THE closed and secretive world of Irish republicanism was thrown into turmoil last night after one of Gerry Adamsâs most trusted lieutenants admitted that he had been a British agent for 20 years. Denis Donaldson, acquitted last week of charges of leading an IRA spy ring in the âStormontgateâ affair that ended Northern Irelandâs power-sharing executive three years ago, was a member of Belfastâs republican elite whose credentials in the fight to end British rule in Ireland would until now, have been regarded as unimpeachable.But after he was âoutedâ yesterday and thrown out of Sinn Fein by Mr Adams, the question raised in West Belfast was: âIf Denis, then who else?â Mr Donaldsonâs extraordinary confession came a week after he and two other men, including his son-in-law, were sensationally acquitted of charges of possession of sensitive security documents, which resulted in the forced rehousing of 2,000 people at a cost of £300 million.
In one remarkable â and, for Mr Donaldson, extremely lucky â respect, his expulsion from Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Provisional IRA, also marks a significant departure from the traditional fate of a republican charged by his or her own comrades of âworking for the Britsâ. It is not unreasonable to suggest that only six months ago, prior to the IRAâs statement that it was ending its armed campaign to end British rule in the north of Ireland, Mr Donaldson would have suffered the fate of scores of earlier âvolunteersâ condemned to death for spying and been shot through the back of the head, his hooded body left on a roadside.