While Sinn Fein have been publicly trying to distance themselves from Gadafy in recent days as the media continue to ask damaging questions, Sinn Fein insiders have told The Irish Observer that Sinn Fein will seek political asylum for Gadafy in Ireland if Gadafy is forced into exile. A senior member of Sinn Fein Told The Irish Observer:
"Gadafy gave us weapons when we needed them, our support for Gadafy is unshaken and we will offer him whatever help he needs".
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has denied the violence in Libya is an embarrassment for the party in the wake of the republican movement's links in the past with Col Muammar Gadafy.
He compared the IRA's receipt of arms and explosives from the Libyan leader with Ireland's beef trade in the 1980s with Libya. Mr Adams said Ireland's beef trade with Col Gadafy was bigger than with any other Arab state at that time and the same applied for the US and Britain.
The Sinn Féin leader and candidate for Louth was speaking at a final rally at the James Larkin statue on O'Connell street in Dublin.
Mr Adams called for people to "come out and make a stand and we're asking them to make a stand for Sinn Fein. We're very clear, we're very focused. We've come forward with very practical costed propositions."
"What we're all about in this party is standing up for citizens and citizenship and putting backbone into this political system. We need the strongest Sinn Féin team possible in the Dáil to put backbone into these other political parties."
Mr Adams said working people had "borne the brunt of very bad political choices by a very bad Government". He claimed the other political parties had the same agenda.
"They're for cuts and they're for this IMF/EU bailout. Some of them have moved towards the Sinn Féin position but we want to stop the madness which is about putting the State further into debt and burdening working people, increasing unemployment and increasing emigration."
Pressed about the IRA receiving arms and explosives from Col Gadafy during the Troubles, Mr Adams said "the largest beef trade with this State and the Arab countries was with Col Gadafy. And the arrangements made by the Americans and with the Brits was with Col Gadafy."
When it was put to him that guns and beef were very different, and asked about the Sinn Féin /IRA connection with the Libyan leader, he said "Sinn Féin /IRA is a term the DUP used to use as loyalists paramilitaries went out and killed Sinn Féin members".
