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GERRY ADAMS told the delegates at this year’s Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis that the Proclamation was not meant to be read every 100 years, it was meant to be lived.
“No republic worthy of its name would tolerate partition, mass emigration, poverty and homelessness.”
He said that when in government, Sinn Féin will deliver this change.
In a modern Ireland awash with stress, mental health issues and suicide we are committed to shaping a society where – as Pearse put it – ‘the end of freedom is human happiness.’
Moore Street monument
In his presidential address at the party’s Ard Fheis in Dublin, Adams told delegates:
It is an absolute disgrace that in this centenary year the relatives of the 1916 leaders were forced to take the government to the High Court to save the National Monument at Moore Street.This Fine Gael and Labour government wanted to demolish it. They backed the property developer. They wanted to demolish the national monument.
He said the families of those that died, who were present in the Covention Centre tonight, fought to protect “our national heritage”.
We are not Fine Gael or Labour. We are proud of the men and women of 1916. We are not Fianna Fáil. We are equally proud of the men and women of the H Blocks and Armagh and of the 1981 hunger strikers and of the patriot dead from our time. We remember them here tonight.
TheJournal Politics / Twitter
TheJournal Politics / Twitter / Twitter
Attack on Fianna Fail
Adams also followed Mary Lou McDonald’s earlier speech, launching an attack on Fianna Fail.
In nasty little soundbites, which would make the DUP blush, the Fianna Fáil leader in particular, proclaimed that this party, that the people in this Convention Centre, and more importantly those citizens who vote for Sinn Féin, are not fit for government.
Adams also said he would not put Enda Kenny back into government.
But putting Fine Gael back into power is exactly what he is doing. That’s not in the national interest.
He said Fianna Fáil voters did not vote to give Fine Gael another term, stating that Micheál Martin would prefer to put Fine Gael back in government as part of his effort to counter the growth of Sinn Féin.
So, I have a message for Teachta Martin. You promised in your manifesto to abolish Irish Water and to scrap water charges.Water charges must go. Irish water must go.
In closing, speaking to the full to capacity auditorium, he recalled the words of Luke Kelly.
To whom do we owe our allegiance today
To whom do we owe our allegiance today
To those brave men and women who fought and died that Róisín live again with pride?
Or the faceless men who for Mark and Dollar,
Betray her to the highest bidder,
To whom do we owe our allegiance today
Follow @christinafinn8 and @TJ_Politics for updates from the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis at Dublin’s Convention Centre this weekend.
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Hold on!!!!!!
Did Gerry not tell FF to get on with it and talk to FG to get a govt?????
U should know SF like to flip flop before adopting a position
He actually told them to set a deadline for a conclusion of negotiations or go back to the people. Quite understandable given the homelessness national emergency that’s getting worse every day.
http://www.thejournal.ie/gerry-adams-fine-gael-fianna-fail-talks-2730762-Apr2016/
“Gerry Adams says FF and FG need to set a deadline or go back to the people”
So now Gerry is demanding that others meet his deadlines? So let’s all agree to pay for water and move on so…
He did Ciaran, it’s also in the link FC posted.
“He said if Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot agree on a minority government soon, there will have to be a general election.”
Pat your local spaced out druggie would say the same. And he is right (the druggie).
@ Jason: Like I said you’re SO precious tonight.
U ok hon?
Lol, actually my local druggie wants a second election!
I’m grand john ennis, are you?
SF have made no attempt to put our country yet again ahead of their party. They have made no approach to eirher FF or FG or independents or the left as a whole for that matter to try and form this socialist/marxist republic ala venezula they are so fond of. Yet we have people homeless, health crisis and other issues to get on with. What do SF do about it? NOTHING as usual, just spout crap from the sidelines expecting other parties or independents to do the work.
And now SF want water charges gone altogether so that those who have big houses and gardens with sprinklers and use more water (or holiday homes Gerry) don’t pay more and yet again the worker pays through taxes subsidising the rich by keeping the usc. Only in Ireland can the keft loonies think that those who use more should not pay more!
@Greg Kelly
Do you actually think that FF or FG would go into government with SF?!
