THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... after about one year spent arguing about what the term " ... in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants .. " actually meant , the Boundary Commission decided ( by a two-thirds majority - ie the two Brit representatives !) that the Free State should cede some of its territory to the Six County 'State' ....... !

Eoin MacNeill , the Free State representative on the Boundary Commission , resigned in disgust : but you would wonder , again , that he found himself in that position at all , on that November day in 1924 ; one of those who had signed the 1921 Treaty of Surrender for the British side , a 'Sir' Lamington Worthington-Evans (who , by the sound of it , must have been a great cricket player !) had let it be known , in practically the same breath with which he signed that Treaty -

- " It was not intended that there should be large transfers of territory . If by any chance the (Boundary) Commissioners felt themselves at liberty to order the transfer of one of these counties , nothing would induce the Ulster (sic) people to accept such a decision and no British Government would be guilty of the supreme folly of trying to enforce such a decision . "

In actual fact , the British Prime Minister , Lloyd George , said much the same thing even before the Boundary Commission had its first meeting and agreed with a resolution passed by the British House of 'Lords' that the Commission "... contemplated nothing more than a re-adjustment of boundaries - no other interpretation is acceptable or could be enforced . " Also , Eoin MacNeill and his colleagues in Leinster House must have known 'the game was up' when , following the refusal of the 'Prime Minister' of the Six County Stormont (British) 'Parliament' , 'Sir' James Craig , to elect a member to the Boundary Commission , Westminster , in turn , refused to establish any such Commission at all and asked one of its own Legal Committees where it stood in relation to such a move .

That British Legal Committee , the ' Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ' , issued its ruling on 31st July 1924 - it stated : " If no appointment is made (ie by 'Sir' Craig) the (Boundary) Commission cannot go on . " What happened next was , in this scribblers opinion , highly dubious and illegal .......

(MORE LATER).


WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .......
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .

Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .

By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 5 of 10).

The IRA spokesperson stated -

- " The gains a military strategy creates have to be capitalised on by politics ; by that I mean there is no point in fighting a struggle when the human costs are great , only to hand over the advantage to people who are socially and economically comfortable to begin with . We are fighting an armed struggle from within that area in circumstances which can be described as foreign military occupation and the aim is to improve the lot of the oppressed people and to bring about a radical change in the relationship between Ireland and Britain .

We are aiming to break the British connection and we know that until that is done the loyalist will never integrate with the rest of the Irish people , that we will never be equal with Britain until Britain withdraws and that this country can stand up internationally on equal terms with her . The irony is that we know we will take a lot of flak in the course of the struggle from people who are opportunistic or short-sighted or who are satisfied enough and have settled for partition whilst paying lip-service to independence and that we will be vindicated at the end of it all , just as the people who went into the GPO in 1916 and were repudiated , have since been exulted . ( '1169...' comment - an apt description of those in Leinster House ; those who have "... settled for partition whilst paying lip-service to independence .... ").

But as with previous inquiries as to how long more the war will take , the IRA are unable to quantify it ; they say that "nobody thought it was going to be as long as this " and that " you can't put a time on it " - that is within Britain's remit . We have afforded them more opportunities to honourably withdraw , we have called ceasefires and truces which they abused . At one stage the leadership of the IRA believed the Brits were withdrawing , but they were actually building the H Blocks in Long Kesh . The people who want peace are the Irish Republicans , because they know the price of war .

The people who want war are the British because they know the price of peace - a free Ireland , a free people and the potential to progress ....... "

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
( 13 of 31).

Another FBI memo , dated 29th June 1973 , gives an example of this effect ; FBI agents were investigating New Jersey's Bergen County NORAID Chapter after it had collected $10,000 - a member of that NORAID Chapter was questioned , and he told the FBI that " ... the money they had raised was given with the intention that homeless and poor people in the North of Ireland would receive food and clothing . "

The FBI said that it believed that the money went for other purposes , and that the INAC was being asked to declare its relationship to the IRA . The FBI memo noted that its agents were later informed that ' the membership had been greatly curtailed because members feel that some of the aid given may be used to obtain things to cause destruction . '

