Adams' brother sought over alleged abuse

[Maguire01]

What cover up is going on there? What part of that is not understood?

I haven't been following this on a daily basis, but doesn't this article outline the questions that people are still asking? Or have they been answered?

How the media's failings allow Gerry Adams to rewrite history

The Sinn Fein president's account of contacts with his suspected paedophile brother Liam is falling apart. So why do TV and newspapers treat him with kid gloves, asks Suzanne Breen

Tuesday, 5 January 2010
It's a cover-up that rivals anything the Catholic Church could conduct.

While the sins of the bishops who moved paedophile priests from parish to parish are finally catching up with them, Sinn Fein is lying and prevaricating its way out of Liam Adams's involvement in the party. And it's getting away with it.

Sinn Fein said that Liam Adams - wanted by the PSNI on charges of repeatedly raping his daughter Aine Tyrell from the age of four - played a short-lived, minor role in the party.

Louth TD Arthur Morgan claimed "he was never a party officer". Last weekend's Sunday Tribune revealed that was untrue.

Liam Adams was Sinn Fein's most senior officer in Co Louth. He was chairman of the Louth comhairle ceantair in 1996, liaising directly with the national leadership. It's inconceivable Gerry Adams didn't know this.

Gerry Adams said he believed his brother was a paedophile from the moment Aine made her allegations in 1987. Yet 10 years later, he went canvassing with Liam through the streets of Dundalk in the southern general election. Photos show them laughing and smiling.

This was at a time when Sinn Fein had previously led us to believe Liam had been expelled from the party and was estranged from Gerry. Would Peter Robinson, Jim Allister or Mark Durkan get away with taking someone they believed to be a paedophile on a canvass? I think not.

Yet Gerry Adams is enjoying an unbelievably easy ride from the media. Other politicians have been pursued for far less. Iris Robinson was hounded over anti-gay comments she made. Her remarks were debated and condemned in countless newspaper pages and radio and television programmes.

While Mrs Robinson's comments appalled all of us who cherish equality and support gay rights, let's remember - they were only words. Iris Robinson didn't bring someone suspected of physically or sexually assaulting gay people with her on a canvass.

And look at what happened Paul Berry. He was immediately suspended by the DUP over allegations that he had a consensual sexual liaison with an adult male in a Belfast hotel room. The media wagon circled and Berry's DUP career was over.

Yet Gerry Adams escapes unexamined and unquestioned. This story isn't being covered by newspapers in Northern Ireland, the Republic or Britain. Our broadcasters are also turning a blind eye. Why?

There are no demands that Gerry Adams put himself forward at a press conference to answer detailed questions from a wide selection of journalists. And there are many questions for him and Sinn Fein to answer because the party's version of events is full of lies, evasions and inaccuracies.

Gerry Adams forgot to tell Chris Moore on UTV that Liam had been in Sinn Fein. That fact was established later by the Sunday Tribune. Gerry Adams then admitted knowing Liam was in the party. When he heard Liam was seeking the Sinn Fein Dail nomination in Louth, Gerry "moved very, very quickly" to have him "dumped" from the party.

The Sunday Tribune can date this nomination to October 1996. Yet eight months after that far from being dumped, Liam accompanied Gerry on a canvass and met the women and children of Dundalk.

And five months after that Liam chaired the 40th anniversary commemoration at Edentubber for five IRA men killed in the Border campaign. So 13 months after the date when Gerry claims he first learned Liam was in the party, Liam remained highly respected and highly active in Sinn Fein.

And who doesn't believe that in June 1996, when Liam stood by Martin McGuinness's side as McGuinness cut the ribbon to open the party's new office in Dundalk, that Gerry didn't know Liam was in Sinn Fein. It was a widely publicised event with a photo of McGuinness and Liam appearing in Dundalk's Argus newspaper.

Why isn't the media quizzing Martin McGuinness? McGuiness must be asked if he knew Liam was a suspected paedophile when he posed for those photographs. After all, Gerry had known for almost a decade. Did Gerry not tell Martin and, if he didn't, isn't the Deputy First Minister furious?

