Martin McGuinness’s ties to the IRA should not have an impact on how people vote in the upcoming presidential election, the leader of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams has said.
Speaking from New York the Sinn Fein leader described McGuiness as a “good candidate”.
“Whatever we think about De Valera, he was a leader of the IRA,” he told the Irish Voice.
“Others that have held that position, the first president was a member of the Irish republican brotherhood, there is a long lineage of people who were involved in our resistance to British rule going on.”
Adams who was attending the annual Clinton Global Initiative said Ireland is ready for a republican president.
“We think the country needs a president who isn’t put in the same mould as the establishment, who has a proven record of peacemaking, who’s authentic.
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“There was never a time when Ireland needed Republican politics, those core broad democratic values than at this time, Martin McGuinness embodies all of that,” he told the Irish Voice.
“We need a people’s president.”
The Sinn Fein leader said the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland has laid the groundwork in the Northern Ireland to continue his cause.
“I also think given what he has been doing in the north with Unionist and that reconciliation that he is involved in, that gives him a nice little platform to continue that work,” he said.
Speaking about the Clinton Global Initiative which he attends every year, he said he was particularly inspired by the founder of Kanchi, Irish woman Caroline Casey. An entrepreneur and well known disability advocate, Casey addressed the forum yesterday on the topic of values-based leadership.
“Caroline Casey was absolutely amazing,” he told the Irish Voice.
“She nearly had me in tears, she is so brave,” he added.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Stiofain | Sep 24, 2011, 10:07 AM EDT
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.
citizen69 | Sep 23, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT
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.
maryosullivan | Sep 23, 2011, 09:46 AM EDT
He had better support lest the brave Martin spills the beans
sirpeter | Sep 22, 2011, 06:23 PM EDT
@Trealach.After reading the article I thought straight away it needed to be checked out.Because I had my doubts.
Trealach | Sep 22, 2011, 05:09 PM EDT
@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.
sirpeter | Sep 22, 2011, 01:04 PM EDT
@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.
Rebelforce | Sep 22, 2011, 11:35 AM EDT
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.
johhnyb | Sep 22, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT
Hang on....none of these people was ever in the IRA. What are you talking about?