Search icon

News

01st Jul 2018

Gerry Adams has called for a referendum on Irish Unity

Carl Kinsella

Gerry Adams

Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has called for a referendum on Irish Unity.

Adams, who was addressing the annual republican commemoration at the republican Memorial Garden in Mullaghban, said that pressure from Sinn Féin was responsible for Varadkar’s strength on issues such as the border.

“Everyone here knows that the Taoiseach’s position on the North, the border and rights is a direct consequence of the strength of Sinn Féin. So we will persist and we will prevail.”

Adams went on to argue that the time was right for the question of unity to be put to the Irish people.

“We also reject Mr Varadkar’s suggestion that a referendum on Irish unity is not desirable at this time. He has a duty to uphold the Good Friday Agreement. He cannot cherry-pick it. So we will continue to look for a referendum and we will do our utmost to win that convincingly.”

Adams also had words for the DUP, Sinn Féin’s foremost political rival in Northern Ireland.

“The DUP have tied themselves to the English Tories; they embrace Brexit. They continue to deny citizens’ rights enjoyed elsewhere on these islands. But that will all be sorted. Of that there is no doubt.

“We can say with certainty that the DUP position is not sustainable. It is for them to come to terms with that.”

Ireland is currently expected to hold a referendum on its blasphemy laws in October.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc