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Quick facts for kids Gerry Adams
Adams in 2018

President of Sinn Féin
In office 13 November 1983 – 10 February 2018
Vice President	Phil Flynn John Joe McGirl Pat Doherty Mary Lou McDonald
Preceded by	Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
Succeeded by	Mary Lou McDonald
Leader of Sinn Féin in Dáil Éireann
In office 9 March 2011 – 10 February 2018
Preceded by	Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Succeeded by	Mary Lou McDonald
Teachta Dála for Louth
In office February 2011 – February 2020
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast West
In office 25 June 1998 – 7 December 2010
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Pat Sheehan
Member of Parliament for Belfast West
In office 1 May 1997 – 26 January 2011
Preceded by	Joe Hendron
Succeeded by	Paul Maskey
In office 9 June 1983 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	Gerry Fitt
Succeeded by	Joe Hendron

Personal details
Born	Gerard Adams (1948-10-06) 6 October 1948 (age 76) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse	Collette McArdle (m. 1971)
Children	1
Parent	Gerry Adams Sr. (father)
Education	St. Mary's CBS, Belfast

Gerard Adams (born 6 October 1948) is a retired Irish republican politician. He was the president of Sinn Féin from 1983 to 2018. He also served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, for the area of Louth from 2011 to 2020.

From 1983 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2011, Adams was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast West. However, he followed Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism. This meant he did not take his seat in the UK Parliament.

Adams became involved in Irish republicanism in the late 1960s. He was a well-known activist for over ten years before he was first elected to Parliament in 1983. In 1984, he was seriously hurt in an attack by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). From the late 1980s, he played a big part in the Northern Ireland peace process. He started talks with Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader John Hume. Later, he also spoke with the governments of Ireland and Britain.

In 1986, Adams convinced Sinn Féin to change its policy of not taking seats in the Oireachtas. This is the parliament of the Republic of Ireland. In 1998, Sinn Féin also took seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. This assembly shares power between different political groups. In 2005, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that its armed campaign was over. They said they would only use peaceful politics.

Adams has often been accused of being a leader of the IRA in the 1970s and 80s. He has always said he was not involved with the group. In 2014, police held him for four days for questioning. This was about the 1972 disappearance and death of Jean McConville. He was released without charges. Police said there was not enough evidence to charge him. In November 2017, Adams announced he would step down as Sinn Féin leader in 2018. He also said he would not run for re-election to the Dáil in 2020. Mary Lou McDonald took over as leader at a special party meeting on 10 February 2018.

Gerry Adams' Early Life and Family Background
Adams' First Steps in Politics
- Allegations of IRA Membership
  - Arrest in 2014
Adams' Rise in Sinn Féin
- Attack by the UDA
Adams as President of Sinn Féin
- Voice Ban on TV and Radio
Moving into Mainstream Politics
Gerry Adams' Personal Life
Media Portrayals of Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams' Published Works
Images for kids
See also

Gerry Adams' Early Life and Family Background

Adams was born in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast on 6 October 1948. His parents, Anne and Gerry Adams Sr., came from families with strong republican beliefs. His grandfather, also named Gerry Adams, was part of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). This group was active during the Irish War of Independence.

Two of his uncles, Dominic and Patrick Adams, were held by the governments in Belfast and Dublin. His father, Gerry Adams Sr., joined the IRA when he was 16. In 1942, he was shot and arrested during an IRA ambush. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. Adams's great-grandfather, Michael Hannaway, was also in the IRB.

Adams went to St Finian's Primary School and then St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School. He left school with six O-levels. He then worked in bars. He became more and more involved in the Irish republican movement. He joined Sinn Féin and Fianna Éireann in 1964. This happened after riots during the 1964 general election campaign.

Adams' First Steps in Politics

Adams wearing an Easter Lily badge.

In the late 1960s, a civil rights movement grew in Northern Ireland. Adams actively supported it and joined the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in 1967. However, this movement faced violence from loyalist groups and the police (RUC). In August 1969, riots in Northern Ireland led to violence in Belfast and other places. British soldiers were called in to help.

Adams was involved in these riots. He later became more active in the republican movement. In August 1971, people could be held without trial in Northern Ireland. Adams was caught by British soldiers in March 1972. A newspaper called him "one of the most wanted men in Belfast." He was held on a ship called HMS Maidstone.

However, the Provisional IRA insisted he be released in June. He took part in secret talks in London. The IRA agreed to a short ceasefire with the British government. An IRA group, including Adams and Martin McGuinness, met with a British government official.

Adams was arrested again in July 1973 and held in Maze prison. He tried to escape from prison and was sentenced to more time. While in prison, he wrote articles for a paper called An Phoblacht. He used the pen name "Brownie." In these articles, he criticized the leaders of Sinn Féin and the IRA in Belfast. In 2020, the UK Supreme Court cancelled Adams' convictions for trying to escape in 1973 and 1974.

In 1977, a priest named Des Wilson helped Adams try to talk with unionist leaders. Adams met with Desmond Boal, a unionist lawyer. He also met with John McKeague, who founded the Red Hand Commando. Adams found these meetings "constructive" but did not find common political ground.

