Explosive Device Thrown At Home Of Former Sinn Fein Head Gerry Adams

Image: Stock photo of Gerry Adams (left)

An explosive device was thrown at the home of former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on Friday night, the party has said.

Sinn Fein's Policing and Justice spokesman Gerry Kelly condemned the "reprehensible and cowardly" attack on the homes of Mr Adams and Bobby Storey, who has served as the party's northern chairman.

He said:

"I would appeal for calm. These attacks are the desperate acts of increasingly desperate and irrelevant groups."

At a press conference, Gerry Adams said: "I'd like them or their representatives to come and meet me.

"I'd like them to sit down and explain to me what this is about.

"I'd like those who are involved in exploiting children in Derry to do the same thing, or those who are poisoning the atmosphere in east Belfast and causing havoc to do the same thing."

He said he can be contacted through any Sinn Fein office, adding: "So that's my direct appeal to them. Come and sit down and explain to me what this is about. Give us the rationale for this action."

Mr Kelly, North Belfast MLA, added: "These were reprehensible and cowardly attacks on the family homes of Gerry Adams and Bobby Storey.

"Grandchildren were in the driveway of Adams' home minutes before the attack."

Mr Adams said no-one was hurt in the attack.

He tweeted: "All well here. No one hurt. Thanks 4 all the texts & phone calls.

"Thanks 2 all the great neighbours, the Neighbourhood Watch & Sinn Fein reps who were here very quickly."

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long MLA said it seemed "some people are determined to drag us back into violence at whatever cost".

She tweeted: "We need to stand together against all violence. No exceptions. No excuses."

Northern Ireland's police chief blamed the so-called "New IRA" as the primary dissident republican group orchestrating rioting and murder bids on his officers in Londonderry yesterday.

George Hamilton said members of other violent extremist dissident organisations were also involved in fomenting six successive nights of violence in Derry's Bogside.

Two explosive devices were hurled at officers on Thursday night, with 74 petrol bombs also thrown.

Police said it was a "miracle" no officers were injured.

Who Is Gerry Adams?

Gerry Adams is one of the longest-serving political leaders in the world - and one of the most controversial - former Sinn Fein head Gerry Adams remains a prominent public figure in Northern Ireland.

For 34 years he led Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland's second largest political party.

His legacy is highly divisive, hailed peacemaker by some, denounced as a terrorist by others.

He has been accused of being a senior IRA member during the Troubles, something he has always strenuously denied.

In later years he became known across the globe as the face of the republican movement during its shift from violence to peace.

Born in Ballymurphy in West Belfast in October 1948, Adams became an active republican while still a teenager.

He was interned - imprisoned without charge - in 1972. During his internment, he took part in ceasefire talks with the British government on behalf of the IRA.

The talks failed and were followed by a series of IRA bombings across Belfast in one day - known as Bloody Friday - killing nine people and injuring 130.

Adams went on to lead Sinn Fein to the negotiating table at Stormont, persuaded the IRA to call a ceasefire and pursued a political settlement in the form of the Good Friday Agreement which led to the Stormont coalition in October 2006.

In January 2011 Adams resigned as West Belfast MP to run for election in the Republic of Ireland and was elected as a member of the Irish Parliament.

Following the collapse of power-sharing at Stormont in January 2017, he was actively involved in negotiations aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland Executive.

The changing of the guard came in February, with Mary Lou McDonald taking over as leader of the party.