Liam Adams, the brother of the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, should be extradited to Northern Ireland to face trial on charges that he sexually abused his daughter Aine Tyrell, the Irish High Court ruled this week.

But the decision is almost certain to be appealed to the Irish Supreme Court.

The sex abuse claims made against Adams first came to light in December 2009 when Tyrell, 38, appeared publicly for the first time in a television documentary.

Tyrell recounted that incidents of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency took place at various addresses in Belfast between March 1977 and March 1983, when she was aged between 4 and 10.

Adams, 56, denies his daughters allegations and now has 15 days to lodge an appeal. He turned himself into Gardai (Irish police) in Dublin in March 2010 after a European Arrest Warrant was issued by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

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Adams contested his extradition on the grounds that he cannot get a fair trial because of delay in bringing the charges, widespread condemnation including claims that he was guilty from his brother Gerry, and changes to the method of jury selection in Northern Ireland.

Adam's lawyers also argued his prosecution was 'politically motivated,' particularly by opposing parties who they argued were seeking to generate 'political capital' from his association with Sinn Fein.

Aine Tyrell first made her allegations of abuse to her mother in 1987, when she was 13. Those allegations were reported to the police, then called the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) but at the time she said she did not want to take the matter any further.

Then there was a gap of 12 years until a direction of no prosecution was issued on May 7, 1999. In late 2006 Tyrell returned to the police to proceed with her complaint. Adams was arrested in February and denied all allegations.

Tyrell travelled from Belfast for the Dublin hearing, and told the Irish Times that she felt more positive as she left the Criminal Courts of Justice surrounded by family members. 'I’m feeling a bit more positive and I’m ready to take what comes,' she said. 'It’s only wee baby steps.'