Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

Gerry Adams
  • 4.8 (32)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Current Affairs, Politics, Irish Unity, History and Culture.

  1. 2D AGO

    Remembering Frank Stagg | Holy Smoke | The death of Nora Comiskey

    Remembering Frank Stagg Last week marked 50 years of the death of Frank Stagg on hunger strike in Wakefield Prison, in England.  Events, including a black flag vigil and a march and rally were organised to remember the Mayo man. Gerry Kelly who was on hunger strike in England in the 1970s for over 206 days, during which he was force fed 167 times, gave the main oration in Ballina and spoke of Frank’s great courage and commitment. I was in Long Kesh when Frank died on 12 February 1976 after 62 days on hunger strike. Britain’s intransigence and in particular the obduracy of the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, ensured that Frank’s fourth hunger strike would result in his death. As we walked around the Cage or sat in our cells the talk from when Frank embarked on his fast, was about his resolve and strength of character as on his own he faced the brutality of a British system determined to break him. Two years earlier we had watched as Frank’s friend and comrade Michael Gaughan, another Mayo man, had died on hunger strike.  Holy Smoke I used to smoke. I was very addicted to it. I smoked everything that was legal. I smoked a pipe for years. I liked the pipe. There is a certain ritual attached to pipe smoking. Filling your pipe requires special skills. It takes time. And care. Fill it too loosely and it will not last long. Too tightly and it will not burn at all. Most pipe smokers had a number of pipes. But there was always a favourite one. My favourites were invariably Kapp and Petersons. Particularly the bendy ones, favoured by Sherlock Holmes. Kapp and Peterson still have  a shop in Dublin. Kapp and Peterson gets honourable mention in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot. In Belfast Miss Morans in Church Lane, which is still doing business, was a favoured supplier of pipes and good tobacco. Pipe tobacco is of course a matter of choice and taste. And addiction. I was inclined towards heavier brands like Condor. The I graduated to War Horse, particularly War Horse plug tobacco. The preparation of this type of pipe filler requires a pen knife for cutting off little slices of tobacco. These were then rubbed between your hands until they were reduced to the desired consistency. This added to the ritual. It was probably theraputic. If thats not a contradiction. Ditto  with the smell of pipe smoke. Back in the day pipe smokers were a fixed presence  in pubs and at most social gatherings. Many people, barely visible in the clouds of smoke, would declare how much they liked the smell.  The death of Nora Comiskey It was with sadness that I heard of the death last week of Nora Comiskey. Many Dublin republicans and some of us from Belfast and other parts knew Nora over many years. She was a former president and long-time activist in the 1916-1921 Club. This was a unique institution founded in the 1940s whose aim was to try and bring together some of those who fought on the pro and anti- Treaty sides in the Civil War. Many did, including Nora who had been in Fianna Fáil. Its founding charter is the 1916 Proclamation and among its objectives are a commitment to honour those who fought for Irish Freedom and who work for its achievement. It also seeks to contribute to the cause of an Ireland — united, independent and sovereign

    18 min

  2. FEB 12

    Cork People's Assembly | Mandelson was Unimpressive | Goodbye Dearest Heart | We Are Not Numbers

    Mandelson was Unimpressive As I record this the future of Keir Starmer, as British Prime Minister, is a topic of conversation because of his mishandling of the Peter Mandelson affair. I know nothing about the ongoing scandal around Jeffrey Epstein other than what I read or see in the media. But the evidence of his serial abuse of young women going back many years is plain to see. My heart goes out to the victims and survivors of this despicable cabal  Goodbye Dearest Heart This week sees the republication of Jim McVeigh’s excellent book – Goodbye Dearest Heart - on the life of Joe McKelvey who was executed by the Free State in 1922 aged 24. It tells not just the personal story of Joe McKelvey but also the remarkable times in which he lived. Joe McKelvey was born in Stewartstown in county Tyrone but moved to the Falls area of west Belfast as a teenager. He was a committed Gael who in 1916 was a founder member of the O’Donovan Rossa CLG in Beechmount. Jim McVeigh tells how McKelvey joined the Irish Republican Army in Belfast and quickly rose through its ranks to become O.C. (Officer Commanding) of the Third Northern Division which had responsibility for Belfast. McKelvey’s time as O.C. coincided with the partition of Ireland.    We Are Not Numbers Late last year I came across a book written by young people living in or exiled from the Gaza Strip - ‘We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth.’   Through their words it gives testimony to the horror that the Palestinian people face daily in Gaza under Israeli occupation and blockade. The book spans ten years. It tells of the experience of young people and their community trying to survive against a ruthless enemy that does not see them as human beings The organisation We Are Not Numbers (WANN) was founded in 2015.