Another member of the Bergen County NORAID Chapter told the FBI that controversy had broken out in it because of the investigation . Some members who were against violence wanted to resign ; this man told the FBI agents he would leave NORAID if it was shown to be connected to the IRA - he then volunteered his help to the FBI to " locate terrorists ... "

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... in 1924 , the Boundary Commission became a 'live' issue ; the Stormont 'Minister for Education , 'Lord' Londonderry , reminded both Leinster House and Westminster of the speech he made regarding that issue in December 1921 ....... -

- " All that I would say now is that it may be necessary for the government of Northern Ireland (sic) to refuse to nominate a representative on the proposed Boundary Commission and that , if by its findings any part of the territory transferred to us under the Act of 1920 is placed under the Free State , we may have to consider very carefully and very anxiously the measures which we shall have to adopt , as a government (sic - two 'governments' on the one island ?) for the purpose of assisting Loyalists whom your Commission may propose to transfer to the Free State but who may wish to remain with us , with Great Britain and the Empire . "

And here was Eoin MacNeill , the Free State representative on the Boundary Commission , complaining to Leinster House that the Brits were not taking the Commission seriously - would they insist that the Brits should do so , and risk 'a slap on the wrist' from Westminster and a possible armed Loyalist re-action if the Brits did so , or would they turn a 'blind eye' ? The Free Staters in Leinster House took the latter course , and MacNeill went back to the Boundary Commission talks with his tail between his legs , where the argument over the meaning of the words " in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants ... " continued . And continued ...

...until , finally , after about one year of that carry-on (!) , everyone had had enough ; the Boundary Commission decided , by a two-thirds majority (surprise , surprise !) that , in actual fact , the Free State itself should transfer some of its territory to the Six County 'State' ! . Eoin MacNeill was shocked .......

(MORE LATER).


WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .......
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .

Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .

By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 4 of 10).

The IRA spokesperson said - " When attacks occur , Britain is unable to escape from the fact that they are directly related to the Irish question and to the fact that after 20 years of persuading the British public that it was on top of the situation , it is actually worse now , in British Army terms . The Continental campaign will remain part of IRA tactics and it will be dictated by such factors as opportunity , surprise , logistics and supplies . It is'nt actually a question of personnel - shortage of personnel is not a problem we have ever come across in 20 years , which is a very healthy position for a guerrilla army to be in . "

He said the IRA still believes that a military campaign can be successful in getting Britain to withdraw from Ireland , although in recent years there has been a change of emphasis .......

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(12 of 31).

In a well-known Irish pub in San Francisco , an old glass jug sits on the bar : patrons are asked to put money into it for " ... detainees and the internees .... " in Northern Irish jails - on the walls , graffiti proclaims ' UP THE PROVOS ' ; ' BRITS OUT NOW ! ' ; and ' IRA ' . The FBI's investigation concentrated on getting evidence that would force the INAC to register under FARA as an agent of the IRA ; in this way , the U.S. authorities hoped, many supporters of NORAID would be persuaded to leave the organisation because they would not want to be identified with 'a subversive group' .

This course met with some success - " Many INAC members , " an FBI memo from early 1973 said , " have become inactive as a result of the Bureau's investigation ....... "

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... Eoin MacNeill , the Free State representative on the Boundary Commission , was having no luck convincing the other two Commission members ( J.R. Fisher and Judge Feetham) that the 'border' should be 'adjusted' .......

MacNeill was now being told that the Boundary Commission would NOT reduce the boundaries of the Six County 'State' unless a majority of the people in said (gerrymandered) 'State' wanted it to , regardless of the wishes of area's within that 'State' which had a Nationalist / Republican majority . Eoin MacNeill supposedly argued his corner as best he could ( in a forum that was loaded against him) and reported his concerns to his fellow Free Staters in Leinster House , who more or less said to him - ' Ah , sure , do your best .... '

Those in Leinster House were 'comfortable' by now ; they had status , careers and a bright (personal) future ahead of them ; the 1916 Rising had taken place eight years ago , the Treaty of Surrender had been signed three years ago and now the Stormont 'Prime Minister' , 'Sir' James Craig , was threatening 'to cause more trouble' if the Boundary Commission recommended change - Craig had stated that the Unionists would not accept change and would fight to 'defend their territory' : a definate upset for the Leinster House 'apple-cart' . Craig had warned that " Ulster" (sic) was prepared to fight against anyone who would take away " ... the loved soil of Ulster from any of the Loyalists who want to remain there ... "

Also , the then 'Minister for Education' in the Stormont administration , 'Lord' Londonderry , who had opposed the Boundary Commission from day one , reminded both Leinster House and Westminster of the statement he issued in December 1921 when a Boundary Commission was first mooted ; he practically threatened all and sundry with war if a change to the Six County-area was proposed .......

