EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: SF cover-up of Liam Adams' senior role

Sunday Tribune investigation reveals how alleged abuser chaired IRA 'martyrs' event

Suzanne Breen, Northern Editor

From Dundalk's 'The Argus' in June 1996, showing Liam Adams (far right) beside Martin McGuinness at the opening of a Sinn Féin office

Suspected paedophile and senior Sinn Féin member Liam Adams chaired a commemoration for IRA martyrs over a year after his brother Gerry claims to have "moved immediately" to have him expelled from the party.

Liam Adams chaired the Edentubber Martyrs' commemoration in Co Louth attended by 1,000 republicans on 9 November 1997. He introduced the main speaker, Sinn Féin national chairman Mitchel McLaughlin. The event was reported in The Dundalk Democrat.

A Sunday Tribune investigation has uncovered a massive cover-up of Liam Adams' Sinn Féin involvement. He is portrayed as playing a short-lived, minor role. Louth TD Arthur Morgan claimed Liam Adams "was never a party officer".

Today, we reveal Liam Adams was Sinn Féin's most senior official in Co Louth. He was chairman of the Louth comhairle ceantair, liaising directly with the national Sinn Féin leadership.

In June 1996, he welcomed Martin McGuinness to Dundalk and stood beside McGuinness at the official opening of Sinn Féin's new office in the town. In Dundalk's The Argus, McGuinness is photographed cutting the ribbon with "Liam Adams, chairman of Louth comhairle ceantair" by his side. It's inconceivable Gerry Adams didn't know of his brother's senior position then.

Liam Adams is wanted by the PSNI on charges of repeatedly raping his daughter, Aine Tyrell, from the age of four. He denies the allegations but Gerry Adams has said that when Aine told him in 1987, he believed her.

As Louth comhairle ceantair chairman, Liam Adams was over all Sinn Féin cumainn in the county and was their go-between with the leadership. He couldn't have held this position without the national leadership's approval.

Gerry Adams admits knowing Liam was in Sinn Féin only when he heard he was seeking the Sinn Féin 1997 Dáil nomination in Louth. The Sunday Tribune can reveal Liam sought this in October 1996. Gerry Adams said he then "moved very, very quickly" to have him "dumped" from Sinn Féin.

Yet eight months later, Gerry Adams canvassed in Dundalk with Liam and a further five months after that Liam chaired the Edentubber 40th anniversary commemoration for five IRA men killed in the Border campaign.

After Bodenstown, it's the most significant individual commemoration in the republican calendar. A veteran republican said: "I'm appalled the leadership let this man take part in such an important republican event."

The Sunday Tribune can reveal that, apart from attending Liam's second wedding, Gerry Adams also attended the christening of one of Liam's children in Dundalk's Holy Cross Church in 1997 – 10 years after he believed Liam was a paedophile.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's 1997 Louth election agent, Fra Browne, has contradicted claims by Gerry Adams' spokesman that the Sinn Féin president hadn't wanted Liam on the Dundalk canvass but was in a difficult position when he turned up.

"The Adams brothers weren't estranged. They got on great together," Browne said. "Liam didn't gate-crash the canvass. Pretending he did is rewriting history."

Both Browne and Sinn Féin Dáil candidate Owenie Hanratty are angry that they unknowingly canvassed with a suspected paedophile. Both men have since left the party.

January 3, 2010

Comments

#1 Brian from Newry commented, on January 3, 2010 at 6:49 p.m.:

The Sunday Tribune and Suzanne Breen must be commended for their investigation and determination on carrying this terrible story. As a Sinn Fein member from Northern Ireland, I can no longer sit back and listen to the deadly silence from the leadership of Sinn Fein, I have children myself and I am disgusted with our leader Gerry Adams, it is time for him to go. No one can defend the stance taken by our movement in saying nothing and backing our leader. Time to go Gerry !

#2 jdaly commented, on January 3, 2010 at 6:53 p.m.:

One of the remaining questions to be asked is why the media, with a few notable exceptions, is willing to accept Sinn Fein statements on this issue at face value. Lst week in the Irish Times Gerry Moriarty printed a Sinn Fein statement that nothing in last week's Tribune effected anything they had said previously. Is research banned in the Irish Times? Could they not at least have made some checks in the Dundalk area?
Well down Sunday Tribune, well done Suzanne Breen.

#3 jim commented, on January 3, 2010 at 9:55 p.m.:

and all the while the ra were shooting people n breaking their limbs for smoking a couple of joints

#4 Alan Murphy commented, on January 3, 2010 at 10:27 p.m.:

Have to agree with the above comment, is the Sunday Tribune the only newspaper digging on this story, what ever happened to investigative journalism??

#5 Ex Sinn Fein commented, on January 4, 2010 at 2:10 a.m.:

It is clear lying is endemic within the leadership of Sinn Fein. Gerry Adams and Arthur Morgan must “move immediately “ follow the course taken by the catholic bishops and resign forthwith. We can chose to stay away from the church but because SinnFein are in Government in this part of Ireland we can not exclude them from control of every aspect of our lives and that of our children. I hope The Tribune has the stamina to stay with this story as I suspect you have just uncovered the tip of the iceberg

#6 Eoin C commented, on January 4, 2010 at 10:20 a.m.:

It strikes me that we are quibbling over a matter of months. Is there any evidence that L Adams was influential in PSF from 1998 say? If not that is eleven years. Does G Adams not deserve some benefit of doubt for this prolonged absence of L Adams from PSF platforms. Of course this does not answer questions about his three successive jobs in a youth worker capacity. It appears to me that these stories corroborate G Adams version moreso than they diminish it.

#7 roddy Derry commented, on January 4, 2010 at 10:37 a.m.:

Sinn Fein have for years been the experts at rewriting history, building ficticious reputations for party members and attempting to slur the character of any who have been astute enough to walk away. Great article by Suzanne, and about time, SF aren't used to being challanged and this is clearly evidenced by their lies and and subsequent silence.

#8 Kate from Belfast commented, on January 4, 2010 at 1:42 p.m.:

Just listened to Mark Davenport on Radio Ulster, he referred to the difficulties Adams was having on the 'family front', I don't get how this can be spinned as a private affair. How is the cover up of alleged child abuse by a political leader not of public interest? This place is unbelievable, many journalists should be hanging their heads in shame, as should politicians. Where is the Minister of Education, the Children's Commission and the Human Rights Commission. All paid handsomely supposedly to look after our children's rights, there has been a gross abuse of rights and procedure yet not a murmur, not unless something is happening behind the scenes. Do you think? Well done Suzanne!

#9 Mick commented, on January 4, 2010 at 8:27 p.m.:

One thing is for sure, Suzanne Breen is NOT a spoon fed journalist, she can chase a story and have the Ba**s to write it and thank god the Sunday Tribune had the guts to publish it. So many journalists and editors in Northern Ireland should hang their heads in shame, this is one of the biggest political story's in years, but not a word from most of the Northern Media

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