Gerry Adams on the Late Late Show 28th October 1994

On 28 October 1994, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was interviewed on The Late Late Show for the first time.
Gay Byrne questions Gerry Adams about the opportunity for peace, Bobby Sands, and imprisonment. Later in the show Adams was joined by a panel including Austin Currie, Dermot Ahern, Jim Kemmy, Michael MacDowell and Hugh Leonard.
Hugh Leonard accused Adams of being morally responsible for the acts of the IRA in which people were murdered without trial. "Morally", he said, "You are a murderer!"

[@janeevans1859]

My dad was from Sligo, my mum from Cork. I can remember my dad getting annoyed at the TV! I was born in 1970. To watch back Gerry (and Martin) in these interviews just shows how educated and patient they were with the who they had to deal with. They had their eye on peace.

[@brymorian]

They made sure a lot of people had eternal peace

[@Thewrighty543]

@@brymorianso did the Brit’s way way more

[@brymorian]

@@Thewrighty543 I don't deny that, I think The Brit's were complicit in zero abuses of murder, rape and a policy of deliberate stsrvation in Ireland for hundreds of years. But Adams and McGuiness were killing their own countrymen. They can try and whitewash their crimes as much as they like.

[@mcgrudo]

@@brymorian What a ghoulish, ignorant statement

[@elizabethburns3126]

It's interesting to see the footage of yesterday's. Two gentlemen I have always respected talking about life in general. Mature lady 55yrs old typing this from my hometown Derry Northern Ireland 🇮🇪 x ⚘️🌎🌈🙏❤️👏

[@paddykthedj]

Gerry Adam's really came out well here. Gay tried to lure him out but he answered every question with dignity

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

The bit where Gerry Adam's said "are we not allowed to picket?" was an absolute disgrace given that the RUC were trying to do something positive within the Roman Catholic community, and yet Sinn Fein, who everyone knows were closely linked to the provisional IRA, decided to scare of local Catholic people from going to that meeting even though it was simply to show people how to prevent burglaries in their homes!!! Gerry Adams, as leader of Sinn Fein, should not have allowed pickets on those kind of occasions to take place.

[@MumTiffanyTW9]

​@@Winterwood768-yx9kx100% agreed! The part I was getting annoyed about is he kept making it about himself and he kept train to steer the conversation back to being about him and things he has dealt with in his family instead of the abhorrent choices he made toward the IRA. As for paddy's comment, Gay was not trying to lure him nor did he try to lure anybody.Attempting to lure someone is an attempt to victimise through deceipt, trickery etc. Gay NEVER conducted himself in that manner. Mr. Adams CHOSE to accept the invite to the show knowing questions he would likely be asked as a result of decision[s] he made.

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

@@MumTiffanyTW9 I agree that Gay was not trying to lure him out. I remember the reaction to this show, and the general feeling was that Adams actually came out of it well, and the studio audience seemed to have sympathy for him. Adams did make some pretty smart arse replies when being criticised by the other guests. All said and done. Gerry Adams was crucial to achieving peace in Northern Ireland, as was David Trimble (RIP), but neither were very popular!!!

[@mtmtmtmt177]

Well said Gerry!

[@dermototoole1762]

I thought Gay Byrne was a superb broadcaster BUT he really was so one sided in this debate. No empathy for the life that Adams encountered under the Jack boot of the scummy brits. As for the other gang in this debacle, the less said the better. If I was in the audience that night I would have jumped to his defence against this AMBUSH...nothing less . Good on ya Gerry.

[@davidleavy2016]

Well said my friend.

[@LouisMenotti]

😂

[@ballymahonst]

Thank you for allowing us to revisit

[@galwayman1928]

Like him or loath him there would be no peace in Northern Ireland today without him and others like him. Night is darkest just before the dawn

[@user-dg8du2ep4s]

So very well said my friend Churchill was doing the same in his time Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

[@MrRolandgent]

There would have been no war in Northern Ireland without him

[@paddyt4043]

He is made of Teflon.....

[@paddyt4043]

​@@user-dg8du2ep4sdon't get me started on churchill, you know he had a plan in place to mustard gas the island of ireland from west to east , in case the German took this island .