At Edentubber in November 1997, Liam Adams stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sinn Fein's then national chairman Mitchel McLaughlin, whom he introduced as the main speaker. Did Gerry tell Mitchel that he was standing beside an alleged child rapist that day? And if Gerry stayed stum, isn't Mitchel angry?

There are many good people in Sinn Fein, hugely opposed to cover-ups on child abuse. Gerry Adams's untruths and evasions is a disservice to them. His behaviour is certainly not that expected of a long-standing public representative and international statesman.

Besides Liam's role in Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams has other questions to answer. Why did he go to Liam's second wedding when he believed he was a paedophile? Gerry says he told youth projects in west Belfast about Liam when he became aware of his work there. Where is his written record of this and who did he actually speak to?

How did Liam work for five years in Clonard Youth Centre - 300 yards from Sinn Fein's Falls Road offices and located in the grounds of the monastery where Gerry worships?

As part of their cover-up, Sinn Fein are diverting attention from the hard questions by claiming "these stories are emanating from dissidents". Republican dissidents last year brought murder and mayhem to Northern Ireland and undoubtedly will try to do the same this year. They are responsible for many things. What they can't be blamed for is the alleged rape of Aine Tyrell, for recruiting Liam Adams to Sinn Fein, for promoting him through the ranks, for securing him key jobs working with young people, and for engaging in an extensive cover-up about his political activities.

Local Dundalk newspapers openly detail Liam Adams's Sinn Fein's activities. But blaming the dissidents is part of the Adams leadership's strategy in dealing with its own mess.

It's aimed at turning the media off the story. So far, disgracefully, it seems to be working.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/how-the-medias-failings-allow-gerry-adams-to-rewrite-history-14622439.html#ixzz0cLReeyPT

[Evil Genius]

What cover up is going on there? What part of that is not understood?

I haven't been following this on a daily basis, but doesn't this article outline the questions that people are still asking? Or have they been answered?

How the media's failings allow Gerry Adams to rewrite history

The Sinn Fein president's account of contacts with his suspected paedophile brother Liam is falling apart. So why do TV and newspapers treat him with kid gloves, asks Suzanne Breen

Tuesday, 5 January 2010
It's a cover-up that rivals anything the Catholic Church could conduct.

While the sins of the bishops who moved paedophile priests from parish to parish are finally catching up with them, Sinn Fein is lying and prevaricating its way out of Liam Adams's involvement in the party. And it's getting away with it.

Sinn Fein said that Liam Adams - wanted by the PSNI on charges of repeatedly raping his daughter Aine Tyrell from the age of four - played a short-lived, minor role in the party.

Louth TD Arthur Morgan claimed "he was never a party officer". Last weekend's Sunday Tribune revealed that was untrue.

Liam Adams was Sinn Fein's most senior officer in Co Louth. He was chairman of the Louth comhairle ceantair in 1996, liaising directly with the national leadership. It's inconceivable Gerry Adams didn't know this.

Gerry Adams said he believed his brother was a paedophile from the moment Aine made her allegations in 1987. Yet 10 years later, he went canvassing with Liam through the streets of Dundalk in the southern general election. Photos show them laughing and smiling.

This was at a time when Sinn Fein had previously led us to believe Liam had been expelled from the party and was estranged from Gerry. Would Peter Robinson, Jim Allister or Mark Durkan get away with taking someone they believed to be a paedophile on a canvass? I think not.

Yet Gerry Adams is enjoying an unbelievably easy ride from the media. Other politicians have been pursued for far less. Iris Robinson was hounded over anti-gay comments she made. Her remarks were debated and condemned in countless newspaper pages and radio and television programmes.

While Mrs Robinson's comments appalled all of us who cherish equality and support gay rights, let's remember - they were only words. Iris Robinson didn't bring someone suspected of physically or sexually assaulting gay people with her on a canvass.

And look at what happened Paul Berry. He was immediately suspended by the DUP over allegations that he had a consensual sexual liaison with an adult male in a Belfast hotel room. The media wagon circled and Berry's DUP career was over.