(MORE LATER).


WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .......
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .

Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .

By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 3 of 10).

Asked about the threat to former British Ministers at Stormont , the IRA spokesperson said -

- " There would be no point in attacking these people for revenge sake only . If some of these people were attacked it would have to be on the basis that it was going to advance the struggle . That is , that it would represent a blow to the British establishment . It would undermine their capacity to protect key personnel , even though they no longer had direct association with policy on Ireland .

It would further frighten anyone who would think of taking up such a position in the future . There would be family pressures on them ; that would be the criteria . We'll keep them guessing . "

Asked about recent attacks on British forces on the Continent , the IRA spokesperson was vague about the number of its members involved , but said that the point of the attacks was to demonstrate that the British were not on top of the situation and to reinforce demands in Britain for a withdrawal from Ireland .......

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(11 of 31).

Prominent politicans like U.S. Congressman Mario Biaggi of the Bronx are frequent guests at the New York NORAID function ; ticket prices for one of the 120-plus tables range from $40 to $400 and are almost always sold out , according to the organisers . All the proceeds , they say , are sent to the Prisoners' Dependents' fund , the Green Cross .

NORAID took root in places as diverse as Butte , Montana , where many of Irish descent work in the copper mines ; Cleveland , Ohio , where Mayo emigrants prepared the ground for its growth ; and on the West Coast in San Francisco , San Diego and Los Angeles , California , with an Irish-American population of about two million , was soon ranking third behind Pennsylvania in amounts contributed to its NORAID Chapter .

In a report in the 'Los Angeles Times' newspaper on 2nd February 1981 , the President of the Los Angeles NORAID Unit , Mike Fitzpatrick , claimed that his group raised as much as $10,000 a year through " house parties " ; then there's the pub collections .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... included in the wording of Article 12 of the 1921 Treaty of Surrender (ie the 'Boundary Commission' clause) was a declaration that the border could be 'adjusted' " in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants ... " ; this meant one thing to Eoin MacNeill , the Free State representative on the Commission , and something altogether different to the two British reps on that body.......

J.R. Fisher (the Stormont rep , who was put on the Commission by Westminster !) and Chairperson Feetham told Eoin MacNeill that the term " in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants ... " meant " the inhabitants " of the Six County 'State' itself , not 'individual' parts of it ! Incidentally - ( 'tangent' here !) - the newspaper that J.R. Fisher edited , 'The Northern Whig' , published regularly for 139 years - from 1824 to 1963 !

It was a morning newspaper which , from 1824 to 1858 , was available (I believe) at least for three days out of every week - in 1858 , it published daily . It was in competition with the 'Belfast News Letter' newspaper , which was the market leader , and , to a lesser extent , with the 'Irish News' newspaper . From around the late 1950's , the 'Northern Whig' newspaper was in trouble financially , with losses of about £30,000 , a huge sum in those days and , in July 1963 , the management dismissed five of the journalists to cut costs ; the remaining 20 journalists went on strike that month , in response to their colleagues losing their jobs .

But the other employees on the 'paper , about eighty in all , passed the picket and carried on 'scabbing' . Circulation dropped and advertising revenue all but dried up - in September 1963 , 'The Northern Whig' newspaper closed : one of those who lost his job that month (ie September 1963) was a certain Mr. Wesley Boyd , who was the 'London Editor' for the 'Whig' . He got a job with 'The Irish Times' newspaper , Dublin , as 'Diplomatic Correspondent' and went from there to Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) as 'Head of News' - which , of course , had no bearing at all (!) on that institutions treatment of how they viewed the Irish Republican struggle (ie Republicans were then , and are now , ignored by the so-called 'National Broadcaster' or , at best , have a 'spin' put on statements etc issued by that branch of the media ) .
[EXAMPLE - this Christmas day , at 12 noon , the '1169...' crew will be going to watch sponsored swimmers in Dublin's Grand Canal at Inchicore , Dublin , as they raise money for the CABHAIR organisation : this is the 28th successive year for this swim (1976 - 2004) and NOT ONCE has RTE sent even a radio reporter , never mind a camera-crew , to cover the event , despite being notified each year of the time , place etc !]