[@aughalough1]

@@MrRolandgent, blame the British terrorist for that.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

I am not going to write that I support Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh however there is certainly a point that many Southerners seem to miss. They can justifiably claim that they distance themselves from the killings however they cannot distance themselves from the fight. Many of their ancestors fought against the British for a united Ireland independent and yet when Northern Catholics, who were genuinely discriminated against, resort to arms that itself is claimed as not analagous to the earlier struggle. Again this is not to condone the violence against civilians or the recriminations e.t.c. or to claim the South must accept the Sinn Féin position however the severance of common cause (Defence of Catholics) is unsettling.

[@MurphyGeo73]

Then why did the IRA kill more Catholics than either the UVF or the British Army?

[@jinkylarsson2869]

Like him or loathe him he handled this with ease. The free state establishment tried an ambush on live tv to discredit him and he handled them with utter class. I'm no fan of his but this elevated Adams' image down south. The west-Brits truly got egg on their face.

[@paddymacquillan1038]

Where is this magical place the free state? West brits those who attend brit soccer matches but wont attenf FAI matches. West brits watch BBC & UTV , SKY and not RTE., TnG etc.

[@stephenodonoghue7563]

What a Total SlimBalls Hugh Leonard ..Austin Curry and Gay Byrne where....where was there Morals when they Turned A Blind eye to the Catholic Church

[@jamescopen9817]

adams is the only one with any grasp of reality......time has proven him right....

[@irishmade8136]

Remember watching it live. Five tried to ambush Adams. He stayed calm and made them look like idiots. Fast forward 2024. Sinn Fein top party North and South. I think Gerry could be the next President of Ireland,if he ran. 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@stephenholmes1036]

Sinn Fein are traitors backing Varadkar, backing two yes votes, supporting unlimited immigration. Your going to be in for a shock

[@JOHNfuknRAMBO]

Traitors are no oppostion

[@josephjohnston612]

I was looking for this, and the original video had disappeared. Thanks uploading it.

[@The.TV.Addict]

Thanks for visiting

[@josephjohnston612]

@The.TV.Addict love your content. Are you subscribed to a troubled land? His stuff is all northern Ireland, but great documentaries and footage of the conflict?

[@The.TV.Addict]

@@josephjohnston612 I'll check it out thanks for letting me know about it

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Gerry made a Fool of all them

[@johnboyle66]

The montrose ambush I se just one statman

[@philipbeattie4101]

great video. this is mad to look back on. I was 11 at the time, in Derry. I was well aware of how things were. I understood the ceasefire and remember we were all delighted (the priest mentioned it in mass and there was a round of applause 😂). but I didn’t understand it all on a political grownup, political level. to see Gerry Adams talk about a New Ireland 30 years ago is fascinating.

[@Gofar1898]

Well done Gerry,he was well able to handle Gays barking questions.

[@rgearr1808]

Are you going to let me finish .....

[@stephenholmes1036]

Gaye was a good interviewer

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

@@stephenholmes1036Good interviewer my arse. Gay Byrne was a sanctimonious conservative who took himself far too seriously. A good interviewer is there to ask the questions that the viewers would want asked and to let the interviewee reply. Byrne starts out with a position and is disrespectful from the beginning. Gerry Adams dealt with him masterfully. Good for him.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Ask Adams about Jean McConville? Sinn Fein are traitors

[@Gmtar]

Gerry chewed up Hugh Leonard and spat him out! This interview was such a debacle and Gerry handled it so diplomatically. A man debating with boys, Gay included!

[@JacktheFilmFanatic-vu1nk]

Hugh Leonard was right, Gerry was a murderer.

[@haaniah2006]

I often say this is one of the greatest debate performances on tv. 6 vs 1 and it wasnt even close. Just brilliant in eveey way from gerry adams. And he did it with humour too.

[@sinker0]

incredibly skilled guy

[@woodjackson8424]

Yes, he is a brilliant debater. Always cool and collected.

[@irishmade8136]

Gerry should run for next President of Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@keltiquewood]

Gay Byrne's opinion would be entirely different if he had lived as a Catholic in Northern Ireland instead of in his ivory tower on the top of Howth Hill

[@robertwalsh2]

Gerry was well able for them

[@paddycaldwell3112]

I hate looking back on these chat like shows or interviews of Grrry Adams when he’s asked something he’s constantly interrupted and they never let him finish what he’s trying to say some even try putting it to him he’s evading their questions, let him speak there’s people out here that want to hear what Gerry has to say both then and now. 💚Gerry Adams,🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿TAL🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪.

[@jack-zz9hb]

Gay Byrne, Pious oul West Brit.

[@rgearr1808]

Excellent pace to show...

