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Prince Charles and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein Shake Hands Prince Charles and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein Shake Hands
(about 8 hours later)
DUBLIN — It was a small gesture, but one with historic resonance, and it was not easy to say which man had reached farther to make it. DUBLIN — It was a small gesture, but one with historical resonance, and it was not easy to say which man had reached farther to make it.
Prince Charles shook hands with Gerry Adams in Galway, Ireland, on Tuesday, marking the first meeting in the Republic of Ireland between a member of the British royal family and a leader of the nationalist Sinn Fein party since the Irish state was founded in 1921, after a bitter war of independence from Britain. Prince Charles shook hands with Gerry Adams in Galway, Ireland, on Tuesday, in the first meeting in the Republic of Ireland between a member of the British royal family and a leader of the nationalist Sinn Fein party since the Irish state was founded in 1921, after a bitter war of independence from Britain.
Sinn Fein was regarded as the political wing of the outlawed Irish Republican Army, which more recently waged a bloody 30-year campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. Mr. Adams, who has led the party for decades, has always denied being an I.R.A. member himself, but he consistently supported the group’s claimed right to engage in “armed struggle.” Sinn Fein was regarded as the political wing of the outlawed Irish Republican Army, which more recently waged a bloody 30-year campaign against British control of Northern Ireland. Mr. Adams, who has led the party for decades, has always denied being an I.R.A. member himself, but he consistently supported the group’s claimed right to engage in “armed struggle.”
Earlier this week, Mr. Adams issued a statement pointing out that the prince held the title of colonel in chief of the Parachute Regiment, a British Army unit widely hated by Irish nationalists for many reasons, including its role in the Bloody Sunday killings in 1972. Thirteen unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers were shot dead in Londonderry that day and 17 others were wounded, one of whom later died from his injuries. Earlier this week, Mr. Adams issued a statement pointing out that the prince held the title of colonel in chief of the Parachute Regiment, a British Army unit widely hated by Irish nationalists for many reasons, including its role in the Bloody Sunday killings in 1972. Thirteen unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers were shot dead in Londonderry that day, and 17 others were wounded.
In his statement, Mr. Adams acknowledged that the prince and his family had also suffered at the hands of the I.R.A.In his statement, Mr. Adams acknowledged that the prince and his family had also suffered at the hands of the I.R.A.
As part of his four-day visit to Ireland, Prince Charles is scheduled to visit Mullaghmore, County Sligo, to pay respects at the site where his great-uncle Louis Mountbatten was assassinated by an I.R.A. bomb in 1979. Three other people, including Lord Mountbatten’s 14-year-old grandson and another teenager, were also killed when the bomb destroyed his wooden fishing boat a short distance from shore.As part of his four-day visit to Ireland, Prince Charles is scheduled to visit Mullaghmore, County Sligo, to pay respects at the site where his great-uncle Louis Mountbatten was assassinated by an I.R.A. bomb in 1979. Three other people, including Lord Mountbatten’s 14-year-old grandson and another teenager, were also killed when the bomb destroyed his wooden fishing boat a short distance from shore.
Shortly after the attack, Mr. Adams said it was unfortunate, but justified: “With his war record, I don’t think Mountbatten could have objected to dying in what was clearly a war situation — he knew the danger involved in coming to this country.” Shortly after the attack, Mr. Adams said it was unfortunate, but justified. “With his war record, I don’t think Mountbatten could have objected to dying in what was clearly a war situation,” he said. “He knew the danger involved in coming to this country.”
RTE, the Irish national broadcaster, reported on Tuesday that the meeting with the prince came at Mr. Adams’s request.RTE, the Irish national broadcaster, reported on Tuesday that the meeting with the prince came at Mr. Adams’s request.
Mr. Adams, who is now a member of the Irish Parliament, told RTE before the meeting that he would express his regret to Prince Charles about the killing of his great-uncle, but that he stood by his refusal to condemn the attack at the time. Mr. Adams, who is now a member of the Irish Parliament, told RTE before the meeting that he would express his regret to Prince Charles about the killing of his great-uncle.
“Thankfully, the war is over,” he said of the long conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, which effectively ended after a peace agreement in 1998. “I would not have been surprised to have been killed during the course of the conflict; many of my friends were,” Mr. Adams said. “But I do especially regret the fact that children were killed.” “Thankfully, the war is over,” he said of the long conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, which effectively ended after a peace agreement in 1998.
In an earlier landmark gesture of reconciliation, Queen Elizabeth II shook hands and met privately in Belfast in 2012 with Martin McGuinness, a leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and a former I.R.A. commander. “I would not have been surprised to have been killed during the course of the conflict; many of my friends were,” he added. “But I do especially regret the fact that children were killed.”
In 2012, an earlier landmark gesture of reconciliation, Queen Elizabeth II shook hands and met privately in Belfast Martin McGuinness, a leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and a former I.R.A. commander.