Yet Gerry Adams escapes unexamined and unquestioned. This story isn't being covered by newspapers in Northern Ireland, the Republic or Britain. Our broadcasters are also turning a blind eye. Why?

There are no demands that Gerry Adams put himself forward at a press conference to answer detailed questions from a wide selection of journalists. And there are many questions for him and Sinn Fein to answer because the party's version of events is full of lies, evasions and inaccuracies.

Gerry Adams forgot to tell Chris Moore on UTV that Liam had been in Sinn Fein. That fact was established later by the Sunday Tribune. Gerry Adams then admitted knowing Liam was in the party. When he heard Liam was seeking the Sinn Fein Dail nomination in Louth, Gerry "moved very, very quickly" to have him "dumped" from the party.

The Sunday Tribune can date this nomination to October 1996. Yet eight months after that far from being dumped, Liam accompanied Gerry on a canvass and met the women and children of Dundalk.

And five months after that Liam chaired the 40th anniversary commemoration at Edentubber for five IRA men killed in the Border campaign. So 13 months after the date when Gerry claims he first learned Liam was in the party, Liam remained highly respected and highly active in Sinn Fein.

And who doesn't believe that in June 1996, when Liam stood by Martin McGuinness's side as McGuinness cut the ribbon to open the party's new office in Dundalk, that Gerry didn't know Liam was in Sinn Fein. It was a widely publicised event with a photo of McGuinness and Liam appearing in Dundalk's Argus newspaper.

Why isn't the media quizzing Martin McGuinness? McGuiness must be asked if he knew Liam was a suspected paedophile when he posed for those photographs. After all, Gerry had known for almost a decade. Did Gerry not tell Martin and, if he didn't, isn't the Deputy First Minister furious?

At Edentubber in November 1997, Liam Adams stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sinn Fein's then national chairman Mitchel McLaughlin, whom he introduced as the main speaker. Did Gerry tell Mitchel that he was standing beside an alleged child rapist that day? And if Gerry stayed stum, isn't Mitchel angry?

There are many good people in Sinn Fein, hugely opposed to cover-ups on child abuse. Gerry Adams's untruths and evasions is a disservice to them. His behaviour is certainly not that expected of a long-standing public representative and international statesman.

Besides Liam's role in Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams has other questions to answer. Why did he go to Liam's second wedding when he believed he was a paedophile? Gerry says he told youth projects in west Belfast about Liam when he became aware of his work there. Where is his written record of this and who did he actually speak to?

How did Liam work for five years in Clonard Youth Centre - 300 yards from Sinn Fein's Falls Road offices and located in the grounds of the monastery where Gerry worships?

As part of their cover-up, Sinn Fein are diverting attention from the hard questions by claiming "these stories are emanating from dissidents". Republican dissidents last year brought murder and mayhem to Northern Ireland and undoubtedly will try to do the same this year. They are responsible for many things. What they can't be blamed for is the alleged rape of Aine Tyrell, for recruiting Liam Adams to Sinn Fein, for promoting him through the ranks, for securing him key jobs working with young people, and for engaging in an extensive cover-up about his political activities.

Local Dundalk newspapers openly detail Liam Adams's Sinn Fein's activities. But blaming the dissidents is part of the Adams leadership's strategy in dealing with its own mess.

It's aimed at turning the media off the story. So far, disgracefully, it seems to be working.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/how-the-medias-failings-allow-gerry-adams-to-rewrite-history-14622439.html#ixzz0cLReeyPT

I guess that after all that, Main Street and the rest of "the usual suspects" will just have to fall back on the old "I saw the name 'Suzanne Breen' and stopped reading" line...

Still, Gerry Adams is only lying about an allegation of child rape. I mean to say, it's not as if he's lying about anything serious, so his constituents in West Belfast can continue to vote for him in their droves, safe in the knowledge that he is dedicating himself 100%, 24/7 towards bringing jobs, houses, schools, and everything necessary for making West Belfast even more attractive than it already is*, without seeking anything in return, other perhaps than a mumbled thanks and maybe the odd pint (when he has time for one, that is)...

