THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GERRY ADAMS....... The recent strike by BBC journalists over the 'REAL LIVES' programme and the dispute at RTE over the interview with NORAID representative MARTIN GALVIN have focused world attention on Sinn Fein once again .MICHAEL KELLY spoke to Sinn Fein president GERRY ADAMS at interviews in Dublin and Belfast , conducted over the course of the past month .
From 'IN DUBLIN' magazine, August 1985 .
MICHAEL KELLY : " What about rumours that there is a split in Sinn Fein between the people in favour of the armed struggle and those in favour of constitutional change- does this split exist between what might be called the hawks and the doves ? "
GERRY ADAMS : " It's nonsense! First of all there has been no split in Sinn Fein since the late 1960's. If there were major divisions I wouldn't try to deny it. Leaving aside any morality , that would be because it would surface. I'd be saying to you that there wasn't and then next month there would be a splinter-group or a faction and it would be quite obvious . It's a hardy annual which is brought up every so often - the doves versus hawks or north versus south . As our magazine said - 'There isn't a Volunteer who didn't applaud the success of Sinn Fein or a Sinn Fein person who didn't applaud the IRA's success .' "
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THE ACCUSING FINGER OF RAYMOND GILMOUR....... By NEIL McCAFFERTY.
From 'MAGILL' magazine, August 1983 .
Mrs Gilmour stood in the roadway outside the courthouse pleading for absolution , surrounded by her children , and some of the relatives of the prisoners moved stiffly by her , not speaking to her . The Gilmour family is tainted - they have not disowned Raymond , have they ? But if they did disown him , he'd be beyond all emotional bidding : he's beyond bidding now anyway , comes the reply . He doesn't care about his father , did not break down even when his wife and children left him in exile and returned to the Creggan.
But he has been breaking , runs the counter-argument : look what his wife said about the time he tried to kill himself in that hotel in Cyprus, overdosing on her tranquillisers as well as his own . Didn't she say he was drinking heavily and bewildered ? " He rang me on Mother's Day , " Mrs Gilmour said on the roadway . He rang every member of his family that night , Martin McGuinness confirmed , and he seemed incoherent and emotional , saying he'd be killed if he returned to Derry : " Then he wrote me a letter thanking me for rearing him ," said Mrs Gilmour , " ...but I didn't rear him for this , did I , Martin ..? " She turned for consolation to the two representatives of Sinn Fein , McGuinness and Mitchell McLaughlin who have become her own minders .
How come she never noticed , some relatives wondered bitterly as they left her on the roadway , crying and pleading . Hasn't the prosecution confirmed in writing to the defence solicitors that Raymond Gilmour was a paid RUC teenage tout long before he joined the IRA ? Gilmour himself addressed this issue in court.......
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GLOSSARY OF THE LEFT IN IRELAND : FROM 1960 TO 1983....... These notes attempt to record the left-wing organisations which have existed in Ireland since 1960 . No attempt has been made to record purely local organisations outside Dublin and Belfast , or microscopic groups which never reached double figures . The larger organisations have been presented in more detail .
From 'GRALTON' magazine, 1983.
By John Goodwillie.
(NOTE : Links in the following article are as accurate as possible - not all the groups mentioned left a discernible 'footprint' .)
COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND (MARXIST-LENINIST): Maoist organisation which changed its name from the 'Irish Communist Movement (Marxist-Leninist)' in 1972 .
COMMUNIST PARTY OF NORTHERN IRELAND: Formed in 1941 when the then Communist Party of Ireland divided between North and South due to their differing situations with regard to the Struggle . Despite a surge of support at the end of the Struggle , it never made a large impact except within the trade union movement . It merged into the Communist Party of Ireland in 1970 .
CONNOLLY YOUTH MOVEMENT: Formed in 1965 , it has always been dominated by the Communist Party Of Ireland (originally 'Irish Workers' Party').
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