    17 min

  3. FEB 5

    Upcoming Events | London Case - Not about Truth and Accountability | Stand-up to a Genocidal Bully | Streets of Minneapolis

    London Case - Not about Truth and Accountability In May 2022 a civil case was launched against me in England. The civil trial will begin on 9 March in London, and conclude on St Patrick’s Day. There are some aspects of the case I can comment on and others I cannot at this time. Suffice to say that this is an unorthodox claim against me about events which occurred 29 and 53 years ago. In short, three Claimants, seek to hold me personally liable for three bombings committed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in March 1973 (at the Old Bailey), in February 1996 (at London Docklands) and in June 1996 (at the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre). Many innocent people were seriously hurt, three were killed in the bombings. The Claimants were injured and have suffered as a result. They deserve nothing but sympathy for what they have gone through. So do all those who were killed or injured in the conflict. And their families.  I regret all the deaths and injuries. People are entitled to use the law. However, this case is brought decades after these incidents and decades after the Good Friday Agreement brought peace to us all.   I anticipate, from public statements made by the Claimants’ solicitors, that a number of former British Army, and RUC/PSNI witnesses will give hearsay evidence that because I was a senior republican during the conflict I must be responsible for these specific events. Stand-up to a Genocidal Bully As the world ponders the implications of US President Trump’s talk of an ‘armada’ heading for Iran; or his latest threat of tariffs against Canada; or his ongoing threats against Cuba, Greenland and Europe; the so-called ceasefire in the Gaza Strip which he brokered in October has been breached over 1300 times by the Israeli apartheid regime. 509 Palestinians have been killed. In just one morning last week, Israeli attacks on Gaza City and Khan Younis left 31 Palestinians, including six children, dead. The limited medical facilities were overwhelmed with the dead and wounded. Streets of Minneapolis I have been very fortunate over the years to see Bruce Springsteen live. The concerts and the music are amazing. The Boss’s lyrics are sharp and he is unafraid to sing about the politics that anger and outrage him. ‘Born in the USA’ is an anthem against the War in Vietnam. ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ highlighted the aids crisis. Last week he turned his ire on the behaviour of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE )agents. Springsteen dedicated the song – Streets of Minneapolis - to the “people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbours and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good”.  Well done Bruce.

    19 min

  4. JAN 29

    Upcoming Events | Self-Determination and Democratic Rights | Mickey Brady – A Cheerful Change Maker. | Report on Rural Health in a New Ireland published

    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's Commission is hosting a people's assembly in Cork, on the 19th February 7pm at Rochestown Park Hotel. Bígí Linn. South & East Belfast Sinn Féin is hosting an evening discussion on what a world class, all-Ireland health system could look like and how we make it a reality. Chaired by Deirdre Hargey MLA, with Guest speaker David Cullinane TD and joined by panellists from across the health sector. The event will take place on the 12th of February 7pm at the Malone Lodge.  Self-Determination and Democratic Rights For decades now I have argued that self-determination is one of the big issues of our time. In 2005 I wrote: “In my view the big international struggle of our time is to assert democratic control by people over the decisions which affect their lives. This does not mean retreating behind existing borders and refusing contact with the outside world, but it does mean reasserting the primacy of democracy and working together in order to pursue this objective.” Mickey Brady – A Cheerful Change Maker.  Mickey Brady, former Sinn Féin MLA and MP for Newry and Armagh died last week. His sudden death came as a great shock to his family and to all of us who knew and respected him. I had the great fortune to work closely with Mickey in the Assembly and I often campaigned with him during elections. Some people are really good canvassing during elections. They have that way of engaging with people on the streets and at the doorstep and Mickey was a master at it. He was always positive. He knew the issues impacting on people and he could speak from his years of experience as an elected representative and as a champion for their rights through his work in the Newry Welfare Rights centre. Report on Rural Health in a New Ireland published Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland last week published its latest report - ‘Delivering Rural Health and Care in a New Ireland.’ The public event took place in Enniskillen in November. A packed hall heard from a panel of health activists, including Pat Cullen MP, Fr. Brian D’Arcy – writer and broadcaster, Paula Leonard, CEO of Alcohol Ireland and Denzil McDaniel, author and former editor of The Impartial Reporter. The discussion and report examines the challenges faced by rural communities trying to access all-Ireland cardiac services, autism services, cancer provision, suicide support services and A&E. It makes no sense that we run two entirely separate health systems trying to solve the same problems. The report of the Enniskillen Assembly can be accessed in English and Irish here: www.sinnfein.ie/futureofireland

    16 min

  5. JAN 22

    Upcoming Events | Kitson Praises Paras in Ballymurphy | A Raffle for Jim Fitzpatrick limited edition print | Public Media Ireland | Mickey Brady. RIP.