Meanwhile, his continuing service to his people surely proves the truth of the old adage: "People get the Politicians they deserve". How wonderful must the people of West Belfast be, in order to blessed by such a paragon as St. Gearoid?

* - Though it is an interesting philosphical point whether even one so wonderful as Adams can improve upon Utopia

[Main Street]

Fundamentally Adams made a statement to Social Services in 1987 that he claims supported his niece.
Again in 2002 he made another statement to the PSNI  in support of his niece.
Once those statements were made, Adams had no control over how they could be used in support of a legal charge against his brother. What cover up is going on there? What part of that is not understood?

There is no special Teflon layer on Gerry Adams that has protected him from the media. Any lawyer scrutinising his behaviour would conclude that those two statements he made are the foundation of his explanation for his actions around the abuse allegations. His brother has always denied the allegations, Adams has always sided with his niece in his legal documented statements.

But he did have control over his own party and despite Gerry's repeated denials, Liam seems to have played a prominent role in it through all this. He did have the option of making the allegations against Liam known to people in Dundalk and west Belfast who were employing Liam as a youth worker. Gerry says he did, they say he didn't. Even if he did - huge, big if that - why didn't he pursue the matter when he saw that nothing was happening on the back of the information he passed on? Finally, he certainly had control over the company he chose to keep. Despite claiming that he was estranged from Liam as a result of Aine's allegations, he chose to continue normal family and professional relations with an alleged child rapist. Gerry Adams has been exposed as a liar. He has also been exposed as someone who chose to put his own interests and the interests of his political party before the welfare of children potentially at risk from a child abuser. He should hang his head in shame.

You appear to gloss over the major significance of his two legal witness testimony statements.
Giving testimony on 2 occasions  that supported his niece (effectivly ratting out his own brother) puts perspective to his conduct.


"Despite claiming that he was estranged from Liam as a result of Aine's allegations, he chose to continue normal family and professional relations with an alleged child rapist. Gerry Adams has been exposed as a liar".

Listen to the UTV interview again and listen to what Adams said,
He said he has been in contact with his brother.

"he chose to continue normal family and professional relations"

I do not know what passes for  "normal" family relationship in your life.
You are surmising from what has appeared in a newspaper account  about Gerry´s contact with his brother as "normal" family relationship.
Gerry Adams made statements ratting out his brother when the abuse first became knowledge and again 8 years ago. Long long before the shit hit the fan in recent weeks and in all that that time, down through the years, the shit could have hit the fan anytime. Personally, considering that in context , I would be astounded by anyone regarding that as normal in a family relationship or that relationship being normal family relationship.

As regards professional contact, there is not much substance to the Tribune account about the brother joining a canvass, it might mean something or it might mean jack.
As I have already mentioned, Adams did clearly minimise the role that his abuser brother played in SF. I don't know what significance that has.
Fundamentally, whatever contact Gerry Adams had with his brother, who denied all abuse charges, was that of a brother who made statements against him that could be used in a prosecution and who would stand in the dock and give witness.

Essentially, that is what any legal eagle will tell you. Those oath bound statements defined his position and his relationship.

[orangeman]

Sorry for posting this on 2 threads :



Ian Paisley Jr asks if Gerry Adams broke Assembly rules 

Liam Adams is wanted by the PSNI over sex abuse claims
Ian Paisley Jr has asked an Assembly committee to investigate if Gerry Adams breached its rules by failing to act about his brother's alleged sex abuse.

The DUP assembly member said he had submitted "very detailed questions" to Assembly Ombudsman Tom Frawley.

Mr Frawley will assess if the complaint merits being passed to the Assembly's Committee on Standards and Privileges.

Mr Adams' brother Liam is wanted by the PSNI over claims that he sexually abused his daughter in the early 1980s.

The Sinn Fein president said he found out about the allegations levelled against his brother in 1987 and said he had brought Liam's daughter Aine Tyrell, then aged 14, to confront her father.

Mr Paisley said he had written to the committee with a list of complaints about whether Gerry Adams' "conduct and association was appropriate as a member of the Assembly".