Allegations of IRA Membership

Adams has always said that he was never a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). However, some journalists and historians have said that Adams was part of the IRA leadership in the 1970s.

Some reports say Adams became the IRA's Chief of Staff in late 1977. He was arrested in February 1978 and charged with IRA membership. He was released seven months later because there was not enough evidence. Other reports claim Adams was a member of the IRA Army Council from 1977 until 2005.

Arrest in 2014

On 30 April 2014, police arrested Adams. This was part of an investigation into the 1972 death of Jean McConville. He had offered to speak with the police about this matter before. He continued to say he had no involvement. Another Sinn Féin politician, Alex Maskey, said the arrest's timing was political.

Jean McConville's family had asked for Adams to be arrested. Her son Michael said his family was "quite glad" about the arrest. Adams was released without charges after four days. The police sent a file to the Public Prosecution Service. This service would decide if charges should be brought.

After his release, Adams criticized the timing of his arrest. He said Sinn Féin still supported the police. He also stated: "The IRA is gone. It is finished." Adams denied any involvement in the death or being an IRA member. He said the claims came from "enemies of the peace process." In September 2015, the Public Prosecution Service announced Adams would not face charges. This was because there was not enough evidence.

Adams' Rise in Sinn Féin

Adams at a commemoration in County Fermanagh (2001).

In 1978, Adams became a joint vice-president of Sinn Féin. He became a key figure in challenging the party's leadership. The 1975 IRA-British ceasefire is often seen as the start of this challenge. The original Sinn Féin leaders were mostly from the south of Ireland.

The Provisional IRA and Provisional Sinn Féin were formed in 1969 and 1970. One reason was that leaders like Ruairí Ó Brádaigh opposed taking part in regular politics. Another reason was that the old leadership did not protect Irish nationalist areas during the 1969 riots. When delegates voted to take part in parliaments, the groups split. Adams joined the Provisionals.

In Maze prison in the mid-1970s, Adams wrote articles. He used the name "Brownie" in Republican News. He asked republicans to be more active in politics. This idea appealed to younger people in Northern Ireland. Many of them were active in the IRA but not in Sinn Féin.

In 1977, Adams and Danny Morrison helped write a speech. It was given by Jimmy Drumm at a yearly event. The speech said that the conflict would be long. It also said success needed political action to go along with the IRA's armed campaign. Some people saw this as linking politics and armed struggle. Danny Morrison famously asked in 1981: "Who here really believes we can win the war through the ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot paper in one hand and the Armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland?"

Adams with Martin McGuinness and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin in 1997.

Even after Bobby Sands was elected as an MP in 1981, Adams was careful. He worried that too much political involvement could lead to embarrassment for Sinn Féin. In 1981, the Irish Prime Minister called an election. Adams suggested they only run candidates in four border areas. Instead, candidates ran in nine areas and two were elected.

This, along with Sands' election, led to a breakthrough in the 1982 elections. Adams, Danny Morrison, Martin McGuinness, and others were elected. They chose not to take their seats. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) also did not take their seats. So, the Assembly failed.

The 1982 election was followed by the 1983 UK election. Sinn Féin's vote increased. Adams was elected as MP for Belfast West. He did not take his seat. In 1983, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh stepped down as Sinn Féin President. Adams took his place.

After being elected MP, the British government allowed Adams to travel to Great Britain. He refused to take his seat in the House of Commons, following Sinn Féin policy.

Attack by the UDA

On 14 March 1984, Adams was seriously injured in an attack in Belfast. Gunmen from the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) shot at his car. He was hit in the neck, shoulder, and arm. He was taken to the hospital for surgery. The attackers were caught by a British Army patrol. Security forces knew about the attack beforehand. This was because informants within the UDA had given them information.

Adams as President of Sinn Féin

Many republicans believed the only true Irish state was the one declared in 1916. They thought the IRA Army Council was the real government. In 2005, Adams clearly rejected this idea. He said: "Sinn Féin is accused of recognising the Army Council of the IRA as the legitimate government of this island. That is not the case. [We] do not believe that the Army Council is the government of Ireland. Such a government will only exist when all the people of this island elect it. Does Sinn Féin accept the institutions of this state as the legitimate institutions of this state? Of course we do."

Because of this, Sinn Féin had refused to take seats they won in British or Irish parliaments. At its 1986 meeting, Sinn Féin members voted to change the rules. This would allow them to sit in the Dublin parliament. After this, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and a small group left the party. They formed Republican Sinn Féin. They believed they were the true Sinn Féin.

Adams' leadership was supported by people like Danny Morrison and Martin McGuinness. Adams and others pointed to Sinn Féin's election successes in the 1980s. They argued that Sinn Féin should focus more on politics and elections. This strategy later led to Adams and McGuinness being elected to the House of Commons.

Voice Ban on TV and Radio

Adams' role as an Irish republican leader became even more known because of a ban. From 1988 to 1994, the British government banned the voices of certain politicians from being broadcast. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanted to stop "terrorists" from getting publicity. This ban affected 11 Irish political groups, but mostly Sinn Féin.

