Gerry Adams donates to ‘good causes’ after BBC pays €100,000 damages

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Gerry Adams has said he has made donations to “good causes” after the BBC paid the former Sinn Féin president €100,000 in defamation damages.

The broadcaster lost a defamation case earlier this year after Mr Adams took them to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story.

They contained an allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson.

Mr Adams denied any involvement.

In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him €100,000 after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article.

Johnsons Solicitors, which represented Mr Adams in his action, confirmed that the BBC has discharged the order of the court in relation to the compensation to their client.

Mr Adams said he intended to donate any damages awarded to good causes.

The law firm said donations have been made to “Unicef for the children of Gaza”, local GAA organisations, a support group for republican prisoners and their families called An Cumman Cabhrach, to the Irish language sector, to the “homeless and Belfast based-youth, mental health and suicide prevention projects” and others.