Gerry Adams Denies IRA Ties in London Bombing Trial

Gerry Adams, the former president of Sinn Féin and a key architect of Northern Ireland's peace process, testified in London's High Court on March 17, 2026, denying any membership in the Irish Republican Army or involvement in bombings that injured three claimants decades ago.

The 77-year-old Adams faces a civil lawsuit brought by John Clark, injured in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London; Jonathan Ganesh, hurt in the 1996 Docklands bombing; and Barry Laycock, a victim of the 1996 Manchester Arndale shopping centre blast. The men, who seek £1 each in symbolic damages, allege that Adams served as a senior figure in the Provisional IRA, including on its Army Council, and bore personal liability for the attacks as part of a common design to bomb the British mainland. These incidents, the IRA's first major strike on England in 1973 and two that ended a ceasefire in 1996, resulted in three deaths and numerous injuries overall.

Entering the witness box on St. Patrick's Day, Adams wore a green tie, a shamrock, and a Palestinian flag badge. He began by wishing Judge Mr. Justice Swift and those present a "very happy St. Patrick's Day." In a 20-page witness statement and under...