Adams and Ó Broin ‘apologists for IRA’ – Martin

SINN Féin’s controversial stance on the murder of Louth farmer Tom Oliver demonstrates how senior party figures are “strong apologists” for the IRA, according to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.

Mr Martin (pictured) categorically ruled out the prospect of a Fianna Fáil/Sinn Féin coalition, despite some of his own front bench TDs indicating they could be open to such an option after the next general election.

As he prepares to address his party’s think-in in Longford today, Mr Martin described Sinn Féin as “cult-like” and a party that does not tolerate dissent. He cited the recent response by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and the party’s front bench spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin, who have both said they are opposed to prosecutions of those responsible for the 1991 murder of Mr Oliver. “It is a very controlling organisation. They are still very strong apologists for the IRA and the most heinous crimes of the IRA. And we saw that very recently with the reaction by Gerry Adams, and Eoin Ó Broin, by the way to the murder, the new cold case review into the murder of Tom Oliver, the father of seven in Co Louth. Gerry Adams said they shouldn’t be pursued, they shouldn’t be prosecuted,” Mr Martin said in an interview with Newstalk’s Chris Donoghue.

He added that the “majority” of his TDs are opposed to entering government with Sinn Féin.

Mr Oliver, a sheep farmer, was abducted, tortured and brutally murdered by the IRA on July 19, 1991. A local priest who attended the post mortem remarked that “it looked like they’d dropped concrete blocks on every bone in his body”.