  Although he was chair for a very short time, it was so unmemorable that I completely forgot about it

Arthur Morgan
Sinn Fein TD


Timeline: Adams' family allegations 
"I want to know if Mr Adams breached the code of conduct," he said.

Gerry Adams has faced questions about the timescale of when he informed the authorities about the allegations about his brother Liam and when he was expelled from Sinn Fein.

Mr Adams has said he moved quickly in 1997 to expel his "estranged" brother, who should "never have been allowed" to have worked as a party official in County Louth.

Louth Sinn Fein TD Arthur Morgan has previously said that although Liam Adams was a party member, he was never an officer.

However, Liam Adams did serve as chair of the party's Louth district executive for two months in the late 1990s before stepping down for personal reasons.

Mr Morgan told Thursday's Irish News that this had "slipped his mind".

"Although he was chair for a very short time, it was so unmemorable that I completely forgot about it," he told the paper.

Mr Morgan also said he had no knowledge of the allegations against Liam Adams.

[Trevor Hill]

How can Gerry Adams have broke any Stormont code of conduct? At the time of the allegations there was no Stormont, the DUP are really clutching at straws here.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

This really belongs here:

From Adams' blog:

http://leargas.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Family Trauma Jan 12th 10

Just before Christmas this Blog noted that I might deal with 'some of the events in the life of my clan and in my own life ... at some other time.'  In recent weeks some elements of the media have been critical of my handling of the issues arising from the allegations of sexual abuse against my brother Liam by his daughter Áine. Some have alleged cover-ups by me and by Sinn Féin.  Some political opponents have also very cynically sought to exploit this personal family trauma in a most offensive way. Some have tried to compare my family's efforts to deal with the trauma of child abuse, including the ordeal of discovering that our father was an abuser, with other issues in the political process at this time. This is disgraceful and deeply upsetting to our family.

There was no cover-up. No evasion. The fact is that it was one of my family members who, when we first became aware of the allegations, accompanied Áine and her mother to the Social Services. A complaint was also made by Áine and her mother to the RUC. Therefore the agencies with legal responsibility for dealing with these allegations were informed. There was no attempt to conceal or disguise or cover-up the allegations against Liam Adams.  Subsequently, I confronted Liam Adams on Áine's accusation which he denied. I believed Áine.  After that he, and then separately Áine left the country for some considerable time.

When Liam Adams came back, although we were estranged, we were, as I made clear in a part of the Insight interview which UTV did not broadcast, in contact on a number of occasions and I continued to raise this issue with him.  When Áine came back to live in Ireland I offered to go to the police with her. I offered to go public with her and I told her I would support her in whatever action she might decide. Áine told me she wanted Liam to admit what he had done. There commenced a very long and difficult process in which I tried to create the circumstance for him to do precisely what his daughter wanted. He failed to do so.

I received professional advice during this period. I was told by those with experience in helping victims of physical, sexual, domestic or psychological abuse that, unless the victim is a minor, it is not for anyone else to presume to take decisions for a victim or to publicly identify a victim. That the rights of the victim are vital and should be respected.  This has guided me throughout these last 20 years in dealing with the allegations against Liam Adams, and then the shock of learning that my father was an abuser.

When Áine went to the PSNI I made a statement to the police against my brother and in support of Áine's case.  The criticism levelled against me is that Liam Adams was a member of Sinn Féin. While I was aware that he was in Dundalk - as I have said publicly I met him there –I was not aware of his membership of the party until I learned that his name was being mentioned as a possible candidate.  When I heard this I contacted him directly. His name did not go forward and as a result of my efforts he later left the party.

I want to make it clear that republicans in Dundalk and senior party colleagues were not aware of the allegations against Liam Adams. The simple fact is in my opinion he should not have been a member of Sinn Féin.

I have also acknowledged on a number of occasions publicly that I have regrets about how I dealt with aspects of this issue. I say this, with hindsight and in the context of today's standards. However, it is important to state that for me this was first and foremost a private family matter in which all of us were reeling from the revelations around our father and some of us were trying to provide support and closure for those abused by him and for Áine. I did my best.

