Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

Upcoming Events Tá Scoil Gheimhridh Uí Chadhain, i gcomhar le Conradh na Gaeilge agus Glór na Móna, ag óstáil plé ar an Ghaeilge agus ar aontú na hÉireann Dé hAoine seo ag a haon a chlog sa Chultúrlann. In addition, Scoil Gheimhridh Uí Chadhain is hosting another discussion this Saturday at 11am on Protestants & a United Ireland , featuring Claire Mitchell and Dr Robbie McVeigh. Sinn Féin&apos...

 Upcoming Events Sinn Féin's Commission on the Future of Ireland is hosting a People's Assembly in Cork.  The event will take place on Thursday  19th of February 7pm at the Rochestown Park Hotel. Join the discussion on a new Ireland, how it could be achieved and what it might look like. The conversation will be led by an independent chair and panel which will be announced soon. You can r...

Mercosur is a bad deal. The European Commission has backed a free trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The European Parliament is set to decide on the future of the Mercosur Agreement. It has taken twenty-five years to get to this point. The European Commission has decided to support this proposition and the smart money says the Parliament will follow suit. But perhaps not...

  International Law in Tatters Should we be surprised by the decision of President Trump to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores? Should we be shocked by his claim that the US will now administer Venezuela or that US Oil companies will manage Venezuela’s huge oil reserves? And what of his threats against Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, Nigeria and others? The historical rea...

2026 - Bliain Úr faoi Mhaise Daoibhse A very happy New Year to all readers of this column, to the staff of the Belfast Media Group and The Irish Echo. And to you good readers who have stayed with me over the years. None of us know what 2026 will bring but we can be sure it will be interesting. May it also be good to you all and to your families. Beirigí bua.  Eyes On The Prize.  2025 was a good ye...

Hunger Strike in English Prisons In English prisons five people, imprisoned under new repressive laws targeted at pro-Palestinian activists, are on hunger strike. Several of them will have been on hunger strike now for over 50 days. At the weekend and each day since, protests have taken place across the island of Ireland and in Britain.  Irish republicans have a natural affinity with those who use...

Kenova – Collusion and the Murder of Citizens  The Kenova Report adds further substance to the litany of existing reports that over several decades have exposed the extent of British state participation in the murder of citizens. The Kenova Inquiry commenced in June 2016 and the final report was published on 9 December 2025. Operation Kenova covered four distinct investigations: ·      Operation K...

  And Flowers Grew up Through the Concrete is Laurence McKeown’s second prison memoir. Big Laurny, is a very fine writer. This latest book is an account of his journey through imprisonment, hunger strike, brutality and growing self-awareness. It is beautifully written and unashamedly honest in its emotion. Laurence is one of those gifted republican POWs who spent years – decades in some cases – in...

An Open Letter to My Unionist Neighbours A Chairde, I want to respectfully reach out to my unionist neighbours at this time of ongoing change on our island and continuous turbulence and conflict in parts of our world. We should count our blessings. Imperfect though it might be we have peace and the ability to work out our difficulties peacefully. This ability to find solutions is frustrated by the...

The SS Al Rawdah For the first time ever the families of many of the 207 Republican internees held on the Al Rawdah prison ship between 1940 and 1941 met in Belfast. 85 years after their loved ones were interned on the prison hulk the families came together for the launch of Tom Hartley’s insightful account of that period. At the beginning of his remarks Tom invited the relatives present to stand....

Philomena Mulvenna Philomena Mulvenna died in the early hours of last Friday morning. I have known Philomena and her husband Paddy for most of my adult life. Paddy and she were 72 years married and they had 7 children. Mrs Mulvenna protested with other women against military occupation and for decades on behalf of the political prisoners especially the Armagh women and the blanket men. The song si...

Defending British interests Hilary Benn is the 25th British Secretary of State since the Conservative government of Ted Heath scrapped the Stormont Parliament in 1972. Whitelaw was the first. I met him during the London talks in July that year. There was then a gap of 23 years before I met another British Secretary of State, Patrick Mayhew. I have met most of the rest since then. The 25 were a mix...

