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MARY LOU MCDONALD has already started to look ahead to the next 20 days as Sinn Féin hope to bag three European Parliament seats and places on every local authority.
“We want to return Sinn Féin representation to every local authority across the country. That’s the game plan. That’s Plan A. That’s Plan B,” she said.
Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, the TD said she was looking forward to the return of president Gerry Adams to lead the campaign trail ahead of the European and local elections.
She again dismissed suggestions that she would take over as interim leader.
“That issue does not arise,” she told reporters. “Gerry is the President of Sinn Fein. He is our leader. We support him.”
The party performed well in polls this week, despite the arrest and detention of Adams who was released this evening.
McDonald said she believes Adams enjoys support from the ordinary people on the street.
Both McDonald and her party colleague Martin McGuinness have been vocal in their criticism of “dark forces” working within the PSNI.
The party claims Adams’s arrest was politically motivated and charged.
McDonald also urged politicians in Leinster House to increase their own engagement with the peace process, and be more “energetic and assertive”.
She also criticised the British Government for not being as supportive it should have been during the Haas negotiations.
Meanwhile, McGuinness clarified earlier remarks, confirming his continued support for the policing system in Northern Ireland.
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Well done Gerry Adams. They tried to hit you and failed. And the gurriers running this country tried to make political capital of of your RUC persecution. Shame on our traitorous so called leaders who tried to gloat on the persecution of an Irish patriot.
Idiot
Good man Michael, excellent come back.
Who gloated? Any links please?
Idiot 2
Our so called leaders were falling over themselves advising Adams on what he should say and how he should help, with the barely concealed implication that he was guilty. Like the shower of spineless mendacious traitors who sold out this country and lied to us about not paying bondholders that they are, they tried to paint themselves as honest brokers searching for truth and urging Adams to confess. Too bad Adams is innocent and they are guilty of treason and traitors to the Irish people one and all.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taoiseach-enda-kenny-calls-on-gerry-adams-to-cooperate-with-psni-30239005.html
Gerry Adams certainly does not have an answer to the Republic’s economic woes.He ties himself in knots whenever he is asked a question on the economy.
Any links to the gloating please?
Persecution? More Christ-like imagery… yet your colleagues say that Jean mcconville was merely killed.
You write like the wolf tones sing. Incredible.
Give me effin strength.. What a dunce in a school of dunces by the looks of it. God save ireland from your likes.
After the president’s visit to Britain last month this is very disappointing. It seems like the old status quo. Personally I don’t want that. My heart goes out to all the victims of the troubles but what of the future? Adams is no better or worse than the war – mongering leaders of countless political parties before him…Both in the UK and Ireland….In America…In China….In Europe and Africa. We are a sad species but sometimes get it together to rip the past apart and look to the future. We can only progress through peace and justice. ..true and real justice…which sometimes knows nothing or has anything to do with the past but concerns itself only with the future. As for truth commissions; let it all be written down and spoken. We are a troubled history nation, though small, and we know our neighbours well. But I really do believe that this is the time to find out about ourselves and what we might achieve without the yoke of a treacherous past.
Best post on this thread. My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
Good comment, but let’s not forget that Adams denies membership of the organisation that he brought to the peace process table. So a lot of this is of his own making
George, great post. Says all that actually needs to be said.
I’m an ordinary person in the street and I don’t support SF Mary.
Michael – you are on here for months as a FG Troll – will you stop speaking porkies ?
I don’t support SF either.
Ciar, I hate FG bunch of idiots led by an idiot, kind of like SF
Ya I’m an ordinary man on the street too and I don’t support SF
Tiocfaidh ár lá!
Whatever your view at least I didn’t hear a ‘going forward’.
Well said :-)
No going forward here…..It seems to me that the PSNI are out of kilter with Dublin and London.
“There’s only one way and that’s forward”
- Gerry Adams just said that as I read the comment.
RIGHT NOW:
Adams cannot leave Antrim police station owing to hostile mobs waving Union Jacks.
Check BBC
They used the union jack wavers as a decoy and Adams absconded out the back..Brilliant
Unreal. Some people forget exactly what folk in the north have to put up with. That crowd would protest about anything.
Whupped ‘em again Gerry lol :-)
Hence their name
Nice quote from the outlaw josey wales. Sadly that means you die from a gunshot wound shortly. Ironic?