    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 register to attend on Eventbrite or at the venue on the night.   South & East Belfast Sinn Féin is hosting an evening discussion on what a world class, all-Ireland health system could look like and how we make it a reality.  Chaired by Deirdre Hargey MLA, with Guest speaker David Cullinane TD and joined by panellists from across the health sector. The event will take place on the 12th of February 7pm at the Malone Lodge.    Kitson Praises Paras in Ballymurphy I recently came across the autobiography of British General Sir Frank Kitson which was published last year shortly after his death. It is titled ‘Intelligent Warfare’ an oxymoron in any language. In truth it is an account of British military failures through several colonial wars in which Kitson fought, including in Ireland. It is also a reflection of Kitson’s enormous personal ego. Kitson came to prominence within the British military hierarchy in the 1950s during its efforts to crush the independence rebellion in Kenya. He established counter-gangs that tortured and killed Kenyan civilians. The groups were made up of British soldiers, including Kitson on occasion, and former members of those fighting against British rule. Tens of thousands of Kenyans ended up in over 150 detention camps where they were brutalized. An estimated 30,000 Kenyans were killed; one and a half million were interned; torture was commonplace and 1090 were hanged. While Kitson boasts of his role in the counter-gangs he ignores the human rights violations that underpinned British strategy in that African country. In 1970 he took command of the 39th Brigade – which covered Belfast and surrounding region. In the same year he published ‘Low Intensity Operations’ which quickly became the standard text book for the British Army’s counter-insurgency strategy in the following decades.  A Raffle for Jim Fitzpatrick limited edition print The Moore Street Preservation Trust is raffling our hugely popular Elizabeth O’Farrell print - a unique, framed print designed and signed by the renowned Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick. Míle buiochas Jim.  The draw will take place on Good Friday, 3 April 2026. Tickets are €5 / £5 and they can be bought at: msptshop.myshopify.com  Public Media Ireland Last week a report entitled, ‘Public Media Ireland: a New PSM (Public Service Media) Organisation for a New Country’ was published in Belfast. The report – a joint project by Dublin City University and Ulster University – recommends the setting up of a new public service media organisation, Public Media Ireland, if citizens  ote yes in the referendum for constitutional change. Susan McKay, the Press Ombudsman, chaired the event. The four authors of the report, Dawn Wheatley, Roddy Flynn, Stephen Baker and Phil Ramsey, shared their vision of a Public Se

    19 min
  6. Irish Unity Must be Priority for EU Presidency | Nollaig na mBan | Mercosur is a bad deal | Progress on Casement Park

    JAN 15

    Irish Unity Must be Priority for EU Presidency | Nollaig na mBan | Mercosur is a bad deal | Progress on Casement Park

    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. It’s not over until it’s over. There will be a legal challenge to the deal, including Sinn Féin’s MEPs, and a vote in the European Parliament. Sinn Féin is also bringing forward a Dáil motion calling on the government to support the legal action and mandating all MEPs to vote against the deal.  Nollaig na mBan Some of the traditions that surround Christmas and the New Year celebrations have changed over recent years. For example, when I was growing up Christmas decorations didn’t start appearing in homes until a fortnight or so before the 25th December. Now, Halloween is barely over before Christmas decorations start appearing. Previously also, the tree, crib, and the rest all stayed in place until 6 January – the Feast of the Epiphany, the date on which it is said that the three wise men visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. This year decorations were mostly down from the start of the new year. And already Easter eggs are in the shops.  However, one celebration that has taken on a new lease of life is Nollaig na mBan - Women’s Christmas. It is celebrated on 6 January. It used to be confined to rural areas but that is changing.   Nollaig na mBan is the day when the role of women, who generally did  all the work for Christmas, was celebrated. It was the day when women get together with other women and enjoy a brief few hours of celebration on their own.  Progress on Casement Park Last week the draft budget for the Executive, announced by Finance Minister John O’Dowd, included an allocation of an additional £40 million toward the rebuilding of the new Casement Stadium. Sadly, despite the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and its principles of equality and parity of esteem, the decades since then have produced many examples of political unionism continuing to resist investment and funding allocation for nationalist areas. Casement Park is a case in point. Last week’s announcement is a positive and welcome development. Irish Unity Must be Priority for EU Presidency On 1st July the Irish government will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This will be its eighth time holding this key administrative and political role within the EU and the first time since Brexit.  The agenda for this Presidency is enormous and will affect all of our lives. It will include new legislation as well as significant negotiations around all of the major national and international issues affecting the world at this time – the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, the war in Ukraine, Venezuela, threatened US Foreign Policy adventures toward Greenland, Cuba, Colombia, Nigeria and Iran, famine in Africa, climate change and migration. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defined the state’s Presidency of the EU as “a Presidency defined by action.” All sounds impressive. But so far no one in the Irish government has said anything about using this unique opportunity to raise the issue of Irish Unity. Thus far, Micheál Martin’s approach to Irish Unity can best be described as “a leadership defined by inaction.”

