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 : " You know what many people down south fear - that Sinn Fein will set up a one-party state with the help of the IRA . Do you think there are grounds for that fear ? "
GERRY ADAMS : " No . Our position is simply that when Irish democracy is restored , then it's up to the people to decide who or what governs . I mean the Sinn Fein threat is completely exaggerated . But what I would like to see , obviously , is a republican society , a socialist society in Ireland with a planned economy , but I couldn't see it being done with any sort of imposed dictatorship . Even if there was some lunatic with such grandiose thoughts . Nor is it even feasible .
If we make as many advances as possible on the whole social dimension of republicanism , resolve the national question (? ?) , then you will get a re-alignment of Irish politics on the basis that the working people (sic) of Ireland are the majority . "
(MORE LATER).
THE ACCUSING FINGER OF RAYMOND GILMOUR....... By NEIL McCAFFERTY.
From 'MAGILL' magazine, August 1983 .
Then there was the young man that Raymond Gilmour could not find at all : back and forth he looked around the courtroom , peering , craning his head , then looking again , back and forth . Finally Gilmour smiled , as in fond remembrance of a joke - '...of course , there you are ...' , he almost thought aloud . Some of the prisoners turned smiles on the man that the informer Gilmour had finally located , because this man was quite small , and you wouldn't hardly see him in a crowd , and his size was the butt of fond jokes .
This 'communal link' snapped suddenly as another prisoner rose to his feet and snarled in fury - " Gilmour you yellow bastard ... " and then the prison guards and the RUC were on top of him , but he had turned already to go down to the cell below because he knew the procedure once composure had snapped . " I hope your da gets stiffed ... " (Link here - see near end of page) , the man yelled , and this time the Crown Forces around him pushed him harder - a clatter of feet , a muffled call ... and 'the waters' closed again . Raymond Gilmour continued to point at people , and did so until the court rose for lunch .
On the road outside , Mrs Gilmour , surrounded by her three daughters and son John , stood waiting . " I'm sorry ... " , she said , to anyone , to everyone , "....I just couldn't bear it... " The plan had been for her to wait until it came time for her son to point at people , then she was supposed to stand up and say ' Raymond , can you identify me...? ' That surely would have brought him to his senses , for was he not out of his senses that he could do what he was doing ? Was he not brainwashed , he was not himself , couldn't everybody see that her son had been programmed completely , completely taken over by the RUC....... ?
(MORE LATER).
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' .)
BRITISH AND IRISH COMMUNIST ORGANISATION: Changed its name from 'Irish Communist Organisation' in 1971 . Initially made an impact with its 'two nations theory' , but support declined after it adopted other 'uncommon' positions . Members participated in the 'Campaign for Labour Representation in the North' and supported the 'Democratic Socialist Party' in the South .
CAMPAIGN FOR LABOUR REPRESENTATION: Formed around 1978 with the participation of members of the 'British and Irish Communist Organisation' to campaign for the extension of the British Labour Party to the North of Ireland .
COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND: Reformed in 1970 with the amalgamation of 'The Communist Party of Northern Ireland' and 'The Irish Workers' Party'. Although it fared miserably in every election contested , it did have some influence within the trade union movement . Ideologically , it remained friendly to Moscow .
(MORE LATER).