I’m sure that sums something up about the realities of the ongoing situation.
It’s not as if he hasn’t seen a Union flag before afterall he is British as much as Irish, so they let him out the back gate instead.
Ridiculous comment Chris
That’s exactly it scooter, you have a pampered spoilt generation now looking back over the troubles thinking they know all about it from a quick skim through wikipedia. They sit down here in a safe comfortable democracy with an objective police force and a relatively accountable government and they judge people who had to live under a nightmarish police state where the police were on the side of the angry mobs trying to burn your street to the ground.
These types have a very simplistic image of the troubles, they imagine catholics not having any ministers in Stormont but otherwise things were not the worst, the IRA wanted a united Ireland so they set off bombs that deliberately killed civilians in the UK, the loyalists did some bad stuff but not as bad as the IRA, and later came to their senses and joined a peace process…and that’s about all they know.
They’ve no eye for the nuance, complexity and greyness of the real life situation people had to put up with , the hard choices they had to make etc
Then they top off that ignorance with constant attacks on the one man more responsible than nearly anyone else for ending the violence and reaching a peace deal, then compound THAT mistake by taking a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ attitude.
There is a type of person out there you see who imagine themselves to be cynical and worldly but in fact they are very naive, the ‘no smoke without fire’ brigade who beleive no innocent people ever go to prison, or if they do it’s v rare, theres no such thing as an innocent death row inmate, the police don’t ever rig evidence and are never wrong. They are usually the very same type who are outraged when it’s them stopped and patted down by the police.
A nasty bunch all of them ..
Is Gerry Adams release being politically motivated this close to a election????.
Excellent
His written request to the PSNI to be called in for questioning was a publicity stunt.
I imagine the first thing the PSNI asked him was ‘We received your written request, what do you want to discuss?”
No….it’s supposed to demotivate votes.
Tiocfaidh ár lá !
Ah yes, the cúpla focal….so a sheáin, cad a smaoiníon tú le polasaithe gheilleagar an rialtais?
Adams Abu!
Agus?
@Riddle That would be Ádhaimh abú as gaeilge.
Hahaha, nice burn padraig. You could be waiting a while for a response
Thanks Padraig. Will stick to the English from now on :-)
Bandwagon jumper you and many others unfortunately
Looking forward to more word vomit from European Infidel and associates.
“Adams is finished/must step down/toxic/a murderer!!1!”
Expect comments claiming that SF will never become a viable political force in the ‘South’ until Adams steps down. Of course, ignoring the fact that SF continues to grow and grow in support under his leadership and is now the second largest party in the Republic.
Infidel would never let a little thing like reality get in the way of a good rant.
Thanks white fang I love you too.
White fang do you have any political affiliation ? It don’t matter if you do or don’t you’re comments make me vomit. Come out and say who you really are !
Sinn Feins popularity is a bubble. How can a party aspire to represent working people North and South when they can never appeal to Northern Protestants?
Gerry Adams should not have been arrested. McGuinness should not have suggested conditions on support for police. We all need to remind ourselves of how important peace is.
The Government needs to be active in finding a mechanism to resolve the past without undermining the peace.
Heads must role over this ridiculous charade. The timing of this arrest for political gains could have had disastrous consequences for Ireland.
I couldn’t agree more. Any notion of jorreh being turned into a martyr for sf needs to be studiously avoided.
Niallers
Political gains? Really?
Its a few euro seats and a few council seats , get a grip
You would swear Gerry Adams is a war hero by the way Sinn Fein go on. I am going to call him Guissepe Conlon from now on
I’m on unnussunt mon!
If you listenened to some of the SF zombies you would be led to believe Gezza is a mix of Conlon,Abraham Lincoln and Mandela rolled into one Irish Republican hero.Our Gezza.What a guy.
Peace process equals SFIRA stops killing people.
Daft ignorant comment.
What else would you expect from a daft, ignorant commenter?
He’s fairly bad alright. Even Mick Jordan, colfer and Culligan over on the Russia threads can at least try to argue. Never thought I’d miss that lot :-)
All hail our dear leader.
Idealism is dead in Irish politics.
Bring back idealism.
Lets not lose sight of the reasons he was in the Antrim police station, following up enquiries about the murder of Jean McConville. The results of which have been sent over to the DPP as part of a wider investigatuon and possible criminal charges to follow. One thing for sure the McConville family haven’t gone away you know.
