Adams’ Inner Circle: IRA Veterans and Allegations of Membership
Gerry Adams, the former president of Sinn Féin, has faced scrutiny in the High Court regarding his alleged membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and his involvement in a series of bombings. Central to the ongoing civil trial are questions about the individuals surrounding Adams, with evidence presented suggesting he has consistently maintained associations with former IRA prisoners, including close confidantes with convictions for serious offences.
On the seventh day of the proceedings, Adams, aged 77, was pressed on his relationships with individuals described as IRA “murderers” and whether he was aware of the past convictions of his personal security detail. His defence in court was that one relies on trustworthy individuals, stating, “You depend on the people you depend on and they are reliable.”
A Long-Standing Bodyguard’s IRA Past
The court heard detailed accounts of Adams’ relationship with Terence Clarke, who served as his former bodyguard and driver. Adams described Clarke as a “good friend of mine” and even paid tribute to him upon his death in 2000. Clarke had a significant criminal record for IRA-related activities, including a seven-year prison sentence for assault stemming from his involvement in a notorious 1988 incident.
This incident involved the brutal killing of two British Army corporals, Derek Wood and David Howes. The soldiers had inadvertently driven into an IRA funeral procession and were subsequently attacked by a crowd. They were reportedly dragged from their vehicles, stripped, and then shot dead on nearby waste ground. The horrific scenes, captured by television news cameras and broadcast globally, became a defining and deeply disturbing moment of The Troubles. Clarke had previously served multiple prison sentences for his IRA activities.
In a written tribute following Clarke’s passing, Adams revealed he kept a framed photograph of the two of them on his wall, referring to Clarke as “one of my heroes” and stating he “loved him like a brother.”
Head of Security’s Convictions
Further questioning by Sir Max Hill KC, representing three survivors of IRA bombings who are suing Adams, focused on his relationship with John Trainor, who currently heads Adams’ personal security and has been present throughout the trial. The court was informed that Trainor has a prior conviction for IRA-related explosives offences and has served a prison term for these crimes. Adams acknowledged that he was aware of “Big John’s” previous convictions for IRA activity.
It was also put to Adams that another member of his personal security team is the brother-in-law of Sinn Féin politician Gerry Kelly. Kelly himself was convicted for his role in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing, one of the attacks central to the current legal proceedings. Adams responded to this revelation by stating he “didn’t know” and would need to verify the information.
Sir Max Hill KC directly confronted Adams, stating, “You have surrounded yourself with IRA men who have served time for very serious crimes including murder.” Adams’ response was, “Yes. There were others who weren’t former prisoners.”
The Plaintiffs and the Allegations
Gerry Adams is being sued for “vindicatory damages” of £1 by three individuals. These include John Clark, a victim of the Old Bailey bombing; Jonathan Ganesh, who sustained injuries in the 1996 attack at London’s Docklands; and Barry Laycock, who was injured in a bombing at Manchester’s Arndale shopping centre in the same year. The plaintiffs allege that, due to his senior position within the IRA, Adams bears direct responsibility for these attacks. Adams, however, vehemently denies any involvement in the bombings and disputes being a member of the IRA.
Friendship with a Former IRA Commander
Giving evidence for a second day, Adams was questioned about his close friendship with Brendan Hughes, a former IRA commander with whom he shared a prison cell in Northern Ireland during the 1970s. The court was presented with a photograph of the two men together in Long Kesh prison in 1973, a copy of which Adams confirmed he still possessed. He informed the court that he was with Hughes, a former hunger striker, when he died in 2008 at the age of 59, succumbing to complications related to his hunger strike.
Sir Max Hill KC remarked on the photograph, stating, “It is a photo showing a lifelong friendship between you and Brendan Hughes.”
The court heard that Hughes, in taped interviews recorded before his death, had asserted that “the dogs on the street” knew Adams was a leading IRA member, despite Adams’ denials. Hughes also alleged that Adams had dispatched a team of IRA members to the United States to procure Armalite rifles and was involved in the organisation of “Bloody Friday,” a devastating 1972 bombing campaign in Belfast that resulted in nine fatalities.
When questioned whether Hughes had fabricated these allegations, Adams responded unequivocally, “Yes.” He suggested that Hughes’ claims were motivated by a sense of betrayal, believing Adams and others were “winding down the war, as selling out.” Adams elaborated that Hughes had aligned himself with other armed groups that were distancing themselves from the IRA, describing him as having “ended up a very sorry figure, alcohol dependent.” Despite their differing paths, Adams stated he retained “a fondness for him.”
Adams’ Defence and View of the IRA
Earlier in the proceedings, Adams was accused of being “in denial” about his role in the IRA. Sir Max Hill KC argued, “You were a major, major player in the war, yet you deny it.” Adams countered by highlighting his 35-year tenure as president of Sinn Féin and his deep involvement in the “struggle,” including defending the use of armed struggle where he deemed it appropriate. He emphasised his efforts to build Sinn Féin and contribute to the peace process, suggesting this was the reason for Brendan Hughes and others adopting their adversarial stance.
Adams clarified his position, stating, “I don’t deny – I just don’t go round boasting – that I was a person of influence and used that as best I could to move from war to peace and that thankfully is what we are enjoying.”
He also appeared to offer a defence of the IRA’s actions during the conflict, asserting, “They were undefeated, they defied all attempts to criminalise them, to coerce them, they made the right call when they eventually made the call and they had the maturity and intelligence to choose the right way forwards.”
Gerry Adams has concluded his evidence in the trial, which is ongoing.