End of that 'tangent' ! ; one would wonder as to what Eoin MacNeill believed would come from the table of the Boundary Commission .......

(MORE LATER).


WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .......
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .

Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .

By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 2 of 10).

There has been speculation from time to time about whether or not the British Royal family are targetted , but the IRA spokesman refused to be drawn on this . However , he did say -

- " This question has been put by the British tabloids along the lines of ' Prince Harry in danger from the IRA .. ' . Of course this is nonsense ; the fact is that a number of people active in the British royal family have titular positions as commander-in-chiefs of various British regiments which have been responsible for killing Irish men , Irish women and Irish children .

They have allowed themselves to be paraded over here as morale boosters for British forces and Unionists . They have played a part in trying to degrade the majority of people in Ireland and particularly the nationalist community in the North , who are persecuted in the name of the Crown . As for who is and is'nt a target , why should we make life easier for the British security services by publicly stating which member of their royal family is or is'nt a target ?

Let them protect them all , and let them all be on edge . "

The IRA spokesperson was then asked about British ministers at Stormont .......

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(10 of 31).

Michael Flannery admits that his Committee preferred to send money in cash with people they trusted - " With cash , " he says , " the government did'nt know how much we sent . " Also according to Flannery , the Committee asks people going to Ireland if they would be prepared " to take a message ... " for them . In one instance in 1985 a prominent member of the Committee on an Irish trip handed over cheques worth £40,000 to the prisoners dependents fund .

In the early days most of the money was collected in bars in the big cities - sometimes more ambitious schemes were employed . A prominent Irish-born bar and restaurant owner in Manhattan organised a fund-raising concert for NORAID at Carnegie Hall in 1972 that realised $21,500 . On another occasion , NORAID raffled off a car and raised $13,000 . Beginning in January 1973 , the Committee held annual fund-raising dinners at the Astoria Manor Ballroom in Queens .

Other 'Testimonial Dinners' were held by different units in Boston and Philidelphia , but the New York event was the biggest .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... in 1924 , the Free Staters in Leinster House requested that Westminster set-up the Boundary Commission , as agreed by all sides in the 1921 Treaty of Surrender . The Unionists in Stormont stated that they would have no part in it , so Westminster decided that they would speak on behalf of Stormont ; an action which , in itself , broke that Treaty .......

However - the Brits turned to a friend of 'Sir' James Craig , a Mr. J.R. Fisher , and 'nominated' him as the Stormont representative to the Boundary Commission . Fisher was known by Westminster to be ' a safe pair of hands ' . It should be noted that Chairperson Feetham was also the Westminster nominee to the Boundary Commission !

The Free Staters in Leinster House choose Eoin MacNeill as their representative to that body ; MacNeill was the co-founder of the 'Gaelic League' in 1893 (with Douglas Hyde) , an organisation which grew within thirteen years to a huge size ; at least 100,000 members in 900 branches throughout the island . The same man was , in 1916 , the nominal head of the Rebels and was known as a good organiser - however , he was not known as a good , or aggressive , negotiator .

When Michael Collins and his supporters were attempting to 'sell' the December 1921 Treaty to their own side , they made a big deal of the Boundary Commission clause in that Treaty and in particular the part of it which stated that the 'border' could be adjusted " in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants ... " Now , three years later (on 6th November 1924) , Eoin MacNeill was sitting at the table of the newly-established Boundary Commission at its first meeting , which was held in London .

MacNeill stated that the majority of the inhabitants of Tyrone and Fermanagh , and possibly Derry , South Down and South Armagh would prefer their areas to be incorporated into the Free State rather than remain as they were ie 'on the other side of the border' , under British jurisdiction .

The two other members of the Boundary Commission , J. R. Fisher (a former Editor of 'The Northern Whig' pro-British newspaper) and Chairperson Feetham - both appointed by Westminster - then disputed with Eoin MacNeill what the term " in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants ... " actually meant .......