Enter YFG
SF have made no attempt to put our country yet again ahead of their party………. your leader has put his personal glory ahead of his own party
They have made no approach to eirher FF or FG or independents or the left as a whole for that matter to try and form this socialist/marxist republic ala venezula they are so fond of ……. they have less than a quarter of seats. FG have much more and have made as much progress locally as they have defending Ireland in Europe
Yet we have people homeless, health crisis and other issues to get on with. What do SF do about it? NOTHING as usual, just spout crap from the sidelines expecting other parties or independents to do the work …… they didn’t appear you know
And now SF want water charges gone altogether so that those who have big houses and gardens with sprinklers and use more water (or holiday homes Gerry) don’t pay more and yet again the worker pays through taxes subsidising the rich by keeping the usc. Only in Ireland can the keft loonies think that those who use more should not pay more! ………… Look at your minister for health – the previous one of course I mean. The man who was going to sort it out. The current one is more typical of the weak gene pool. i don’t vote SF / and I don’t agree that water “utility” was setup properly, efficiently or without FG looking after their own.
Anyway my tuppence worth.
Adams gives me the creeps. Would not trust him as far as I could throw him. Sooner SF gets rid of him and his buddy the better. Mary Lu is the best choice
FG/FF/LAB official trolls have been asked to work overtime…. Those 3 parties should be lined up against a wall at Kilmainham.
Affinity, you trust the other 3 parties who support corruption, nepotism, corporate greed?
Sorry Affinity, read it wrong…. Still, Gerry is better than the other smug leaders….
These Sinn Fein twits are living in the past. They certainly are getting their money’s worth out of the misguided fools 1916, who put us in this mess!
Lol – John ennis. Funny sheet right there
For Connolly – the few voices of reason on the journal.
Is this the same guy who lead Sinn Fein (but not the IRA) right through a sectarian murder spree for 30 years, 3500 dead, and still no united Ireland? Not a millimetre of unity. The same guy who is now promising us a United Ireland if they get into government (which they’ve just refused).
How dare he compare car bombers and sectarian killers of fellow Irish men, women and children with the 1916 heroes. No indiscriminate remote bombs in shopping centres and cars for them.
What mindset does it take to be a member or vote for such a party or such a man?
That loud mouthed horrible women who “won’t engage in the politics of condemnation” over 3500 dead including our own Gardai?
Jason the people are the ones who have the problem with Irish Water Sinn Fein understand that and have put it into manifesto to abolish it.
The only reason FG and FF would continue with Irish water is due to a fraud being committed. This country has had enough corruption and fraud in the last few years, We need to find those complicit in this fraud and corruption and lead with prosecuting them to the full extent of the law.
There is a reason 80 per cent of the population have not paid their bill. We see it as corruption and we have had enough of that. If there were amy patriots in FF or FG or the establishment they would step forward and guide a prosecution. The water protest were and our not about any party politics it is about protecting the citizens of the state from fraud and corruption and ensuring our water is protected.
Its not just Sinn Feinn its also 80 per cent of the population who have not paid their bill or the seventy per cent of the TDs elected by people who believed they ran on a mandate of abolishing Irish Water.
Sinn Fein are not the ones railroading it through.
You can’t claim to be the ‘voice of new politics’ when you’ve had the same leader for 30 years.
In a vote that would the leader of North Korean blush…How many times has he been “voted” leader unopposed?
Just goes to show how much confidence the party members must have in him. I would call it quite an achievement.
Fear would be more apt.
I absolutely despise the cun’t.
Change the leadership ffs.
At least Saddam in Iraq and king Jong-un in North Korea used to get 99% or 89% of vote respectively. Jarry gets 100% elected unopposed. Imagine if he was in power?
Yeah why don’t they juat change him as leader? It’s not as though he has built the party representation across the country dramatically at election after election after election…oh..wait…
This last election was a bit of a flop for SF given how confident Gerry was that he announced he was getting ready to govern only a few months before.
He is deluded. The sooner O’Snodaigh takes over the leadership the better.
Quite the god complex in our Gerry – mid teens in the percentage of the vote and still feels entitled to dictate to the 2 parties that got half the country voting for them?
“Dictate” – The act of calling out political party’s for reneging on their pledges to voters before a new government is even formed..
While calling on the same parties to form a minority government? Which entails those parties breaking their pledges to voters.
Both FF and FG said they wouldn’t work together – they were elected on those pledges, as far as I can see no FF/FG supporters are happy about this.
