Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

David Ervine - The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary Anyone who knew David Ervine or knows of him will appreciate the title of Bobby Niblock’s play - The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary. In its humorous description of David’s style of speaking and wordiness it reminds us of a political leader who was an able and determined advocate for working class loyalism. His sudden death in January 2007 at the ag...

We must listen to each other Efforts by the British government and the unionist parties to stymie the conversation on future constitutional change has actually brought a greater focus on the growing momentum around the upcoming unity referendum.  The criticism of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by the British Secretary of State and a range of unionist voices for daring to suggest that a United Ireland w...

Lough Neagh Seamus Heaney’s poem, published in 1969, captures much of what makes Lough Neagh unique. It has long been a place of myth and fable, where the palace of the Tuatha Dé Danann is supposed to lie beneath its waves. It is said that Lough Neagh was created by the giant Finn McCool who legend claims scooped out a huge chunk of earth and threw it after the Scottish giant Benandonner. He misse...

Palestinian State Last week the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin visited Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. It was an opportunity for the Irish government to take a firm stand against Israeli aggression and its apartheid system of governance. Instead Mr. Martin became little more than a commentator on the ongoing and worsening crisis in that region. Sepsis The month of Septe...

Unique Robert Ballagh Moore Street Print As regular readers of this column know I have been involved for a very long time in the campaign to protect and develop as a historic and cultural quarter the Moore St. Terrace and its environs in Dublin. The entire terrace 10-25 Moore Street was occupied by the evacuated GPO garrison at the end of Easter Week 1916. The developer - Hammerson - wants to demo...

The Road To Cork.  In 1986 I gave a talk at a Sinn Féin conference which became known by activists of my vintage as The Road to Cork or The Bus to Cork. More of that at another time. Suffice for now to say that I made  the journey to Cork  a metaphor for the journey to the new republic. I am minded of that now as our car speeds south and I sit in the back penning these words. The road to Cork is i...

Visiting the Hunger Strikers This column will be in Cork, le cuidiu Dia, to attend the National Hunger Strike Commemoration on Sunday. It’s the first time that this annual event will be held in Cork. It will remember the ten 1981 hunger strikers and Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who both died in English prisons and those Cork republicans - Terence MacSwiney, Michael Fitzgerald, Joseph Murphy, De...

John Joe McGirl – an unbreakable Fenian In the course of almost 60 years of activism I have been very lucky to meet many wonderful, committed, compassionate republicans. On Saturday, in Ballinamore in County Leitrim, Republicans from Leitrim and beyond will gather to celebrate the life of one of these – John Joe McGirl. The annual John Joe McGirl commemoration is one of the highlights of the Balli...

Be An Activist I had the privilege of attending many of the debates and discussions which are a unique and vital part of Féile an Phobail. Well done to all the participants and in particular to the organisers and the stewards who ensured that everything worked smoothly. Thanks also to the venues which welcomed us all. I want to touch briefly on the remarks made by Terry O'Sullivan and Jeremy...

Dawn Doyle remembers her friend and comrade Rita O’Hare. Last week (Thursday August 2023) I launched my latest Léargas book An Bhean Dearg about Rita O’Hare.   The main speaker at the event was Dawn Doyle who was a close friend and comrade of Rita’s for many years. These are her words of tribute.

Frederick Douglass takes pride of place in Belfast A great crowd turned out on Monday morning in Lombard St. in Belfast City Centre for the unveiling by Belfast City Ard Mheara Ryan Murphy of a very fine statue of Frederick Douglass, escaped slave and human rights campaigner. It is a striking image of Douglass who is an iconic figure for his work on campaigning for an end to slavery and for equali...

Fly Me To The Moon. I am a longtime fan of Tony  Bennett. News of his death at the fine age of ninety six brings an end to an amazing life and a wonderful singing career lasting over sixty years. In more recent times this column reviewed an album he did with Lady GaGa. Cheek to Cheek is an envigorating stroll through some old favourites like Anything Goes alongside more modern melodies. “I stand w...

Slán Irish Voice   Two weeks ago Niall O’Dowd, founder of the Irish American newspaper The Irish Voice announced that it was to close after 36 years. The New York based Irish Voice and the Irish Echo were the principle sources of news for decades of Irish Americans and new Irish immigrants moving to the USA. Now the Irish Voice is gone. But a far sighted Niall O’Dowd realised some years ago the di...