Sure chris and I certainly hope you never go away because your posts are pure comedy gold :-)
He wasn’t charged. I hope he at least sues for wrongful arrest.
Thanks mate, we aim to please….
No Truth & Reconciliation here.
Good to hear McGuinness has withdrawn his threat to withdraw his support for the PSNI unless his brother in arms is released. Repugnant behaviour for a sitting minister.
Well johngahan lets start hearing your calls for your leader Enda to support and push for just such a forum. Lets have all cards on the table…
I thought Gerry was the champion peacemaker?
The constant obsfucation, re-direction and whataboutery rails directly against Truth and Reconciliation, from all the senior ex-IRA/SF leadership and what they know about Gerry. Truth starts with admitting one’s role. At least other senior militants have done so.
McGuinness saying that Gerry told him ‘he wasn’t involved and he believes him’ is probably the most idiotic sidestep I’ve yet heard. McGuinness was in the midst of things himself; he wouldn’t need Gerry to tell him anything, he would have known for a fact if Gerry was involved or not.
What a tangled web they weave as they continue to deceive.
Oh Gerry let’s forget all the horrible attrocities of the past. All in the of politics, because everything is politicised when it suits you and your ilk. Spin your stories but SF will never gain the support of the intelligent, right minded and peace loving people of Ireland who have always abhorred violence be it physical, physiological or political that SF perpetrates.
Unfortunately the intelligent, rightminded, peaceloving people of Ireland are a dwindling majority; SF will show you the polls to prove it.
Can’t wait for the day Bertie Aherne is brought in for questioning about his part in the banking collapse and FF come out and and say if our great leader is to be charged will we have to review our relationship with the Garda Socihain. The country mighted be fu_ked by the current shower but put Sinn Fein in power and the real nightmare would only then begin.
Vote Sinn Fein its the only party with a strategy for future for all the citizens of Ireland.
What does Gerry Adams being a Jew have to do with things? One thing being politically motivated but this idea of it being religiously motivated is a scandal
It’s kinda weird watching a murder suspect on TV feign respectability and normalcy…
Adams’ autotheism will continue to hinder the anabiosis of his own part in the Republic of Ireland. This must be welcomed by all sane rational people.
Anabiosis is a term used to describe a temporary state of suspended animation, or greatly reduced metabolism.
Can anyone wager a guess as to what Patrick Lyons is actually trying to say here?
I’ve tried twice white fang. Sorry it needs a better man than me to decipher this one.
I can. Someone bought him/ her a dictionary. Of heshe downloaded a new app….
It’s a real headscratcher, that incoherent mess of a comment.
I have some advice for you, Patrick- it’s best not to use five syllable words in an attempt to look intelligent if you don’t actually know what they mean.
Anyway, we all know that Patrick isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. I’m more interested in knowing what the deal is with the 7 people who actually green thumb’d that unintelligible spiel.
Careful! Never try to understand the mind of a psychopath.
Since Gerry Adams was centre stage at the time “P. O’Neill” made that comment:
Can we assume:
1. P. O’Neills twitter account was hacked by a psychopathic troll?
Or
2. Gerry Adams is not P. O’Neill?
Very good reporting in the Guardian on this – worth a look.
This ain’t going to end well… For Ireland’s two darlings FF and FG!! Ireland will speak soon and will have a new direction!! A young party, full of drive, a few porkies, and now inherently clean!! What more should we want??
I presume they will only speak Irish at the EU meetings? This will marginalise us even more. They will pram Irish down our throats and we will suffer.
I do think Gerry Adems is the person most responsible for the peace and feel it was wrong to imprison him at this stage.
Wait, what?
Sinn Fein have already produced MEPs, like Martina Anderson and Mary Lou, and they have never tried to push Irish in Brussels.
He wasn’t in prison, he was a guest of the state he told us that himself just part of their enquiries. All this spun from Mcguinness and Co was a sideshow for the clowns like Mary Lou to latch on to.
“Sinn Fein never approved of murder…but…(insert atrocity which they carried out) was justified in the context of the armed struggle and the real fault lays with the Brits/Wesybrits/FG/FF/Lab/GP/PBP/Angela Merkel/the Pooe/ Pritestants/ King Billy/ Oliver Cromwell/Bondholders and the British Royal Family.”
have your say