Gerry Adams had reputation of being in IRA army council, Michael McDowell says
High Court reporters
Senator Michael McDowell has told a jury in Gerry Adams’ defamation case that he has never met any politician – apart from Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris – that did not believe the former Sinn Féin president was a member of the Provisional IRA.
Mr McDowell, a former tánaiste and attorney general, was giving evidence at the High Court on the fourth week of a trial hearing into Mr Adams’ action.
Mr Adams claims a BBC Spotlight programme and a related article published in 2016 defamed him by falsely accusing him of sanctioning British agent Denis Donaldson’s killing at a cottage in Glenties, Co Donegal, in 2006.
The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams, who insists he had no involvement in the death, which dissident republicans claimed responsibility for in 2009.
On Wednesday, asked by BBC counsel Paul Gallagher SC about Mr Adams’ reputation among the public, Mr McDowell said that Mr Adams’ is known as a politician now, who was a leading member of the IRA, and who was active in the IRA during its period of “armed struggle”.
He said he was reputed to have been a chief negotiator between the provisional movement and the British government in the 1970s, and thereafter, he was reputed to have a role in the Belfast IRA as its officer commanding.
Following this he was reputed to have become a member of the IRA’s army council, Mr McDowell said.
Asked, in his view, how widespread these views are, Mr McDowell said that excluding former Sinn Féin politicians Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris, he’d never met anyone in the “political process or the media” who did not believe he was in the IRA, “and who have not treated him on that basis”.
He said during the peace process that immediately following the Belfast Agreement in 1998, the view of those in the Irish Government, based on intelligence briefings, was that Mr Adams was a leading member of the army council, along with Mr McGuinness and Mr Ferris.
Asked more generally about Mr Adams’ reputation among politicians, Mr McDowell said that he has never met any politician that did not believe he was a leading member of the IRA during its armed campaign, and thereafter a dominant figure within its army council.
Mr McDowell is yet to be cross-examined.
Earlier, Ann Travers, whose sister was killed by the IRA in 1984, said Mr Adams’ reputation was that of a “warmonger”. She said she believed this because of his support of the IRA and “the murder of innocent people”.
Ms Travers told the jury that while walking from Mass, her sister was killed, her father was shot six times, and said there was also an attempt on her mother’s life. The witness said she was an advocate for South East Fermanagh Foundation, a support group for victims of violence with about 5,000 members.
She said Mr Adams’ reputation within victims’ groups as someone “heavily involved” with the murder of innocent people, and as a senior member of the IRA, and senior member of Sinn Féin.
Under cross-examination from Declan Doyle SC, for Mr Adams, Ms Travers said Mr Adams has “cast a long and dark shadow” over her life, and said she “would even have a fear of him”. She said that when she speaks to people about Mr Adams, most roll their eyes and their heads.
When put to the witness by Mr Doyle that Mr Adams’ reputation is that of a peacemaker, she said: “I’m very sorry, but I would disagree.” She said that if she were to be asked about peacemakers in the context of Northern Ireland, the first person she would think of is John Hume.
Asked if she agreed that Northern Ireland is peaceful now compared to during The Troubles, she said: “Of course, we should all be grateful we’re not getting murdered anymore.”
Mr Doyle put it to the witness that her evidence was tainted by personal hurt and tragedy, and a personal animus against Mr Adams. Ms Travers denied this, adding, “obviously, I don’t love Mr Adams”.
Put to the witness that there would be no peace in Northern Ireland were it not for Mr Adams, and that that is his reputation, she said she didn’t agree.
The trial, before Mr Justice Alexander Owens, continues.