    15 min

  7. JAN 8

    International Law in Tatters | The Fellow in the Big Picture | Irish government should be ashamed

    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 reality is that we have seen all of this before. The most brazen example this century was the invasion of Iraq in 2003, under the pretext of the non-existent weapons of mass destruction. The truth then was that US and British interests were primarily concerned with the control of Iraq’s oil. The result was a million Iraqi dead and a region torn apart by the subsequent political instability. International law was flagrantly broken. Torture and a brutal occupation followed.  The Fellow in the Big Picture Over the Christmas break I watched more television than I do at any other time. Regular readers will know that I’m more of a radio man. RTE Radio, Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió Fáilte, Radio Ulster. I listen to these every day. But I like westerns. And there is always a ton of westerns to be seen on television over the Christmas period. Some are old ones featuring Audie Murphy, Gene Audrey, Alan Ladd, John Wayne, Maureen O Hara and the likes.  TG4 usually has a good selection of these. They also show a lot of movies featuring Clint Eastwood. I like his films.  And not just the westerns. Although he first came to our attention in Ballymurphy with Rawhide. Unforgiven was the film of choice this Nollaig with Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, all in starring roles. And it was followed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.    Irish government should be ashamed 2026 began for the people of the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Occupied Territories with more Israeli attacks by land and sea and air; winter storms that have added to the enormous hardship of people trying to survive in flimsy tents; and the denial of appropriate humanitarian aid. 2025 also ended with Israel having killed nearly half of all those journalists killed last year. Reporters Without Borders recorded that 29 reporters were killed by Israeli forces making Israel “the worst enemy of journalists.”

    21 min

  8. JAN 1

    Happy New Year one and all - 2026 - Bliain Úr faoi Mhaise Daoibhse | Eyes On The Prize. | ‘I’m so scared, please come’

    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 year for Irish Unity. All of those advocating for a new Ireland, including Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland, worked hard and effectively promoting the message that Irish Unity will be good for the people of the island of Ireland. Crucially, both houses of the Oireachtas, the Dáil and the Seanad, passed motions calling on the Irish government to begin the process of planning and preparing for Unity referendums. These include The Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee. This is the only all-Ireland committee in Leinster House. It is unique in that Members of Parliament from the north join TDs and Senators to work on issues relating to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement remains the basis for relations on the island of Ireland and between the islands of Ireland and Britain. However, its implementation has been challenged, principally by indifference from London and a lack of consistent and positive leadership from Dublin. ‘I’m so scared, please come’ For as long as I have been a republican activist I have been reading and writing about the impact of British colonialism on peoples around the world. As the largest empire in human history Britain’s conquests and exploitation of other places resulted in untold misery, death and hardship for those living under British rule - not least here in Ireland. To maintain its domination, the British Empire used violence and dehumanised the peoples it sought to exploit. Behind its claim of being a guardian of the ‘rule of law’ Britain stole land and property, exploited mineral resources and reduced native peoples to little more than slaves. Among those many locations was Palestine. British policy is largely responsible for the decades of war that have plighted that land for a hundred years. Current British government policy is facilitating the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli apartheid regime. I have visited Palestine and Israel on at least four occasions, including the Gaza Strip in 2009. I walked along the ‘separation wall’ – a monstrous perversion designed to imprison Palestinians into smaller and smaller ghettoes.

    15 min
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