Sinn Féin ( RSF; Irish: Sinn Féin Poblachtach) is a Political party operating in Ireland.

Adams' leadership of Sinn Féin was supported by a Northern-based cadre that included people like Danny Morrison and Martin McGuinness. Daniel Gerard Morrison (born 1953 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) known generally as Danny Morrison is an Irish republican activist and writer James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. Adams and others, over time, pointed to Republican electoral successes in the early and mid-1980s, when hunger strikers Bobby Sands and Kieran Doherty were elected to the British House of Commons and Dáil Éireann respectively, and they advocated that Sinn Féin become increasingly political and base its influence on electoral politics rather than paramilitarism. Robert Gerard Sands (Roibeard Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh commonly known as Bobby Sands, (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981 was a Provisional Irish Republican Army Kieran (or Ciarán) Doherty TD ( Irish name: Ciarán Ó Dochartaigh; 16 October 1955 &ndash 2 August 1981 was an Irish republican The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament The electoral effects of this strategy were shown later by the election of Adams and McGuinness to the House of Commons.

Voice ban

Adams's prominence as an Irish Republican leader was increased by the ban on the media broadcast of his voice (the ban actually covered eleven republican and loyalist organisations^[20], but in practice Adams was the only one prominent enough to appear regularly on TV). Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic This ban was imposed by the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher on 19 October 1988, the reason given being to "deny terrorists the oxygen of publicity" after the BBC interviewed Martin McGuinness. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. ^[21]

A similar ban, known as Section 31, had been law in the Republic of Ireland since the 1970s. Although Ireland does not currently exercise much censorship in practice the state has wide-ranging laws which allow censorship and has specific laws covering Films, However media outlets soon found ways around the ban, initially by the use of subtitles, but later and more commonly by the use of an actor reading his words over the images of him speaking. The actor who voiced Gerry Adams during this time was Paul Loughran. Paul Loughran (born 7 July 1969, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK is an Actor.

This ban was lampooned in cartoons and satirical TV shows, such as Spitting Image, and in The Day Today and was criticised by freedom of speech organisations and British media personalities, including BBC Director General John Birt and BBC foreign editor John Simpson. Spitting Image was a British satirical Puppet show that ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996 The Day Today is a surreal British Parody of television News programmes It is an adaptation of the radio programme On The Hour Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. John Birt Baron Birt (born 10 December 1944) served as the Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC from 1992 to 2000 John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE (born 9 August 1944) is an English foreign correspondent. The ban was lifted by British Prime Minister John Major on 17 September 1994. Sir John Major KG CH ACIB (born 29 March 1943 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

Moving into mainstream politics

Gerry Adams at the launch of special limited Dublin edition of An Phoblacht, Easter 2008. An Phoblacht ( Irish for "The Republic" is the official Newspaper of Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin continued its policy of refusing to sit in the Westminster parliament even after Adams won the Belfast West constituency. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. For other constituencies of the same name see Belfast West. Belfast West is a Parliamentary Constituency in the UK House He lost his seat to Joe Hendron of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in the 1992 general election. Joe Hendron (born 12 November 1932) is a Northern Ireland politician a member of the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland Results |} The turnout was 33514074 from an Electorate of 43275316 voting in a total of 651 seats However, he easily regained it at the next election in May 1997.

Under Adams, Sinn Féin appeared to move away from being a political voice of the Provisional IRA to becoming a professionally organised political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe.

SDLP leader John Hume, MP, identified the possibility that a negotiated settlement might be possible and began secret talks with Adams in 1988. John Hume (born 18 January 1937) is a former Politician in Northern Ireland, founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party These discussions led to unofficial contacts with the British Northern Ireland Office under the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Brooke, and with the government of the Republic under Charles Haughey – although both governments maintained in public that they would not negotiate with "terrorists" . The Northern Ireland Office ( NIO) is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is the chief minister in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland Peter Leonard Brooke Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, CH, PC (born 3 March 1934 is a British politician a former Conservative

These talks provided the groundwork for what was later to be the Belfast Agreement, as well as the milestone Downing Street Declaration and the Joint Framework Document. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an The Downing Street Declaration was a joint declaration issued on December 15, 1993 by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major and

These negotiations led to the IRA ceasefire in August 1994. Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds (who had replaced Haughey) and who had played a key role in the Hume/Adams dialogue through his Special Advisor Martin Mansergh, regarded the ceasefire as permanent. The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the Albert Reynolds (Ailbhe Mac Raghnaill born 4 November 1932 served as the eighth Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994 Martin Mansergh Ph D (born 31 December 1946 is an Irish politician and historian However the slow pace of developments, contributed in part to the (wider) political difficulties of the British government of John Major and consequent reliance on Ulster Unionist Party votes in the House of Commons, led the IRA to end its ceasefire and resume the campaign. Sir John Major KG CH ACIB (born 29 March 1943 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party

