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Updated: 2pm
45 PER CENT of voters think Gerry Adams was involved in the abduction and killing of Jean McConville, who was murdered by the IRA in 1972.
The Sinn Féin leader was arrested and questioned for four days in connection with the case at the start of the month.
Upon his release he repeated his assertion that he was “innocent of any involvement” in the conspiracy to abduct and kill the mother-of-ten.
According to a Millward Brown poll in this morning’s Irish Independent, 45 per cent of voters believed he was involved in the murder — 32 per cent said they didn’t know, and just 23 per cent said they didn’t believe he was involved.
One in five people said they would be more likely to vote for Sinn Féin if Adams stepped down as leader, while one in three party supporters said they would like him to resign.
Adams has called the newspaper’s poll as an “extremely serious departure” and contends it represents “another example of the Irish Independent’s campaign against me and against Sinn Féin and their efforts to influence the election results”.
The Sinn Féin President said on Thursday he would be taking action against the paper over what he said were false claims about him, made in connection with the sexual abuse case against his brother Liam Adams.
He said: “I want to make it clear that we will not allow this to deflect from our mission to secure the biggest mandate possible for change across this island, through endorsement of the peace process and the need for a new citizens centred, rights based society which protects the people instead of the privileges of the elites.“I appeal to voters to Make the Change. Elect all four of Sinn Féin’s EU candidates to Brussels and send the strongest all Ireland Sinn Féin team into local councils.”
Euro elections
Despite the Adams controversy, Sinn Féin still looks on course to boost its representation in Brussels — according to poll findings for two of the Irish constituencies also published by the paper this morning.
Matt Carthy’s in the lead in the massive Midlands-North West constituency, on 19 per cent — five points up on a SBP/Red C poll published two weeks ago.
Liadh Ní Riada, on 16 per cent (up two on the Red C survey) looks set to take the second seat in Ireland South.
Elsewhere in this morning’s polls, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan’s at 15 per cent (up 1) in Midlands-North West, with FG’s Mairead McGuinness at 13 per cent (up 2) and independent Marian Harkin on 12 (down 4).
Further down the list, it looks like Fianna Fáil’s decision to run two candidates could leave them without a seat in the area — sitting MEP Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher’s on 10 per cent in today’s poll, with Senator Thomas Byrne on 9 per cent.
Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins is languishing behind his party colleague McGuinness on 6 per cent, while Labour’s Lorraine Higgins is on 5 points. Independent Senator Ronan Mullen is polling at 5 per cent in today’s survey.
There are four seats up for grabs.
Ireland South
In the ten-county Ireland South, veteran Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley looks set to top the poll again, with 32 per cent support.
Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly is on course to take the third seat, behind Sinn Féin’s Ní Riada — the former GAA President’s on 15 per cent.
Two more Fine Gael candidates are battling it out for the final seat, according to this morning’s findings — with Cork-based senator Deirdre Clune on 10 per cent and Wicklow TD Simon Harris on 9 points.
Phil Prendergast, the Labour MEP who caused consternation amongst her party leadership earlier this month by calling for Eamon Gilmore to quit, is on 6 per cent — down three points from the Red C poll of a fortnight ago.
Further down, Independent Diarmuid O’Flynn’s on 4 per cent, with the Greens’ Grace O’Sullivan also on 4 points.
First posted at 10.24am.
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Let’s hope Adrian Bayley will get a taste of his own medicine while inside. Karma is a wonderful thing. :)
I see the trolls ‘ red thumb brigade’ are out again. Bloody morons!!!
He raises a pertinent question though, what the hell point is there having a maximum sentence if it’s not going to be imposed.
With this guy’s previous history and then this case on top, if he didn’t warrant it I shudder, shudder to thing what actually would.
My heart poors for this guy and i agree he was let down by the justice system …. but maybe not something that should be a headline in this country …. rape carries 15 years in Oz.? Try 15 weeks over here
This man had already raped 8 women prior to murdering Jill and only served 10 years altogether. He also broke someone jaw whilst out on parole for rape. Australian justice system is a joke, too focused on the offender as opposed to the community.
These types of yokes should not be getting let out of jail after a set number of years, they should be kept inside if they’re not safe. And most of them don’t even look for help inside but they still get let out.. our own “beast of the east” LM got let out and he’s free now to prey on potential victims. These fiends should stay locked up in my opinion.
They should be locked up for life if they cannot be rehabilitated. Right now we gather the worst in society and throw them into a building where they are expected to be kept for a number of years. Then they’re just thrown back into the world after an arbitrary number of years has been fulfilled. It’s no wonder the western world has such high rates of reoffending with a system like that.
Exactly Jason, that’s what I’m saying, these types shouldn’t get a release date while they’re still a danger..
Was nearly in tears watching this chap on the news. I hope he takes a civil action and sues the a*** off them
A lot of red thumbs again tonight in response to what decent people are expressing. If one has any compassion for Gill, her husband and family what is their problem with decent people expressing their views. All I can say some sickos trolling the journal and in support obviously of vile rapists and murderers. Sad but very true! Lets see how many ref thumbs?
Heartbreaking interview. At least some justice has been served. RIP
He should never be allowed out of prison as long as he draws breath. I don’t know why he can’t get life. And I mean real ‘life’- not like this country. We should also take notice in this country of letter sex offenders out on parole. They’re monsters who will offend again!
I think Tom Meagher is right about the remorse. I’m sure Bayley’s lawyer pointed out to him that if he showed some remorse he’d get a few years off his sentence. Crocodile tears. The man shouldn’t have been out on bail and now he should have a whole-life sentence with no possibility of his ever getting out.
It’s heartbreaking, that poor man
God damn judges are the same all over the world. They play gods and seem to enjoy showing mercy to monsters. Judges should be replaced by a software driven logic.
I agree Mary. Predators such as these, do not have the capacity to experience remorse, let alone understand its meaning. It’s a foreign concept to them, like a foreign language is to us.
Sadly the shit will be on a secure wing, which will be hard to access by any one other than staff.
It is so sad and the family is so brave.
I am ashamed of the Australian Legal System.
RIP
Unfortunately here in Ireland rapists get off lightly too. The kind of sentence given in the article below is an absolute disgrace and sends out the complete wrong message.
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