Brendan Hughes

Current Affairs
21

[quote=“Julio Geordio, post: 891927, member: 332”]I have actually come to the view that Adams may not have ever been in the IRA as such.

My thoughts on it are that rather than being in the IRA he was just in Sinn Fein, but that Sinn Fein may have exerted a much larger influence over the IRA than thought, as in Sinn Fein ran the IRA rather than the other way around. Alternatively he was in an IRB type group who were just a small leadership band selected from the IRA/Sinn Fein ranks, which ran the IRA, but would not necessarily have needed Adams to be a member of the IRA.

It is widely documented that Gerry was at least high up in the decision making process and most likely had the final say matters, this does not necessarily mean that Gerry had to be the leader of the IRA, not if the IRA reported to Sinn Fein for example or the IRB type group.

My reasoning is as follows:

It makes no sense for Adams to continue to deny his membership, everyone knows he was up to his neck in it so why would he? Unless it isn’t actually true.

It would make sense if you were the head of an illegal organisation to have some distance, i.e. have others running the show on your commands while distancing yourself from same.

It would be very difficult to assemble the leaders of a Paramilitary Group when presumably all were under constant watch. Much easier to assemble a meeting of your poltical party. You wouldn’t even need to hide it.

Maybe McGuinness did leave the IRA in the 70’s then as a promotion of sorts to the IRB type group or whatever.

This isn’t necessarily contradictory to evidence, books etc. claiming Adams was the leader of the IRA, it’s just he may not have been an official member.

Obviously it’s all just semantics really, but maybe those asking Gerry Adams was he ever in the IRA have just been asking the wrong questions all along.[/quote]

Interesting theory, certainly plausible.

As for Hughes, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

Somebody needs to stand up at sometime, at least Ireland has produced many leaders with balls. Think about Oz, they still have the flag of a country they have no real connection to anymore bit are afraid to break away for some bizarre insecure reason. And the aboriginals, they have never stood up for themselves.

It might have been gruesome, but it was going to happen some day.

23

An interesting guy who had a right to feel aggrieved. Boston tapes and his opinions on Adams, IRA and informants are insightful. So too his view on Jean McC.

24

[QUOTE=“Julio Geordio, post: 891927, member: 332”]I have actually come to the view that Adams may not have ever been in the IRA as such.

My thoughts on it are that rather than being in the IRA he was just in Sinn Fein, but that Sinn Fein may have exerted a much larger influence over the IRA than thought, as in Sinn Fein ran the IRA rather than the other way around. Alternatively he was in an IRB type group who were just a small leadership band selected from the IRA/Sinn Fein ranks, which ran the IRA, but would not necessarily have needed Adams to be a member of the IRA.

It is widely documented that Gerry was at least high up in the decision making process and most likely had the final say matters, this does not necessarily mean that Gerry had to be the leader of the IRA, not if the IRA reported to Sinn Fein for example or the IRB type group.

My reasoning is as follows:

It makes no sense for Adams to continue to deny his membership, everyone knows he was up to his neck in it so why would he? Unless it isn’t actually true.

It would make sense if you were the head of an illegal organisation to have some distance, i.e. have others running the show on your commands while distancing yourself from same.

It would be very difficult to assemble the leaders of a Paramilitary Group when presumably all were under constant watch. Much easier to assemble a meeting of your poltical party. You wouldn’t even need to hide it.

Maybe McGuinness did leave the IRA in the 70’s then as a promotion of sorts to the IRB type group or whatever.

This isn’t necessarily contradictory to evidence, books etc. claiming Adams was the leader of the IRA, it’s just he may not have been an official member.

Obviously it’s all just semantics really, but maybe those asking Gerry Adams was he ever in the IRA have just been asking the wrong questions all along.[/QUOTE]
Just seeing this now. That’s the most sense I’ve seen anyone make of this issue and if agree with it. Kudos @Julio Geordio.

25

the fact that he would be arrested and jailed if he said he was in the IRA makes the point invalid

26

Wasnt he bessiers with a shankill butcher

27

asye, best mates with Basher Bates, I wonder was he into riding children like the rest of the perverts in the ra?

28

Just finished the Brendan Hughes part of Voices From The Grave, enjoyed it and thought it was a good read, the man was a fantastic Republican and the end to his life was very sad. The effects of the hunger strikes seemed to do him untold mental and physical damage. The part where he recalls hugging Francis Hughes before he started his strike was as heartwarming as it was tragic.

Not going to bother with loyalist pig’s part.

29

[QUOTE=“Il Bomber Destro, post: 1073431, member: 2533”]Just finished the Brendan Hughes part of Voices From The Grave, enjoyed it and thought it was a good read, the man was a fantastic Republican and the end to his life was very sad. The effects of the hunger strikes seemed to do him untold mental and physical damage. The part where he recalls hugging Francis Hughes before he started his strike was as heartwarming as it was tragic.

Not going to bother with loyalist pig’s part.[/QUOTE]
Fantastic republicans dont hang around with shankhill butchers

30

His insight on Basher Bates was very interesting. Hughes was a courageous volunteer and a great man. One of Ireland’s finest.

31

A snitch, a liar, a murderer and a friend of loyalist murderers

32

None of the above.

33

Many southern commentators/pundits overplay how much of an enemy loyalist paramilitaries were to republicans in my view. British government and British institutions were always more of an enemy to those in the IRA imo.

34

There was a lot of cooperation between the paramilitaries in splitting extortion and drug areas and then of course there were more celebrated operations like lenny murphys hit when the hit team were given free access to loyalist areas

35

The biggest monsters of all the loyalists up North were the likes of Paisley who rallied sectarian tension and hate up into a fire.