[@joec0000]

When i watched this at the time.i saw it differently. Gerry Adams comes acorss very welll

[@Judgementday-qp1ol]

Adams certainly destroyed them all on the Night here.😂😂😂

[@gregconway736]

Open borders Adams the WEF stooge. 😳

[@Judgementday-qp1ol]

@gregconway736 I am certainly no fan of open Borders, and have made my concerns known, (in real life)

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

@@Judgementday-qp1ol Gerry Adams was a total git for saying "are we not allowed to picket?"

[@padraiglocke8844]

As I sit here in New York watching this in 2024, as a Kid in 80s Ireland, I was too young to watch political interview’s Rte , But watching it now , I’ve one observation, you have 6 British Government Tools attacking One True Irishman, who did his Forefathers proud , of Resisting Tyranny, My Family in Kerry were fighting Cromwell with Viscount Muskerry , makes me sick that the Elites In Ireland like Gay sold out to our Slave masters , Gerry Adams is a Gaelic Warrior in the Spirit of Hugh O’Neill and my hero Big Fellow Mick Collin’s , if they were on the panel they would be calling them Murderers too , pack of Traitors!!!!

[@ferghalicious1480]

Gay was being willfully ignorant when he asserted that there was no comparison between the Provos and the Old IRA. There were significant differences between the two groups, but to say with confidence there’s “no comparison” between them is wild.

[@hunnybunnysdaddy]

I met a number of old IRA men in Lurgan and elsewhere who , during the PIRA slaughter in the 1970s bemoaned the fact that their name could ever be associated with the IRA . Some have said The Good Friday Agreement was Sunningdale for SLOW LEARNERS ..... and I would agree but also point out it was the OFFICIAL IRA CEASEFIRE for the SLOW LEARNERS OF PIRA . There is also a lie perpetuated and brought up on this broadcast that the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT was a mainly Roman Catholic movement . IT WAS NOT . Thousands of Protestants mainly but not exclusively Students before ot was HIJACKED BY ADAMS AND HIS CRONIES WITH THE FULL INTENT OF FERMENTING VIOLENCE ABELEY ASSISTED BY THE MAD MULLAH PAISLEY THEIR BEST RECRUITING SGT .

[@hunnybunnysdaddy]

Guys insistence that the audience was not specially selected , is laughable ..... you put out WHO WAS GOING TO BE ON THE SHOW the old Sinn Fein motto of Vote Early and Vote often .... bring out all their lackies

[@user-sp5pi9pg6x]

Say what you want about gerry adams he was one brilliant debater

[@woodjackson8424]

Adams is incredible here in the face of sanctimonious rhetoric.

[@paddyt4043]

He is made of Teflon.

[@stephenmckeown260]

Gay Byrne- classic free stater

[@Gofar1898]

Like all RTE Employees

[@tonyflanagan4259]

Adams hardly a Saint fu&& u

[@irishmade8136]

​@@Gofar1898FACT. 👍

[@stephenholmes1036]

Im from the South!

[@user-hf6my5ey5p]

Rte attempted ambush

[@cushyglen4264]

‘A statelet that didn’t recognise my rights as a human being’. Gerry Adams. Isn’t that the case in Ireland today? Yet Adams & his Sinn Fein support the denial of the rights of the Irish to have a voice in who comes into their country, into their community. SF have been changed beyond recognition.

[@conordorrian1652]

" When something doesn't work you fix it"..... Something that is completely alienated to these Carrer politicians...

[@FrankDoonan]

Jim Kemmy ‘All our tomorrows are there to be lived’ … fair play Jim

[@MR-mc6rj]

I saw this 1st time round and it was a game changer, As a southerner I am not a west brit all I can say is we had no idea of the experience of our brethern in the North. The North was a failed State but so was the Republic. This was a Catholic Theocracy and nobody voted for that. Time moves on & history will rightly be kind to Adams. Love him or loathe him you have to give him his due and I do.

[@aughalough1]

Fair play to Mr Gerry Adams, he gave gay a history lesson.

[@kieransavage100]

Gay????

[@Hipit55]

Its called a citizens arrest and here in NYC where illegal drug use was common among youth for decades.If only ordinary local citizens could have stepped up as described in this episode the drug epidemic in Ireland might never have gained such a foothold of power in modern day Ireland.

[@janeevans1859]

Did he interview the DUP in the same way?