It’s farcical at this stage really and a second election needs to be called.
More like low teens but Sinn Fein do have problems with basic maths.
Remind me… Didn’t Gerry flip flop on the water charges?
And as for mcguinness appearing at the SF shindig, would he be equally ok with other uk parties appearing? Perhaps corbyn and burton on stage together for the next labour love in
Justanothertaxpayer in Gerry’s world he has a mandate but those who vote against him don’t. He wants to give water back to county councils. My house was built in 1720 and we still don’t have water.
Gerry trying his level best to draw a line between 1916 and the H Blocks, where no such line or connection exists.
Absolutely what an insult to 1916
Leaders -
And what was your party signing our fiscal sovereignty over to the troika if not an insult, tim?
Both were abject failures Jason.
Both failures, except one existed in the tangible world in a realm of responsibility. The other, exists in the head of the ultimate dreamer….
Regardless of what I think of Gerry, or SF for that matter, he is damn right in what he says about the proclamation. It should be followed as a guiding principle and not just hung on a wall to be dragged out for a day.
Is that the same proclamation that ignores the will of the people?
Do you have the Ten Commandments on your wall to keep yourself on the straight and narrow?
What would happen if you took it down?
isn’t that what we have a written constitution for?
I was hoping to put my name for leader of Sinn Fein but I couldn’t find any information on the procedure involved. What does a person have to do to put themselves forward as an alternative leader of SF?
You have to be called Mary Lou.
You need to be seconded by the army council
Those same faceless men who for Mark and Dollar betray to the highest bidder paid for Gerry’s private health care in the States and for renting the Ambassador out for a year. #JUSTSAYING
Gerry is the biggest fraud of all the leaders, pretends to be this caring leader concerned about all. The truth is different though as seen in his actions re his niece, she was very clear, Gerry’s only concern was SF and not her, again moving paedophiles south into unsuspecting families, ask Robert McCartney’s family how genuine Gerry is. Talk is cheap, he now blames the 2 big parties for sf bit being involved in trying to form a government, despite him saying all along that under no circumstances would sf do a deal with any bigger party. The truth is sf don’t do responsibility, they do the blame game. What’s frightening is that so many are taken in by his /sf ies
Very good speech. Inclusive and forward looking, in the best tradition of the 1916 proclamation.
Can’t wait to commemorate the actual centenary of the rising tomorrow, should be a great day!
Couldn’t agree more FC. Inspiring speech I must say.
How is it inclusive if he denigrates more than half the voters of the country, how is it inclusive if he makes fun of people who vote for party’s other than his own??
Puke inducing really.
He didn’t denigrate voters, he called out the leader of FF for not respecting their voters enough to keep the partys pledges to them.
Oh, aren’t you so precious Jason.
Not a bit precious jambon.
Adams tonight showed greater respect to the people who voted FF on the pledge to remove Kenny from power, then Michael Martin is doing by attempting to ‘facilitate’ it.
Yeah yeah more old SF clap trap no mention of allowing TDs to take the 87 grand plus expenses- for us on under 25 grand fairly insulting
@fc- I’m sure it’s a wet dream of a day for you. Probably because you haven’t moved on in your life at all, or still think this country is constrained by some shite that took place 100 years ago before the republic was even formed.
Tell me.. When will you stand up and be counted for the future or is your entire life going to be governed by the past? Exactly what are you doing to progress yourself, Ireland and humanity?
The great leader..brings to mind mugawbe, chavez, castro and other marvellous icons of the left..not forgetting kim
This Adams is losing the plot nobody matters but me – they will look after the poor – from a man with a holiday home sick bills paid by others and god knows what else oh yes his Northern bank deposit money
FG and LAB are proud of water charges, homelessness,a health system falling apart at the seams,cronyism,nepotism and looking after the corrupt banksters and developers and of course the “Cream on top” Mr DOB!! They are that inept they can’t even put a government together because there’s not enough dodgy deals to go around.
Eh, no you’re not. You’re apologists for the Provos.
Fk off back to Belfast ya mad fkr, no interest in being part of govt unless overall power which will never be the case!! Dictator!
Dennis and Belfast?
Admirable intentions but no notion of how we are going to pay for it. Is there that much money in laundered fuel and tobacco smuggling.