A restituted ceasefire later followed, as part of the negotiations strategy, which saw teams from the British and Irish governments, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP, Sinn Féin and representatives of loyalist paramilitary organizations, under the chairmanship of former United States Senator George Mitchell, produced the Belfast Agreement (also called the Good Friday Agreement as it was signed on Good Friday, 1998). The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For other persons with a similar name see George Mitchell. George John Mitchell, GBE (born August 20, 1933 The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Under the agreement, structures were created reflecting the Irish and British identities of the people of Ireland, with a British-Irish Council and a Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly created. The British-Irish Council ( BIC) (Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann is a body created by the Belfast Agreement in 1998 and formally established on 2 December 1999 The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved

Articles 2 and 3 of the Republic's constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, which claimed sovereignty over all of Ireland, were reworded, and a power-sharing Executive Committee was provided for. The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July As part of their deal Sinn Féin agreed to abandon its abstentionist policy regarding a "six-county parliament", as a result taking seats in the new Stormont-based Assembly and running the education and health and social services ministries in the power-sharing government. Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast, served as the seat of the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Opponents in Republican Sinn Féin accused Sinn Féin of "selling out" by agreeing to participate in what it called "partitionist assemblies" in the Republic and Northern Ireland. The Partition of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However Gerry Adams insisted that the Belfast Agreement provided a mechanism to deliver a united Ireland by non-violent and constitutional means, much as Michael Collins had said of the Anglo-Irish Treaty nearly 80 years earlier. Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty

When Sinn Féin came to nominate its two ministers to the Northern Ireland Executive, the party, like the SDLP and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) chose for tactical reasons not to include its leader among its ministers. The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. (When later the SDLP chose a new leader, it selected one of its ministers, Mark Durkan, who then opted to remain in the Committee. Mark Henry Durkan (born 26 June 1960 Derry, Northern Ireland) is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland and the leader of the Social Democratic )

Adams remains the President of Sinn Féin, with Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin serving as Sinn Féin parliamentary leader in Dáil Éireann, and Daithí McKay is head of the Sinn Féin group in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (ˈkɰiːvʲiːnʲ oː ˈkɰeːlɑːnʲ born 18 September 1953 is a Sinn Féin politician from Ireland. Daithí McKay MLA (b Ballymena, Antrim, 1982 is an Irish republican politician, he is the Environmental Spokesperson for Sinn Féin and is one of the party's 3 Adams son, Gearoid is a primary school teacher and has represented Co. Antrim in gaelic football.

Adams was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 March 2007,^[22] and on 26 March 2007 he met with DUP leader Ian Paisley face-to-face for the first time, and the two came to an agreement regarding the return of the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926 styled The Rt Hon ^[23]

References

Published works

• Falls Memories, 1982
• The Politics of Irish Freedom, 1986
• A Pathway to Peace, 1988
• An Irish Voice
• Cage Eleven, 1990
• The Street and Other Stories, 1992
• Free Ireland: Towards a Lasting Peace, 1995
• Before the Dawn, 1996, Brandon Books, ISBN 0-434-00341-7
• Selected Writings
• Who Fears to Speak. . . ?, 2001(Original Edition 1991), Beyond the Pale Publications, ISBN 1-90096-013-3
• An Irish Journal, 2001, Brandon Books, ISBN 0-86322-282-X
• Hope and History, 2003, Brandon Books, ISBN 0-86322-330-3
• A Farther Shore, 2005, Random House
• An Irish Eye, 2007, Brandon Books

See also

• IRA Army Council
• Provisional Irish Republican Army
• Sinn Féin
• History of Northern Ireland
• The Troubles
• Northern Ireland peace process

• J. The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA a Paramilitary group dedicated to bringing The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Northern Ireland was established as a distinct region of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. When discussing the History of Northern Ireland, the " peace process " is generally considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Bowyer Bell. The Secret Army: The IRA 1916 -. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1979.
• Colm Keena. A Biography of Gerry Adams. Cork, Ireland: Mercier Press, 1990.
• Robert W. White. Ruairi O Bradaigh, the Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006.
• Anthony McIntyre. Gerry Adams Man Of War and Man Of Peace?, academic lecture examining Gerry Adams' role in the Republican Movement

External links

• Sinn Féin - Gerry Adams official profile
• Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - Gerry Adams
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Gerry Adams MP
• The Public Whip - Gerry Adams voting record