Gerry Adams meets with Lord Eames

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has met with Church of Ireland Primate Robin Eames at Stormont today.

This was the first time in which Mr Adams and Lord Eames will have publicly met – and it follows a recent historical meeting between DUP leader Ian Paisley and Catholic Church Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady.

During today's meeting, Lord Eames called on Northern Ireland politicians to show the courage needed to secure a political breakthrough in the current political process.

After the talks, which lasted for approximately 90 minutes, Archbishop Eames told waiting reporters that both parties were anxious to see progress and above all else wanted to see “Northern Ireland at peace with itself.”

Lord Eames continued that he had urged Sinn Fein to find a way to move forward and added that it is up to politicians to have the “courage and convictions that we believe they were elected to show."

The Sinn Fein delegation, which consisted of party leader Gerry Adams, Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, South Down Assembly member Caitriona Ruane, Newry and Armagh MP, Conor Murphy, South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey and Martin Anderson, the head of Sinn Fein's outreach project to unionism, and the Church of Ireland representatives which saw Lord Eames joined by for Northern Church of Ireland bishops, also discussed the effects of sectarianism over the past 35 years, as well as the issue of policing – which Sinn Fein are currently in a consultation period over whether or not to support it – a vital factor in the St Andrews agreement.

Commenting after today's meeting, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams referred to the discussions as “very important” and added that it was “open, transparent, positive and helpful and covered many issues.”

Concluding, Archbishop Eames said that he was hopeful that a date to meet with the DUP's Ian Paisley would be made soon.

(EF/KMcA)