[@conordorrian1652]

Maybe you might have forgotten.... Adams and any other Republican representative from the occupied 6 counties weren't even allowed by the Irish state a voice on either TV or Radio yet members of the DUP party that supported State terror and murder against average Catholics were welcomed with open arms with the biggoted leader Ian Paisley and his daughter even giving her a Saturday night talk show.......That will say EVERYTHING about the position RTE had towards what was happening Above

[@jamesmitchell8922]

The Cook Report did mention punishment beatings.

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

Actually the very first time I ever heard about Martin McGuiness was in the infamous 1993 episode of the Cook Report which focused purely on Martin McGuiness, and made McGuiness look like an absolute monster. I think I had probably heard of Gerry Adams before then, but it was the first time I heard about McGuiness.

[@josephfinnegan151]

Gerry Adams was probably the most controversial guest ever on the Gay Byrne era of the Late Late Show, However David Icke was quite controversial too when he was a guest 3 years earlier . You will note However one very telling difference between Gay Byrne dealings with Gerry Adams and David Icke, that is Gay Byrne shook hands with David Icke but He did NOT shake hands with Gerry Adams!!

[@The.TV.Addict]

Gerry Adams handled the situation very well

[@josephfinnegan151]

​@@The.TV.Addict Yep Gerry Adams kept calm when dealing with Gay Byrnes Fiery Questions. However David Icke kept calm too and I have since noted that much of what Mr.Icke spoke about in the 1990s has come to pass in the 21st Century, not everything mind you but still too many like his "problem - reaction - solutions " claims.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Big lanky Gerry mopped the floor with all them.....

[@duanedurkan3565]

Gay should have had a bit of manners. If you're willing to have a conversation then have a small amount of manners and show respect to your guests. This was even before Rte became a yes man station

[@zzzaaa0990]

Hugh Leonard just makes my skin crawl,pure west Brit,the west Brits are slowly dying off while the Nationalists are going from strength to strength with Michele O Neil as First Minister. Shame Gay Byrne,Hugh Leonard and Cruise O Brien are not alive to witness the seismic changes in the North.

[@Henry-vu5sg]

Gerry Adams is a giant.

[@gerardhenry5501]

Gaybo tried to ambush him but he beat gaybo the pro British apologist

[@heartofoak45]

How Adams evaded prosecution is a mystery or perhaps not.

[@az1758]

It's easy for people to talk when they haven't been in that situation. But yes, the paramilitary on both sides did terrible things. Saying that, I don't believe Gerry has control over all the splinter groups.

[@zzzaaa0990]

Hugh Leonard makes my skin crawl

[@Relmwood]

“What happens to you as a small minority party?”

[@christopherconlon1572]

Gerry Adams❤💚🤍🧡🇮🇪

[@stephen3964]

Paisley and loyalist leaders were welcomed with hugs and handshakes every time they were invited on the late late show. just shows the contempt RTE had and still have for northern nationalist.

[@daveoleary3092]

Well done to adams

[@bpfromowc]

He touted out the Loughgall boys.

[@user-ir3ob9nk2e]

You certainly are a nice fellow gerry,

[@LouisMenotti]

😂

[@liamkeane9159]

Fare play Gerry,75 years ago was dead right Gay was boogled

[@GeorgeAbadegwengo]

Jaysus things must have got heavy in the green room, Gerrymandering brought the country into Color

[@nicholascrossan6065]

Who's the minority now not SF

[@hunnybunnysdaddy]

Funny while Gerry was eager on several occasions the attempt on his life he didnt mention that it was an off duty UDR man who returned fire on his attackers and saved his life which is the same when Bernadette Devlin / McAliskey was seriously injured , her life was saved by a Parachute Regiment Medic . I wonder if EITHER ever thanked the people who saved their lives

[@hunnybunnysdaddy]

Only one man telling the truth there and he is the one who told Adams to his face that he us a murderer

[@davidgaffney9169]

Gay acting like he is speaking on behalf of Ireland, and the audience are cheering Adams half the time😂

[@gregor955]

If this was a boxing round Gerry 10-7’d them

[@SuperJimbell]

Five Irish politicians talking doing the queens work..sad bastards but rip anyway

[@tomgreene1843]

Mr Hume had quite a different take on what was to be done and how so don't try to conflate .

[@johndaly9843]

Small minority party no more...

