https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/adams-and-mcguinness-rescued-the-paisleys-from-michael-stone/a1507696455.html

Gerry Adams has claimed he and Martin McGuinness rescued Rev Ian Paisley and his son during the armed attack on Stormont by Michael Stone.

The former Sinn Fein leader made the claim during a talk at the Balmoral Hotel in west Belfast on Saturday to mark 20 years since the IRA announced a “formal end to the armed campaign” from 4pm that day. All Provisional IRA units were ordered to “dump arms”, and the organisation pledged to decommission its weapons.

Michael Stone is stopped at Stormont in 2006

The panel discussion, a Feile an Phobail event, was compered by Galway West TD Mairead Farrell. It also featured former republican prisoner and Belfast City councillor Seanna Walsh.

Recalling how he and McGuinness came to the aid of the Paisleys during the incident involving Stone at Stormont in 2006, Adams told the crowd: “We opened a back-channel to the DUP at the time and didn’t tell the government.

“It was secret. We were looking at what we could both do.

“Ian Paisley was to go into the Assembly and read out a statement which he had agreed privately with us setting out what we had agreed and which would’ve seen Sinn Fein, the DUP and other parties enter a new Executive.

“So, we were all set, and about 20 minutes before he was due to make the statement, he sends word that he couldn’t do it.

“He had to scrap it because an element within his party had rebelled and were withdrawing support from him.

“We walked into the Assembly, ready for him to give a totally different statement which would have holed our relationship completely, and Michael Stone appeared.

“It was at that exact moment Stone burst into the front of the building.

“We heard sirens and shouting, and Martin and I escorted Ian Paisley out.

“Nobody knew what was happening but we knew it was serious. We also assisted, although he might deny it, Ian Og.

“It struck me as an irony that what would have been a deadly blow to the next phase of relations between the parties was prevented in that way.

I think we should pay tribute to the events of that day.”

In a wide-ranging panel discussion, Adams insisted that any united Ireland would be better for the unionist community than current arrangements.

He added: “I can say as surely as I am sitting here now there will be a referendum, it is going to come in our time.

“It needs to happen as a part of a process of engagement, education and dialogue and we must win. That’s our goal.

“What’s the DUP’s main goal? To dunk Michelle O’Neill out of her position as first minister at the next election.

“That is the sum total of the DUP strategy.”

by heresmewhaa

9 comments

  1. Could we please get a break for a while from Gerry Adams nattering about himself.

  2. Gerry’s a genius.

    He also said he liked ‘The Sash’.

    He’s playing 5D chess while loyalists are still on Tiddly Winks

  4. Does anyone else refer to him as Ian Óg or is this just a Republican thing?

  5. The rambling uncle everyone avoids at weddings.

  8. It’s an interesting claim from Adams, but it’s worth noting a few things for context.

    This is the first time this version of events has ever been publicly stated, nearly 20 years after the fact, and it directly contradicts all contemporaneous reporting. Stone’s attack was widely covered in real time and in his later trial, and no official record or media source ever mentioned Paisley Sr or Jr being rescued by Adams or McGuinness. Perhaps to save their blushes you could argue, maybe.

    But the idea that the Sinn Féin leaders personally escorted the Paisleys to safety, seems unlikely, and is based entirely on Adams own recollection at a Feile panel, with no external corroboration. Not saying it didn’t happen but this is coming from Gerry “*I was never a member of the IRA*” Adams, and also for an event of that magnitude, it’s surprising it would only surface now, especially considering how choreographed and reported the Stormont crisis was at the time.

    That said, the irony he points out, that the attack arguably derailed an already fragile moment in the peace process is certainly real, and adds weight to how precarious things were behind the scenes.

    Would be interesting to hear if Ian Jr confirms or denies any of this. But unless he confirms it, we’ll never know for sure.

  9. >It struck me as an irony that what would have been a deadly blow to the next phase of relations between the parties was prevented in that way

    No story, no matter how exciting, can’t be made excruciatingly boring and dull by that man. 

    Is that how he beat the British down in negotiations, they just gave in rather than listen to him speak about anything?

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