Gerry Adams defends Martin McGuinness and his IRA past

Rebelforce: A "Good Friday Agreement" would have come about without the Provisional Alliance (PIRA),only earlier. S.F. and the NICRA was wiiling to work for peace, but the split the Provos created in the Irish Republican Movement put an agreement off for nearly thirty years.

Dispite what the Provos may claim about an unbroken linage, when are people going to realize that the IRA and the Provisional IRA are not the same organisation? Much in the same way that those same Provos will tell you the the Continuity IRA & the Real IRA have no connection to the Provisional IRA. Yet all claim to be inheritors of the original IRA. They are all splinter groups who thought their predecessors weren't violent enough.

He had better support lest the brave Martin spills the beans

@Trealach.After reading the article I thought straight away it needed to be checked out.Because I had my doubts.

@Sirpeter - that's a common mistake made about Hyde. In 1893 he helped found the Gaelic League. It was set up to encourage the preservation Irish culture, its music, dances, and language. Many of the new generation of Irish leaders who played a central role in the fight for Irish independence in the early twentieth century, including Patrick Pearse, Éamon de Valera (who married his Irish teacher Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin), Michael Collins, and Ernest Blythe first became politicised and passionate about Irish independence through their involvement in Conradh na Gaedhilge or (Gaelic League). Hyde himself, however, felt uncomfortable at the growing politicisation of his movement (which had been infiltrated by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, just like the Irish Volunteers and the Gaelic Athletic Association) and resigned the presidency in 1915; he was replaced reluctantly by co-Founder Eoin MacNeill.

@johhnyb.De Valera joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913.The Volunteers fought for Irish independence in 1916's Easter Rising, and were joined by the IRB,Irish Citizen Army,Cumann na mBan and Fianna Éireann to form the Irish Republican Army. Douglas Hyde was NOT a member of the IRB/IRA.That appears to be a mistake.Who made this mistake I'm not sure.

This might be a good time for a quick Reality Check for some of our slow learners. Here goes. If it were not for the existence of a highly effective IRA Resistance there would: 1) Not be an independent Ireland in five-sixth of the island today, and: 2) There would be no Good Friday Agreement in the Six county statelet. Meditate on that truth for a few minutes and then give thanks to those who sacrificed so much for your sake.

Hang on....none of these people was ever in the IRA. What are you talking about?