A similar ban had been in place in the Republic of Ireland since the 1970s. However, media found ways around the bans. In the UK, actors would read the words of the banned person. In Ireland, the newsreader would summarize what the person said.

These bans were made fun of by comedians and TV shows. They were also criticized by groups that support freedom of speech. The ban in the Republic of Ireland ended in January 1994. The British ban was lifted in September 1994.

Moving into Mainstream Politics

Adams with President Bill Clinton in 1995.

Sinn Féin continued its policy of not sitting in the Westminster Parliament. Adams lost his seat in 1992 but won it back in 1997. Under Adams, Sinn Féin changed. It became a well-organized political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

SDLP leader John Hume saw that a peaceful solution might be possible. He began secret talks with Adams in 1988. These talks led to unofficial contacts with the British and Irish governments. Both governments publicly said they would not talk to "terrorists." These discussions helped prepare for the Belfast Agreement in 1998.

These talks led to the IRA ceasefire in August 1994. The Irish Prime Minister, Albert Reynolds, believed the ceasefire would last. However, things moved slowly. This led to the IRA ending its ceasefire and starting its campaign again. This was because Sinn Féin was not allowed in talks until the IRA gave up its weapons.

After the 1997 UK election, the new government had a majority. They no longer needed support from unionist votes. The demand to exclude Sinn Féin was dropped. This led to another IRA ceasefire. Negotiations then took place with British and Irish governments, and different political parties. These talks led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The Agreement created new structures for Northern Ireland. It set up a British-Irish Council and a Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly. Parts of the Irish Constitution that claimed control over all of Ireland were changed. A power-sharing government was also created. Sinn Féin agreed to take seats in the new Assembly. They also ran the education and health ministries in the government.

Sinn Féin in Government

Adams with President George W. Bush and Peter King in 2001.

On 15 August 1998, four months after the Good Friday Agreement, the Omagh bombing happened. This attack by the Real IRA killed 29 people and injured 220. Adams said about the bombing: "I am totally horrified by this action. I condemn it without any equivocation whatsoever." Before this, Adams had not used the word "condemn" for actions by the IRA or similar groups.

In March 2007, Adams was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. He then met with DUP leader Ian Paisley for the first time. These talks led to the St Andrews Agreement. This agreement brought back the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin chose not to include Adams among its ministers in the government.

In January 2009, Adams attended the inauguration of US President Barack Obama. He was a guest of US Congressman Richard Neal.

Election to the Irish Parliament

Adams was re-elected as MP for West Belfast in May 2010. He won with 71.1% of the vote. However, he resigned his seat in December to run for election in the Irish Parliament. He wanted to become a TD for the area of Louth.

In the 2011 Irish general election, he received the most votes in Louth. He was elected to Dáil Éireann. He took over from Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin as Sinn Féin's leader in the Irish Parliament. In December 2013, Adams was part of the Guard of Honour at Nelson Mandela's funeral.

2014 Arrest and Release

Later Years as President

Gerry Adams with Euclid Tsakalotos at the Sinn Féin ardfheis in March 2015.

On 19 May 2015, Prince Charles shook Adams' hand. This was a very important moment of reconciliation. The meeting happened in Galway during a royal trip to Ireland.

In September 2017, Adams said he would run for one more year as Sinn Féin president. He said the party would then begin a "planned process of generational change." This meant he was preparing to step down as leader. At the party meeting on 18 November, Adams was re-elected for another year. But he announced he would step down in 2018. He also said he would not seek re-election as a TD for Louth.

End of Sinn Féin Presidency

Adams and his successor Mary Lou McDonald, pictured here in 2014.

Adams' time as president of Sinn Féin ended on 10 February 2018. Mary Lou McDonald was elected as the party's new president.

On 13 July 2018, a homemade bomb was thrown at Adams' home in West Belfast. It damaged a car in his driveway. Adams was not hurt. He said his two grandchildren had been in the driveway just ten minutes before. Another bomb went off that evening at the nearby home of a former IRA volunteer. Adams thought the attacks were linked to riots in Derry. He asked those responsible to "come and sit down" and explain their actions.

Gerry Adams' Personal Life

In 1971, Adams married Collette McArdle. Their son, Gearoid, was born in 1973. Gearoid later played Gaelic football for the Antrim county team. He became its assistant manager in 2012.

Media Portrayals of Gerry Adams

Adams has been shown in several films, TV series, and books:

1999 – The Marching Season, a spy novel by Daniel Silva.
2004 – The film Omagh, with actor Jonathan Ryan, shows the 1998 Omagh bombing.
2010 – The TV film Mo, with actor John Lynch, tells the story of Mo Mowlam and the Good Friday Agreement.
2012 – The Cold Cold Ground, a crime novel by Adrian McKinty.
2016 – The film The Journey, with actor Ian Beattie.
2017 – The film The Foreigner, with actor Pierce Brosnan playing a former IRA leader.
2024 – The TV series Say Nothing, with actors Josh Finan and Michael Colgan. This series shows Adams as a senior IRA commander. Each episode ends with a note saying: "Gerry Adams has always denied being a member of the IRA or participating in any IRA-related violence."