Gerry Adams Ira Quotations

I think the best way for the IRA to leave the stage, ... is in a dignified manner that prevents any recurrence of another IRA growing up alongside.

The IRA initiative is clearly a serious attempt to address the suspicions and the fears of those unionists who want to make progress, ... Everyone who wants the peace process to work will welcome this significant development.

Today's decision by the IRA to move into a new peaceful mode is historic and represents a courageous and confident initiative. It is truly momentous and is a defining point in the search for a lasting peace with justice.

People need to calm down. What did people expect the IRA to say?

The demand that has been made on me is that the IRA has to decommission its weapons before the agreement carries on, and that is a demand I cannot deliver on,

I am confident the commitment made by the IRA will be honored,

I see no reason whatsoever why there should be British troops in any part of my country, and particularly in the almost eighth year of two IRA decisions, why people should have more contact with British troops than they had previously,

I think it is important that when a commission established under an agreement which has its remit in legislation (in both the Irish and UK governments) that when the head of that commission witnesses an event in which IRA weapons were put beyond use in accordance with this agreement...that it is up to the governments to validate it and uphold it.

Well, even if it should, and I certainly want to see an end to the IRA and an end to all of the armed groups, simply saying it and demanding it isn't going to achieve it. You have to look at what has worked. What hasn't worked is marginalizing people, demonizing people, criminalizing people, repressing people, fighting with people,

The historically important opportunity presented by the IRA cessation of almost two years ago has been frittered away on the back of British policy, ... All of that could have been avoided, and that is a lesson that has to be learned if we're to put this together again.

For over 30 years, the IRA showed that the British government could not rule Ireland on its own terms.