Gerry Adams was ‘never a part of the IRA’, High Court told | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleCallum ParkeTuesday 17 March 2026 15:05 GMTGerry Adams arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice, in central London, where a civil claim is being brought against the former Sinn Fein president (Aaron Chown/PA)Gerry Adams appeared in the High Court to defend a legal claim brought by three victims of Provisional IRA bombings in England from the 1970s and 1990s.The claimants allege Adams was a senior member of the Provisional IRA, including its Army Council, during the periods of the attacks, and are seeking £1 in damages.Adams emphatically denied any involvement in the bombings and stated he was "never a part of the organisation" nor a member of its Army Council, asserting Sinn Fein and the IRA are separate entities.During cross-examination, Adams acknowledged the Provisional IRA caused 1,178 deaths and, while not defending all actions, maintained the right to resist occupation, expressing gladness the IRA "left the stage".The claimants' barrister argued Adams was "directly responsible for and complicit in" the bombing decisions, suggesting he had "a foot in each camp" of the military and political sides, with the trial set to conclude in March.In fullGerry Adams tells London court he ‘had no involvement whatsoever’ in IRA bombingsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in