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THE CHAIRMAN OF Independent News and Media has hit out against controversial comments Gerry Adam’s made at an event in New York last week.
Speaking at a Friends of Sinn Féin fundraising dinner in the US last week, Adams described how Michael Collins dealt with critical press coverage from Independent Newspapers by holding the editor at gunpoint and dismantling printing presses.
Adams told the audience at the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan he said:
Mick Collins’ response to the Independent’s criticism of the fight for freedom was to dispatch volunteers to the Independent’s offices.
They held the editor at gunpoint and then dismantled and destroyed the entire printing machinery! Now I’m obviously not advocating that…
The Tánaiste Joan Burton condemned the comments, telling the Dáil that they represented “a barely concealed threat to the modern media of the consequences of interfering with powerful men”.
Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said this week that the comments made were “inappropriate” in the context of the daily threats of violence against journalists across the globe.
Careless
Tonight, INM Chairman, Leslie Buckley said Adams’ comments were ”careless” and “at worst they were insidious”.
I believe this to be a veiled threat by Mr. Adams not only to journalists at INM but the entire free media on this island, whether broadcast, online or print.
The comments of Mr. Adams are all the more concerning because of the murders of two campaigning journalists from Independent News & Media – Veronica Guerin and Marty O’Hagan – to gun violence in the course of their work.
In fact, I am astounded by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams’ remarks and urge him to reflect on what he has said. It is important that we as a society never forget their courage and bravery and the sacrifice they made.
Buckley added that Tomas Brunegård President of WAN-IFRA, the global body representing 18,000 newspapers and online publishers wrote this week to the Sinn Fein leader respectfully calling on Adams’ to retract these comments.
Buckley said he urged the Sinn Féin leader to do the same.
Historical fact
Earlier this week, Adams said he would not be withdrawing the comments.
“I have no intention of withdrawing my remarks. They were simply referencing a historical fact,” he said.
“I was highlighting the hypocrisy of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaders who hale [sic] IRA leader Michael Collins as some Gandhi-like figure while condemning modern republicans such Bobby Sands, Mairead Farrell, or Maire Drumm as ‘terrorists’.
He said that anyone who read the script for the speech will “understand the absurdity of the Independent Group’s campaign”.
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Is that picture the face of Bad Santa or what..
WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House??
Depopulating the country of the undesirable people who don’t agree with them, so that come next election they will have a scared, obedient, docile, little electorate to vote them in again.
What ever Reilly!!!! You are a proven liar and who trusts a liar?
Only way we will get a decent health service is when Reilly&Co are told their private health insurance is invalid and that next time they or their families gets sick they are at the back of the queue…watch them sort it out, pronto.
All TDs and public servants should be made use public transport. Imagine the immediate efficiencies.
Ditto education.
And if you don’t like the conditions, emigrate like the rest of us. Take away their cushions.
Every time I see Chubacca’s hairy face I get this awful sinking feeling.
Given the track record to date and the utter complacency and contemptious way this sham of a government have and continue to treat the Irish prople I would not believe the Lords prayer from the mouths of any of them.
I have no confidence in them at all.
Now there’s a question, how many ministers/TD’s have private health insurance? Instead of putting their fate in the hands of public hospitals. Maybe the journal could investigate and report this? Although you will never get the answer.
if they didn’t waste so much money on being inefficient, they would be far better off! i mean, printing off letters to send to another person in the same department down the hall, waiting for 2-3 days for it to be delivered, then responded to then another letter and so on on
never heard of email no? what a complete waste of money, time and resources!
Minister Fintan Stack. :P
The lads in the pub don’t like him even when they are sober.
have your say