Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams reveals ‘sense of betrayal’ after discovering his father was an abuser
FORMER Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has spoken about the “sense of betrayal” he felt discovering his father was an abuser.
The ex-TD said he has never come to terms with it and described it as the worst personal experience of his life.
The former Sinn Fein president stated that he hasn’t “retired” and continues to work for the party in the background in a less intensive manner.
And Adams also insisted that he has no plans to ever run for election again - including for Aras an Uachtarain.
The 72-year-old was speaking candidly on Slipped Disc - an online chat show created by the founder of men’s mental health initiative Jumpers for Goalposts Keith Kelly and Michael Nolan from DigitalDub.ie.
'SENSE OF BETRAYAL'
Discussing the topic of mental health and personal vulnerability, the ex-politician said: “I’m as vulnerable as the next person.
“I mean the worst thing that ever happened to me in my life at a personal level, because you can rationalise many things, was the discovery that my father was an abuser.
“I have never come to terms with that. I have never worked that out.
“That’s just beyond logic and I know if you looked at it academically or looked at it through learning about why people end up in that situation it can be rationalised, by rationalise I mean you can understand how it might happen, but its just a desperate sense of betrayal.”
ABUSE HISTORY
Belfast native Adams revealed back in December 2009 that his father, Gerry Adams Sr, had subjected family members to emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
He said he discovered when he was 50-years-old that his father had also abused some of his own children.
Back in 2019, Adams’ brother Liam died in custody while serving a 16-year sentence for raping his own daughter.
He was convicted in 2013 for raping and sexually assaulting his daughter Aine between 1977 and 1983 when she was aged between four and nine.
NOT RETIRED YET
Discussing his childhood growing up in West Belfast, Adams describes it as poor but “idyllic”.
He said he spent much of his childhood living with his granny, which was common in large families at the time where accommodation was cramped and basic.
Adams, who was a TD for Louth, stepped down as Sinn Fein president in February 2018, making way for Mary Lou McDonald.
Asked if he was retired, Adams said: “No I haven’t retired. But I have retired from the position I was in as Uachtaran Sinn Fein or President of Sinn Fein.
“That’s Mary Lou’s post and her office but there hasn’t been a day since I stood down that I haven’t been working for Sinn Fein.
“I continue to work full time for Sinn Fein.”
NO MORE ELECTIONS
Adams said he was as busy as ever but with less intensity and he welcomed it gave him more time to spend with friends and family, including his four grandchildren.
He added: “I have no intention of ever standing for election again. Even if somebody wanted to talk to me I think they are better talking to somebody in public leadership.
“I work away quietly, diligently. And the big thing that I enjoy - I don’t have the responsibility any more.
“You see you have to be across everything and you have to watch for everything and you have to manage everything.
"I remember a friend of mine when he came out of prison he said he wasn’t going to come back into Sinn Fein because he didn’t want anybody else running his life because you get into schedule.”
NO ARAS BID
The Sinn Fein figurehead also shot down any suggestion that he had any intention of running to become President of Ireland.
He added: “It’s an issue that keeps coming up and I don’t know where it comes from because there is absolutely no possibility, under any circumstances, and anytime I have been asked I have made that clear.
“I’m done with running in elections. I’ve done that since 1983, which is quite a long time and I’m content. I’m making a contribution - hopefully, it’s useful.
“I do think we are living in very dangerous, strange times - Covid is one example.
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“Leaving aside those issues for a second it’s good not to have to do stuff with the same intensity as I use to.
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“So how do I describe it best - I’m just as busy but it isn’t the same intensity and it’s quietly in the background.”
- THE latest episode of Slipped Disc will go live on Friday evening on jumpersforgoalposts.ie