Celebrating our Language, Arts and Culture Comhghairdeas to all of those who helped make Oireachtas na Samhna the huge success it was. Thousands of Irish language speakers from across the island of Ireland spent part of last week enjoying the music, dance, culture, arts, craic and discussions that are part of the oldest Irish language and arts event on the island of Ireland. The Waterfront Hall an...

Hope and Opportunity Ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil le Catherine Connolly agus a foireann. Maith sibh as feachtas Uachtaránachta dearfach, forásach agus trócaireach a chur chun cinn. I want to extend my congratulations to Catherine Connolly and her team. Well done for fighting a positive, progressive, compassionate and cohesive Presidential campaign. Well done also to the many Sinn Fé...

Adh Mór Catherine The Presidential election is on Friday. Many of you reading this column or listening to it on social media platforms, will not have a vote. But some of you will. So, I am asking you to cast your first preference for Catherine Connolly and to encourage everyone else to do the same.  The last week has seen a significant increase in negative campaigning against Catherine by Fine Gae...

Palestine Must Be Free  A population greater than that of Belfast has been moving back to the northern Gaza strip following the ceasefire announcement last week. Awaiting them is utter destruction. The infrastructure of Gaza has been levelled by the Israeli state’s genocide. The return of the Gazans. is based on hope. Hope that humanitarian aid will arrive. Hope that the indiscriminate bombing by...

Senator Chris Andrews shares his experience of being onboard the Global Sumad Flotilla and being illegal detained by Israeli authorities 

Where now for Micheál Martin? The decision by Fianna Fáil Presidential candidate Jim Gavin to withdraw from the contest means the race is now between Independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys. But what of the man who asked Gavin to stand? Suffice to say I am not a supporter of Micheál Martin. There is nothing personal in this. I have seen at close quarters how he works and I...

A President for All All three candidates in the Presidential election have made commitments in support of Irish Unity. Clear evidence of the growing importance of Irish Unity to the electorate. Last Saturday Catherine Connolly was invited to address a Sinn Fein conference in Dublin. There was a palpable buzz of anticipation in Dublin City University as over 500 party activists gathered to discuss...

An short update with Chris Andrews, who is on the Flotilla 120 nautical miles away from Gaza. The flotilla is carrying food & humanitarian aid in an attempt to break the blockade on Gaza.

In this Special episode I talk with Senator Chris Andrew who is currently onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla is carrying food & humanitarian aid in an attempt to break the blockade on Gaza.  It should be allowed safe passage. 

  Catherine Connolly – A President for all of Ireland In less than five weeks’ time the next Uachtarán na hÉireann will be elected by the people of the 26 counties. Election day is 24 October. That the people of the North and of the diaspora will be denied a vote is a disgraceful consequence of the efforts over recent years by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG) to prevent the extension of the presid...

The role of the Assembly and Executive If we were to listen to and accept at face value those in the media who criticise the Assembly and the Executive as ineffective, and who question their value or use, we would mothball both institutions and sack the MLAs. Yes, there is justifiable frustration at the failure of the institutions to address concerns on health and education and delivery on Casemen...

Gaza – The Gates of Hell Last Saturday millions across the world, including here in Belfast, participated in one of the biggest ever solidarity events as part of a Global Day of Action in support of the Palestinian people. At the same time dozens of boats, and hundreds of human rights activists, are taking part in the largest civilian freedom flotilla. Among them are three senior Sinn Féin represe...

  Say No To Farage.  Probably more than any other politician in Britain Nigel Farage was responsible for winning the vote on Brexit in 2016. He exploited racism and anti-migrant sentiment winning new converts over to an English centred- jingoistic view of the world. The dangers of Farage’s xenophobic beliefs are evident daily across the British news media. Every day attacks increase on refugees an...