All of this has been and is extremely difficult and distressing and painful for me and my wider family. We decided to publicise the abuse in our family in the hope that our experience will assist other victims and survivors cope with what may have happened to them, and to demonstrate that it is possible to survive abuse.

As of now, despite the public attention, the case against Liam Adams has not proceeded. It is distressing that despite repeated assurances from the PSNI that the Gardaí had been fully informed, that a European Arrest Warrant was not ready when he handed himself into Gardaí in Sligo. It now seems that this is still several weeks away. The sooner this happens and the matter is brought before the courts the better. My niece Áine deserves justice and has my ongoing support.

Posted by Gerry Adams at 6:09 PM

[orangeman]

Right, at least the whole situation is now cleared up :


Sinn Fein clarify Liam Adams role amid sex abuse claims 
 
Liam Adams was still involved in party work more than three years after formally leaving, Sinn Fein has said.
He is facing allegations that he abused his daughter when she was a child.

Mr Adams, brother of party president Gerry Adams was said to have left the party in 1997. However, a Sinn Fein statement said he held a number of positions in Belfast after 2000. Gerry Adams has been under pressure to explain his brother's role in the party since the allegations arose.

In a statement on Friday, Sinn Fein said it had reviewed its documentation and held discussions with its members and leadership in a bid to establish the extent of Liam Adams involvement in the party in the aftermath of the revelations.

It said the process had taken a number of weeks but added that information from a period in the 1990s was "not complete".

"We have established that Louth Sinn Fein and the national party leadership, apart from Gerry Adams, was unaware of the allegation against Liam Adams," the statement said.

Gerry Adams has previously confirmed that he found out in 1987 about allegations made by his niece that she had been sexually abused by Liam Adams while she was a young child.

The Sinn Fein president said that he "moved" to expel Liam Adams from the party ten years later, when he found out that his brother was seeking to run as a candidate for his party in the Irish parliamentary elections.

In Friday's statement, Sinn Fein also confirmed that Liam Adams served as chair of the party's Louth district executive for two and a half months in 1996.

In addition they said he held the position of secretary for one month before this time. He was also nominated as education officer but he did not take up this position.

When the allegations about Liam Adams first appeared in in UTV documentary late last year, Arthur Morgan, a Sinn Fein member of the Irish parliament for Louth, said Mr Adams had never been a party officer.

This week Mr Morgan said Mr Adams true role had "slipped his mind".

During the years 1998 to 2006, Liam Adams held various positions as a youth worker in a number of organisations in west Belfast.

[Minder]

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/sinn-fein-changes-its-story-on-liam-adams-again/

[orangeman]

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/sinn-fein-changes-its-story-on-liam-adams-again/

Ok - maybe it's not cleared it up once and for all then.

[Minder]

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/sinn-fein-changes-its-story-on-liam-adams-again/

Ok - maybe it's not cleared it up once and for all then.

It has for some.

[Main Street]

I suppose there are morons who have not a clue what an affidavit is or chose to turn a blind eye to its legal significance in this saga.

[Maguire01]

Mary Lou got a good grilling by Seamus McKee this evening on Radio Ulster.

[Maguire01]

I suppose there are morons who have not a clue what an affidavit is or chose to turn a blind eye to its legal significance in this saga.

Do you want to expand on that?

[Minder]

Donagh/Ulick is ploughing away over on Slugger on this very matter as we speak

[Evil Genius]

This really belongs here:

From Adams' blog:

http://leargas.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Family Trauma Jan 12th 10

Just before Christmas this Blog noted that I might deal with 'some of the events in the life of my clan and in my own life ... at some other time.'...   Blah, blah, blah...  more blah, blah, blah...   and finally, some more blah, blah, blah.

Posted by Gerry Adams at 6:09 PM

I must say, Oul Grisly is very good at answering his own questions. It's just a pity he's not so good at answering when it's eg the Sunday Tribune or Slugger asking the questions. Amongst these questions, the latest one is how, if Gerry moved to have Liam "dumped" from SF in Louth (some time before Liam actually ceased working for them there, btw), he (Gerry) was unaware that Liam subsequently worked for, even chaired, a local SF cumann in Gerry's very own West Belfast constituency! 

Anyhow, here's at least one Republican who's not afraid to speak his mind over this matter:
http://thepensivequill.am/2010/01/cynical-versus-clinical.html?showComment=1262908346648#c6031042939036527354

Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cynical Versus Clinical
Today, as last Sunday and the Sunday before that, Suzanne Breen, the Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune, has been clinically tearing to shreds the protective web of deceit that Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has been cynically weaving around himself since it was first suggested that he played a major role in promoting and covering for his brother Liam. Liam Adams has been at the centre of a public controversy over charges that he raped his daughter for a number of years, commencing when she was an infant. Gerry Adams has publicly stated that he believes Liam is a paedophile who did seriously sexually assault his own daughter but has denied either covering for him or promoting him within the party structure.

Each week Breen brings new knowledge to public light. Each week Adams is found scurrying for the nearest fig leaf which immediately becomes translucent the minute he touches it, leaving what he seeks to conceal exposed. His parrying simply does not bear up to the thrusts from Breen, his explanations increasingly seen as self serving; more to do with safeguarding his political career while displaying haughty indifference to the rape victim at the centre of the story. Like an old champion, long past it, but desperately trying to hold onto his title by foul means not fair, he flails under the withering assault of a determined investigative reporter. She nimbly scores with each punch; he clumsily hopes he can gouge her in the eye on the blind side of the audience.

There is no doubt whatsoever that contrary to what Gerry Adams has maintained, his brother Liam was a reasonably senior official within Sinn Fein for an extended tenure in the period after Gerry Adams, the party's national leader, concluded that Liam was a child rapist. Far from being made a persona non grata he was made the person in charge of Sinn Fein in County Louth. Breen's coverage of the matter is one firm bulwark against investigative journalism in Ireland going for its swansong. If society depended on the Irish Times to keep it informed of major anomalies in the accounts of leading politicians it would quickly discover the 'paper of record' to have a pauper's record – poor.

Last week the Observer columnist Nick Cohen made the chilling observation that in speaking publicly about his own family background of sexual abuse and physical violence Gerry Adams had bared a soul few thought he possessed. That Cohen strikes a chord with what he says and Adams does not is down to the Catholic politician's long history of soulless political dishonesty which has been routinely employed to mask any flaw which might call into question the great leader's greatness. The ruthless jettisoning of all principle to facilitate organised lying now means that as much credence is being given to the Sinn Fein president's denials of cover up as it is to his gainsaying of IRA membership.

There is little to be surprised at in the Adams stance. As the song goes about the tree at the waterside, he shall not be moved. What began as a long war strategy has become a long leader phenomenon, without parallel in Western Europe according to press reports. The strong man of African and Central American politics is the model that most resembles the Adams reign.

It is beyond question that he has demonstrated a tenacious ability to hold on to the reins of power in a changing world where virtually every thing else has changed except the leader of Sinn Fein. Most other party leaders across the globe have moved off the scene to make way for fresh faces and new ideas. But not in Sinn Fein where permanent leadership seems to be an article of faith.

The cult of personality in Sinn Fein, assiduously cultivated over the years, is so strong that not a mute of discord has been heard from within the ranks. Its senior officials including elected representatives seem prepared to go down in history, not as activists who for political-strategic reasons defended the IRA against allegations of robbing banks ok killing and kidnapping those it took umbrage to, but as swindlers on a par with Irish bishops who thought that safeguarding the political career of one man should trump the need of a raped and tormented woman for justice.

It is understandable that the party president, lacking any moral compass, is quite willing to sacrifice what remains of the party's credibility and the reputations of many of his colleagues in his bid to ensure that 'I'm alright Jack.' Their fate matters not to him. Why the indifference is not reciprocated from those with so much to lose is something that cult researchers will ply their trade to.

Oh, and here's another one:
http://thepensivequill.am/2010/01/end-of-adams-era.html?showComment=1263514269128#c4211505907292311685