Standing ovation for Gerry Adams in New York

Growing US concerns about Sinn Fein voiced since the start of the war on terrorism were briefly drowned out last night by the thunderous applause that greeted Gerry Adams in New York.

The packed dining hall at Manhattan’s plush Sheraton Hotel gave an extended standing ovation to the man billed in a warm-up speech as an ‘‘inspiration’’ to thousands.

And American anger at three IRA suspects arrested for allegedly training Marxist Colombian militia group in explosives was brushed aside as Mr Adams enjoyed the rousing welcome from some of Sinn Fein’s staunchest supporters.

Many of the city’s Irish-American community who paid $500 a head to see him at the annual Friends of Sinn Fein dinner were confident of his party’s commitment to peace.

‘‘We used to bomb Britain but we don’t do that any more. That’s a good thing,’’ said one stocky diner as he tucked into broiled beef fillet in mushroom sauce washed down by a $280 bottle of Dom Perignon.

Relatives of victims of the World Trade Centre atrocities even addressed the 1,000-strong gathering urging support for Sinn Fein.

But for all the enthusiasm, Mr Adams’ speech was peppered with conciliatory words.

‘‘I was told by a friend ’don’t be hammering the British too much’’’ he admitted, recognising the warmth of feeling towards the UK in America since September 11.

To the delight of the audience he added: ‘‘You have got a good relationship with the British because you managed to get rid of them.’’

There was little else for people to laugh at. The dinner is normally a major money spinner for Sinn Fein, and last year helped it fund two new offices in Northern Ireland.

This year the party felt it best to donate all £300,000 raised to families of construction workers who died in the World Trade Centre atrocities.

The move did not impress the influential Wall Street Journal, read by many of those Sinn Fein has courted for donations in the past.

An editorial said that giving money to victims of terrorism rather than to its propagators was be a ‘‘novel’’ switch, adding that the dinner was an ‘‘exercise in damage control’’ to help Mr Adams distance himself from the IRA’s own terror legacy.

Mr Adams’ appeared to have taken on board the advice, as he told the audience they had a right to be ‘‘concerned’’ following the arrest of three republicans in Bogota in August, but insisting they posed ‘‘no threat’’ to the US national interest.

And to applause he said it was ‘‘absurd’’ to put the IRA in the same category as the people who committed the September 11 attacks.

The decision to decommission, he added, was a ‘‘patriotic act’’ which it had not been forced into. But above all there was sympathy for the victims of the atrocities, and a call for New York to keep its spirit through the hard times it now faced.

He concluded: ‘‘We are your friends and we are here in friendship and we thank you for your support.’’

Afterwards, as an Irish-American band gave a rendition of republican rebel song Kevin Barry, there was a mixed reaction to his words.

‘‘I thought it was fantastic,’’ one said. ‘‘He hit the right note for the situation.’’

But even among the party faithful some still had doubts: ‘‘I’ve been to most of these events since Friends of Sinn Fein was founded years ago. I’m here again tonight, but I suppose I’d be lying if I said that after September 11 it does feel just a little odd. Everything has changed now.’’