Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Tremendous US welcome for Adams

BY RICHARD McAULEY

It used to be that St Patrick's Day meant exactly that - one day of parades, music, dance and, an occasional drink. But for many in the Sinn Féin leadership, the day has now become a weeklong celebration, involving extensive travelling across the USA and Canada.

This year Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Bairbre de Brún, Gerry Kelly, and Pat Doherty travelled to North America and visited most of the cities traditionally linked with the Irish diaspora. These included Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Toronto and many more. Everywhere the Sinn Féin leadership team were met by enthusiastic crowds, packed halls and an interested local media. Newly arrived emigrants vied with second and third generation Irish to get autographs, shake hands, have photos taken and get the news from back home.

Gerry Adams visited a city a day, beginning in Scranton in Pennsylvania, through Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Washington DC, Baltimore, Seattle and San Francisco.

In Washington, he joined the Taoiseach and other political leaders at a meeting and reception with President George Bush in the White House, and at lunch with the Speaker of the House and senior Congressional and Senate figures.

KENTUCKY ADMIRAL

In North Kentucky, Gerry Adams was made an honourary Kentuckian Colonel, but when it was pointed out to his hosts that Martin McGuinness received this same honour last year and consequently had seniority, Adams was appointed an Admiral, tasked with defending and promoting the 'environmental heritage' of Kentucky.

The early days of the trip were dominated in part by David Trimble's criticism of the 26 Counties as a "pathetic sectarian, mono-ethnic, mono-cultural state", and his call for a border poll. Reaction in the US was universally hostile and angry to Trimble's remarks, which he repeated at an event in Washington on the Wednesday morning.

RESPONSE TO TRIMBLE

Responding to Trimble, Gerry Adams said: "Whatever the timing of a border poll - and it shouldn't be held simply to aid the UUP overcome its electoral difficulties - there can be no doubt that the debate on the nature and form and timing of a United Ireland which I and other Sinn Féin leaders have called for in recent times, is now well under way. This is good."

However he warned unionists that they bear a heavy responsibility in ensuring that "this debate is not used to foment fear, to encourage loyalist violence, or reinforce the old divisions. Let us ensure that the debate is carried out in a friendly, open and constructive fashion.

"Republicans are happy to engage with unionism on their vision for the future. We're open to listening to unionism about what they believe the union offers citizens. But I remain convinced that the arguments for Irish unity and support for that goal are growing each day."

In North Kentucky, Adams spoke at the Cathedral Basilica in Covington on the theme of 'Peace, Reconciliation, the role of Religion in the north of Ireland'. The Rev Fred Shuttlesworth, a close associate of Martin Luther King, and a civil rights legend in the United States, shared the platform.

REJECTING SECTARIANISM

Addressing a packed congregation, the Sinn Féin President dedicated his remarks to the memory of Fr Mychel Judge, the New York City Fire Chaplain who was killed on 11 September and to Tom McGinnis, who also died and who several years ago had helped organise a fundraiser for Friends of Sinn Féin in the Twin Towers.

Gerry Adams rubbished the idea that the conflict in Ireland is religious, stressing that it is about "two different political allegiances. Those who are loyal to Britain, because that relationship appears to guarantee their supremacy, and those who want a free, independent Ireland".

He spoke of the republican tradition and of its roots in the ideal of "the unity of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter", and he told his audience of a recent visit to "a museum in Enniscorthy in County Wexford, where much of the bitterest fighting occurred during the 1798 rebellion. Over the door as you enter are words drawn from what is called the Catechism of the United Irishmen which for me sum up the connections between these great revolutions of that period.

"Found in a document in Middleton, County Cork, the words say:

What is that in your hand?
It is a branch.
Of what?
Of the tree of Liberty.
Where did it first grow? In America.
Where does it bloom? In France.
Where did the seeds fall? In Ireland."

The Sinn Féin President spoke of the history of the northern state, how sectarianism was built into the institutions and structures, the very fabric, of the state.

"All of this, the conflict in Ireland, is I believe rooted in Britain's presence, the partition of our country, and the differing political allegiances and divisions which British policy has fostered.

"Sectarianism has played its part. Unionist political leaders have used religion and sectarian bigotry to perpetuate these divisions, whip up fears, and historically maintain their political domination over the Protestant section of our people.

"For our part, Sinn Féin is an Irish Republican Party. Republicanism is nothing if it is not resolutely anti-sectarian."

In Seattle and San Francisco, hundreds turned out for events organised by Friends of Sinn Fein. In Seattle there was standing room only at the University of Washington, where Gerry Adams spoke to over a thousand students and faculty members about the peace process, human rights and justice issues. In San Francisco, hundreds joined the Sinn Féin leader and Oakland Mayor and former California Governor Jerry Brown, at the dedication of 'Gerry Adams Way'‚ a street that intersects with Martin Luther King Boulevard. The other Sinn Féin leaders all enjoyed equally well attended events.