A leading member of the SDLP has accused Gerry Adams of "repulsive revisionism" in his praise of the IRA. Ms Brid Rodgers, an SDLP member of the Northern Assembly, condemned the Sinn Fein chief's eulogising of members of the Provisional IRA who had died during the troubles.
"The repulsive revisionism evidenced in Gerry Adams statement is regrettable to say the least. Murders by security forces, loyalists or the IRA couldn't be justified at the time nor can they be morally justified now," she said.
Mr Adams in a dinner in Dublin had praised the "extraordinary calibre" of the families of IRA dead, describing the campaign as a "noble cause".
Against a backdrop of the 365 names of the IRA dead, Mr Adams said: "Many died on active service against the British forces, some at the hands of loyalists, others as a result of tragic accidents . . . They were prepared to put their lives on the line in pursuit of that noble cause."
He also reached out to those who had been killed and maimed by IRA terrorists declaring: "There would be no peace process if it were not for the IRA."
Ms Rodgers said the whole community had initially welcomed Sinn Fein's acceptance that the war waged by the IRA should end and the way forward was through political dialogue.
But she said the vast majority would be appalled by the Sinn Fein president's "glorification" of IRA violence.
"What was glorious about the murders of innocent civilians in Belfast, London or Claudy? What was glorious about the murders of workmen on their way home from work?
"Not only the loved ones of unionist victims but also those of the large numbers of nationalist more of whom were murdered by the IRA than by loyalists and security forces together will be appalled by this attempt by Gerry Adams not merely to justify but to glorify the horrendous deeds of the last 30 years."
A Sinn Fein spokesman hit back accusing Ms Rodgers of treating republican families as second class citizens.
"It's a pity Brid Rodgers didn't take the time to find out what the dinner was about.
"This was an opportunity to pay respects to those republican families that have lost loved ones over 30 years.
"Is their grief and pain not the same as everyone else's or does Brid Rodgers believe, as some do, that there is a hierarchy of victims and that republican victims are somehow second class?" he added.
The spokesman denied the objective of the dinner was to glorify armed conflict.
"It was about remembering the victims of conflict and in the course of it Gerry Adams acknowledged the pain and grief that others from the British and unionist side have endured over the past three decades."
Around 450 republican families packed a west Dublin hotel for last night's dinner, drawing harsh criticism from within unionists and from families of those killed in IRA terror attacks.
Mr Adams praised the volunteers who formed "one of the most effective guerilla armies in the world".
William Fraser, whose father and four other family members were victims of IRA killers, said: "My feeling is one of disgust that this is actually taking place, the fact that so many terrorists are going to be celebrating what they call a war.
"What is going on between the Government and the terrorists is bad enough, but now that they are coming out publicly and celebrating the fact is the final insult," he added.
Jeffrey Donaldson, Ulster Unionist MP for Lagan Valley, said: "I think this feast of IRA members celebrating their so-called comrades, who were involved in some of the most terrible atrocities that occurred in the last 30 years, is really an insult to their victims.
"As they dine out on their stories of terrorist deeds it will just add to the pain of their victims."