Britannia waives the rules – again Internment was introduced 52 years ago next month on 9 August 1971. In the early hours of that morning 342 men and boys from nationalist homes across the North were dragged from their homes. Many were badly beaten and forced to run a gauntlet of battle wielding British soldiers. 14 – The Hooded Men - were subjected to days of sustained torture. It was a traumatic...

Debate on Irish Unity steps up Two successful events on the future of Ireland were held in Belfast and Dublin last week. The atmosphere and enthusiasm at both events was mighty. The two events were part of the work of Sinn Fein’s Commission on the Future of Ireland which was established two years ago by the party to encourage dialogue. It’s about people having their say about the kind of Ireland w...

Threat to Neutrality must be challenged Last June Micheál Martin, the then Taoiseach attacked the decades long neutrality policy of the Irish state. He claimed that; “We need to reflect on military non-alignment in Ireland and our military neutrality. We are not politically neutral …,” And Martin cast aside any pretence that the people should have a say in this when he said: “We don’t need a refer...

Moore St The threat of demolition to parts of the Moore St Terrace - that played a central role in the Easter Rising - has increased significantly. Last month the Executive of Dublin City Council rejected a motion by Councillors that Number 18 Moore St should be designated a Protected Structure. The Councillors had previously passed a motion in support of this. Coffin Ships Eight years ago the dea...

St. Comgall’s and Eileen Howell   St. Comgall’s/Ionad Eileen Howell in Divis St. will be formally opened next week on Thursday the 22 June. In honour and memory of Eileen the refurbished building is being named after her.  The multi-million pound project has been 21 years in the making. The transformation of what was for many years a derelict building has been amazing. All of those who have contri...

ON YOUR BIKE.   I have given my good bike away. This marks a defining moment in my life. My good bike sat in the backyard for almost a year. That’s the last time I was out on it. A year ago. It was dawning on me that my cycling days were over except for occassional sorties on a Greenway in some secluded place. But I was reluctant to face up to that. It seemed to me that as long as I held on to my...

In March 1984 I was shot as I and four friends drove from Belfast Court. We were driving up May St. at the back of the City Hall when our car was fired on from a passing vehicle. Four of us – myself, Sean Keenan, Joe Keenan, and Kevin Rooney - were hit. Bob Murray escaped injury. I was wounded in the neck, shoulder and upper body. We were blessed by incompetent assassins, UDA members and surrogate...

Ar Slí An Fhirinne.  It’s the age we’re at I tell myself and my declining peer group as we attend funeral after funeral this last wee while.  The great wheel of life is now turning for our generation. This phase started with Colette’s sister Martha. Martha was eighty five. The matriarch of the Mallon family. A kind, strong, gentle woman who lived on through Parkinson’s and the loss of her husband...

The People’s Priest: Fr. Des Wilson died in November 2019. I first met him in 1968. His long life was dedicated to helping people.  During the years of conflict, he stood with the Upper Springfield community against the aggression and violence of the British state forces.  He gave comfort and solidarity to those in need and was hugely respected and loved. Have your say on the future of Ireland Fut...

Candidatitis: This syndrome is capable of moving even the most rational aspirant or shy wallflower into a state of extreme self belief.  It strikes without warning, is no respecter of gender, and can infect the lowly municipal hopeful, the aspiring Parliamentarian, as well as the lofty presidential wannabe. Solidarity with Palestinian people I want to extend my solidarity and condolences to the Pa...

Stardust families demand truth The inquest into the Stardust disaster opened in Dublin last week. The list of the dead from that terrible event in February 1981 is heartbreakingly long. The families of the 48 young people who died have been reading poignant pen portraits of their loved ones into the record of the inquest. All of those who were killed were aged between 16 and 26. Over two hundred o...

Agreement 25 The three days of the conference to mark Agreement 25 at Queens University, a quarter of a century after the Good Friday Agreement, was an opportunity to meet again many of those who were there when the Agreement was thrashed out in 1998. I was particularly happy to see George Mitchell. He was in great form and for me his speech was the highlight of conference. Lucid, reasoned, futuri...