Glasgow premiere for Gerry Adams biopic

CAIRDE na hÉireann were delighted to welcome a sold-out crowd to the Glasgow Film Theatre recently for the Scottish premiere of the film-documentary, Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man.

The movie—directed by Trisha Ziff—follows the former Sinn Féin President over a five-year period and provides a fascinating insight into 60 years of Irish Republican activism.

The night was hosted by Kevin McLaughlin, Interim Glasgow Organiser, who described Gerry as ‘the face of the Irish Republicanism for most, if not all of our lives, who continues to reassert the legitimacy of our struggle.’ He went on to thank Gerry, on behalf of Irish Republicans in Scotland for his ‘courage, guidance and leadership over the years—a true hero, legend, patriot and rebel to the core.’

Kevin then passed the microphone to another well-known and dedicated Irish Republican, Danny Morrison, who had travelled from Belfast to introduce the film. Danny was—amongst other things—an IRA Volunteer, a political prisoner, spokesman and organiser for Bobby Sands during his election campaign, Director of Publicity for Sinn Féin and is now an established and highly respected author. He described first meeting Gerry around 55 years ago and knew immediately he was ‘in the presence of someone very special.’

He went onto outline the monumental hardships inflicted upon Gerry through his life as a Republican: “Gerry’s father was imprisoned. He had three uncles imprisoned. His sister’s husband, Paddy Mulvenna, was shot dead. His cousin, Kevin Hannaway, was one of the hooded men. In Palace Barracks and Springfield Road barracks, Gerry was beaten and tortured. He was again gassed and beaten during the burning of Long Kesh. He had four brothers imprisoned. His brother Paddy was shot and seriously injured at the funeral of Joe McDonnell. When I was in the Crum [Crumlin Road Gaol] loyalists jumped his brother Seany and tried to cut his throat. Gerry’s home has been attacked with blast bombs.

“He has been slandered, vilified, traduced, misrepresented, yet he always emerges noble, serene, composed, unruffled and even generous towards his opponents and detractors—which seems to anger them even more!

“Why is this so? It is because he, as a leader, articulate and principled, epitomises the fact that our struggle was undefeated. That everything Republican opponents did to destroy the risen Nationalist community failed. That all that repression, imprisonment, the murder of civil rights marchers, state terror, failed.

“Yet, importantly, a section of our opponents, our enemies, those in power, recognised their failure. And once they recognised this and were reminded of this when the ceasefire broke down, our movement showed generosity, showed our dedication and commitment and preference for a peaceful way forward—as long as the British stuck to their pledges.”

Danny continued, quoting several senior members of British security forces and political leaders who all shared the same view—that the IRA were undefeated and would have remained so for as long as they existed. He wrapped up his powerful, emotional and very personal introduction by saying: “Gerry Adams is from Ballymurphy, but is a man of the people. He has been elected to the Assembly, to Westminster and to Leinster House. He founded Féile an Phobail—the people’s festival in West Belfast. He was a guard of honour at Nelson Mandela’s funeral and a friend of the ANC, the Cuban people, the Palestinians and oppressed people everywhere, the wretched of the earth.

“He was as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize as John Hume and even more worthy than David Trimble. He is one of the greatest Republicans I have ever met and I am proud to call him a friend and comrade, and here he is now, for the first time —Gerry Adams, in his own time.”

Cairde na hÉireann wished to place on record their thanks to all who attended the film and helped pull it together and also to Danny Morrison for his rousing introduction.

“It turned out to be an extremely powerful evening indeed,” Kevin McLaughlin said.

Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man is available to stream on Amazon Prime, Google TV, YouTube and Apple TV