True republicans them boys, laundered diesel in one hand and a Celtic jersey in the other
Funnily enough I’ve been listening to this pillock Adams (Or the actors voicing him) for over thirty five years. In the late 70′s, 80′s or 90′s I never once heard him talk about mass emigration, poverty and homelessness. He must have been busy on IRA business I suppose. Still it was a nice touch comparing the hunger strikers with the leaders of 1916.
What were their names again? Billy Sands? Patsy O’ something and other terrorists who didn’t like the food and found the prison uniforms caused chaffing. Yup comparing terrorists to men and women who didn’t hide in the shadows. Adams has feckin’ lost the plot.
Damian not only was he not talking about those issues, he was busy justifying children being beat with iron bars or blown to pieces by the pira, he wasn’t concerned about the rights the proclamation afforded those kids
Gerry called for ff,fg,to form coalition so sf would be lead opposition party,sf first,people second. Before GE he said vote sf or we would end up with the people’s nightmare of a government, ff,fg.sf changes more often than our weather.
This crazy person should be deported back to his own country. He has no business here trying to pollute the minds of the less intelligent.
SF/IRA still the same, nothing changed, nothing learned. These lunatics are proud of the savagery committed by the IRA. The same lunatics criticise other lunatics acting in a similar way with similar methods.
Tremendous headline..
He was also proud of the men and women of the provisional IRA That got the biggest applause
Adding to the non-electable appeal. They need to move on and silently remember.
When you see him up close in that photo it is scary. His eyes tell a lot about the kind of person he is.
SF and their supporters are blind to their own hypocrisy. Personally I think dissidents are deluded inbred cavemen, however how can sf have any moral ground in criticisms of the dissidents. You can’t say the provos (who operated against the will of the vast majority for 30+yrs) are/were heroes but the dissidents are common criminals. The provos Inc gerry, Martin etc etc try to form this link between their 30+yrs of savagery and the 1916 rising. I think most sane people would agree that if the men & women of 1916 had not have surrendered and been executed and their campaign had instead lasted 10, 20, 30yrs and they refused to listen to the voice of the majority, they would be viewed differently than they are. The provos were not heroes, many were plain savages, beating children with iron bars, murdering garda etc. A final example of the Republican movement, gerry, Martin et al. Could not/ would not agree/ secure a cease fire, dragging their heels for a few months and then it became apparent why. The last act of the provos, money, the biggest bank robbery ever on these islands. Then we got the ceasefire. This would strongly suggest the heroes of the Republican movement were motivated more by money than ideals, throughout the “troubles” there is countless acts that show these “HEROES” were motivated by power and money. So it is important that Adams and his hypocrisy, lies and rewriting of history is challenged. For the record I think they do good work in challenging the elitism of the 2 big parties but the are really the wolves in sheep’s clothing
Is there such a thing as a happy shinner
Ehhh – are you not just a split from the Workers Party in the 70s??????
Well said Gerry.
Don’t mind them West Brit Tory Blueshirt ****s.
Says the hard core United fan. Get lost will you
gerry adams is a eu sell out
Sinn Fein have a turd in their bed. Jarry is a piss poor speaker. He really should decide what language he wishes to use and then master that language..
The proud men and women of 1916 wouldn’t be seen dead with the likes of riff-raff like Gerry Adams.
Have to say the king of Ireland teeth look good on HD.
Gerry should employ Kevin McGeever to lock down the Moore st deal and then get Tom McFeely to develop it.
Gerry A says that FF are helping FG to get back into government. I see it the other way. FF are helping SF not get into government. Bravo to FF. I would nearly vote for them again.
Why did Gerry dissapear during the Easter rising celebrations then. He sent mcguiness
Well the actual date is the 24 of april. plenty going on you are welcome to attend.
What did SF do about the church molesting with impunity? Nothing. But sure they were happy to knee cap drug dealers
Sheriffs badge.
Looks like a shill fest for the Banker’s Party.
Your a dose of all things destructive.With your psycho spin,denial,lies lies and more lies.Your not a Fine Gael,or any other Fine thing….your destructive in a devious extreme manner….We need Sinn/Me FEIN to self combust and go away.
Rev up and f@#k off Gerry and give us all a break..
A modern Ireland where people live in fear of being burgled and terrorised. SF/IRA have a lot of followers who created an atmosphere of violence and intimidation.
have your say