Gerry Adams
Irish politician (born 1948) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerard "Gerry" Adams (Irish: Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh)[1] (born 6 October, 1948 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an Irish politician who was the president of Sinn Féin, a political party that wants Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland. He was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast and was a member of the British Parliament for Belfast West. He does not go to Parliament because he does not believe that Britain should control Northern Ireland, this is called abstentionism.
Gerry Adams MP MLA Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh | |
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Teachta Dála for Louth | |
In office February 2011 – February 2020 | |
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast West | |
In office 25 June 1998 – 7 December 2010 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Pat Sheehan |
President of Sinn Féin | |
In office 13 November 1983 – 10 February 2018 | |
Preceded by | Ruairí Ó Brádaigh |
Succeeded by | Mary Lou McDonald |
Member of Parliament for Template:Constlk | |
In office 1 May 1997 – 26 January 2011 | |
Preceded by | Joe Hendron |
Succeeded by | Paul Maskey |
In office 9 June 1983 – 9 April 1992 | |
Preceded by | Gerry Fitt |
Succeeded by | Joe Hendron |
Personal details | |
Born | (1948-10-06) 6 October 1948 (age 75) Belfast |
Political party | Sinn Féin |
Spouse(s) | Collette McArdle |
Website | Sinn Féin - Gerry Adams |
Adams is a spokesman for the Irish republican movement or the "Provisional movement". This includes Sinn Féin and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). The IRA is illegal in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, because it is called a terrorist group by both governments. Adams is thought to have persuaded the IRA to give up its war against the UK in return for devolved government for Northern Ireland.
From the late 1980s, Adams was an important figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, started when he met first the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party’s) leader John Hume and later the Irish and British governments, and then other parties. In 1995 the IRA stopped fighting, and in 2005 the IRA said the war was over.
Adams retired from politics in February 2020.