[@Rigpigontheloose]

Informer and British agent

[@michaeljames4362]

filmed in 1896

[@RobertK1993]

Why it Black and White

[@sparkyhughes131]

This was in colour

[@MrEverthere]

listen to Byrne being a puppet for the Irish government talking g Adams down and disagreeing that what the ira did in 1916 was different than what was happening in north Ireland what a pathetic egotistical condescending person he was

[@gerard7833]

Austin ,ran away when he lost his seat i n the north

[@noeldoherty5324]

Rip gay u where always a blue shirt

[@kieransavage100]

Home rule is Rome Rule…..

[@stephenroche5107]

A 22 year old who was a man

[@paddykthedj]

Ah yes 1994. Before color television 🙄

[@gearoid9835]

15:50 Wokeness creeping into the Shinners, even before they even put the armalite away.

[@martinwalsh3228]

Upload the 1990's Northern Ireland advert You Will Never Know Unless You Go.

[@The.TV.Addict]

i'll have a look for it

[@The.TV.Addict]

uploaded it there now

[@josephfinnegan151]

​@@The.TV.Addict Can You upload the David Icke interview on the Late Late Show from 1991 ?

[@The.TV.Addict]

@@josephfinnegan151 i'll look for it

[@user-hf6my5ey5p]

What's the difference between Gerry or Martin and Nelson Mandela. I was 10 and I could not understand gay wets Brit BBC rejected him

[@jeanjohnstone4384]

adams , will be remembered for trying every single avenue other than the route they went. britain dug in for a pointless show.

[@scottblack9213]

The panel are fuming because they are holding back on their disgust for Adams whilst trying to engage with him. Adams is a true narcissist and a psychopath - he loves the attention.

[@user-zr6nv5nz1r]

Late late show today what a joke those were the real debates today late late a load of bollix 😮😮

[@mikehenry4237]

NO MATCH FOR ADAMS

[@user-sp5pi9pg6x]

Ehst about johnny adair shooting a 16 year old in the head al because he was a celtic fan rte been hypocritical as usual

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

Gerry Adams exposed his dark side at 24:40 when he said "what's wrong with picketing?". He was being totally disingenuous with that rhetorical question, given that Sinn Fein members decided to picket an RUC meeting to advise Roman Catholic people on how to prevent Burglaries in their homes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The RUC was actually trying to do a positive thing with the Roman Catholic community, and yet Sinn Fein members, who everyone knows were closely linked to the IRA, have decided to intimidate local people from going to that meeting. Totally sick, and it is a great example of one of many of the problems that existed in Northern Ireland, and which kept the conflict raging for all those decades.

[@janeevans1859]

I agree. They did have the right to picket. He admitted it. Not that it makes it right.

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

@@janeevans1859 Absolutely disgusting behaviour from Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein were happy to stoop so low that they were actually prepared to prevent ordinary people from learning how to avoid being burgled simply to prevent the RUC being seen to help the Roman Catholic community, and thus keep the RUC in a negative light. I can see why the other political parties throughout the Island of Ireland detested and still detest Sinn Fein so much.

[@aljomc6444]

The RUC were an arm of the Unionist terrorist groups. ​@Winterwood768-yx9kx

[@mcgrudo]

If that's all you're concerned with you've paid very little attention. The defunct RUC, the North's gestapo, teaching elderly Irish people about defending themselves against the violence they themselves fostered is simply ludicrous. How would you answer Adams most pertinent question, "would you be in favour of British rule in the south?"

[@Winterwood768-yx9kx]

@@mcgrudo I suggest you listen with your ears and not with your mouth. The RUC were showing elderly people in the Nationalist community about how they can protect themselves against Burglaries, not against violence, although the Provos did terrorise the nationalist community for decades. Crossing a Sinn Fein picket line is risky due to their strong links with the violent Provo IRA (and some Sinn members were also in the IRA). I know that the RUC was unacceptable in Nationalist areas, was central to the situation over there and had to be completely reformed............but for Sinn Fein to picket an event like that sums them up. Sure they can picket other RUC events, but NOT something like that!!!!!!! I cannot believe you would even argue about this!!!

[@edmundlong2689]

Who knew back then Mi5 where controlling him.

[@NoddyOLeary2010]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@chrisward5280]

Gay Byrne was too shallow & so the worst interviewer for any serious issues on his show. He simply was not educated enough to delve into issues with an open & informed mind! If he doesn’t like his guests he tries to patronise them or insult them or goad them into losing their patience with his silly interviewing. Gerry Adams was too clever & articulate for all of these arrogant southern Irish prats!

[@johnnyrebel7597]

Weasel

[@garymcveigh815]

A load of crap

[@geoffwhite7535]

Ardoyne , dope half are Prods have a shave