(MORE LATER).


WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .

Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .

By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 1 of 10).

Asked about the prospects of a ceasefire , the IRA spokesman said -

" Nobody is obsessed with the continuation of the armed struggle . The IRA leadership has the authority to call a ceasefire if it so wishes . The fact is that there is no demand and nothing to be gained from a ceasefire . There is no one who is opposed to ceasefires if they are productive , but the IRA is not responsible for the present log-jam , not responsible for the continuing presence of British troops on the streets .

The IRA is not responsible for differences between the nationalist community and the unionist community , and if the IRA was to call a ceasefire things would degenerate . The nationalist community would find themselves in a worse position . People would be demoralised and disillusioned , and the Brits would interpret it as a signal of defeat . So ceasefires don't feature on our agenda . We have already tried them and they have'nt worked .

They have'nt worked because the British were not sincere about wanting peace . Why don't the people who call upon us to have a ceasefire start calling on the British to ceasefire ? "

He said Margaret Thatcher is still an IRA target because of " the role she has played in British policy ; she has all the appearances of ruthlessly pursuing the British policy of occupation in the North and any person who is involved in the British establishment and has responsibility for what is happening in Ireland can consider themselves a target ....... "

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(9 of 31).

NORAID's returns for the following six months - January 29th 1973 , to July 29th 1973 - show another decline , with only $123,000 reported , and the figures for 1974 show that NORAID collected $211,000 for the entire year , much less than fund-raising for only the first six months of 1972 .

Throughout the rest of the decade the returns filed showed a steady decline ; however , the accuracy of these figures remains a matter of dispute . Initially , the INAC sent the money to Ireland in cash amounts ranging from $1,500 to $11,000 . For instance , in the six-month period after Bloody Sunday , NORAID registered thirty disburseents , twenty-five of them marked as having been hand-delivered in cash to Joe Cahill .

The U.S. Justice Department maintains that such cash payments were only those that NORAID chose to register , and that many more were made that the Committee simply did not report .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... a Boundary Commission was included under Article 12 of the 1921 Treaty of Surrender (which was signed in Downing Street , London , on Tuesday 6th December 1921 ).......

When this Boundary Commission was to be set-up , it was to be 'Chaired' by Justice Feetham , a South African Judge , and a good friend of the British 'Establishment' - it may well have been a ' toothless body ' , as Winston Churchill , the then British 'Colonial Secretary to Ireland' considered it to be , but sure it was no harm to have its Chairperson in your pocket , too !

During the first three years of the existance of the Irish Free State , those running same poured all their resources into simply staying 'alive' ; it was not until 1924 that the Staters in Leinster House requested that the Boundary Commission should come into being - this opened-up old wounds for the Brits . Westminster was well aware that this issue was an 'open sore' for all concerned - the Staters ( except Michael Collins and , probably , those close to him , who knew better) were expecting 'the earth' (!) while the Unionists had been promised 'no change' .

On hearing of this request by the Free Staters to Westminster , the Stormont (ie the Six-County 'parliament' established by the British) 'Prime Minister' , 'Sir' James Craig , let it be known that , as he was not one of the signatories to the 1921 Treaty , he did not feel bound by its stipulations (re the Boundary Commission) and would have nothing to do with the establishment of such a body .

The Brits themselves were'nt really in favour of setting-up the Boundary Commission either , and no attempt was made to persuade 'Sir' Craig to take part in it by nominating a representative to that proposed body (as had been agreed in the 1921 Treaty)>/i> - instead , the Brits took it on themselves to nominate a person to sit on the Commission on Stormont's behalf .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
[11 of 11].

Concerned by general reports of the deaths and injuries , sketched out above , an Independent International Tribunal recently came together in Belfast to examine use of the plastic bullet weapon . Tribunal members attending the evidence sessions , chaired by the Association for Legal Justice , were : Dr. Tim Shallice , respected English neuro-psychologist ; Dr. Antoine Comte , a French lawyer ; Denis Dillion , the District Attorney for Nassau County , USA ; and Republican New York Councillor , Peter King .

They found that " these lethal weapons " should be banned immediately ; like many others , they found that the plastic bullet is not being used as a riot control weapon but rather as a community control device . The people of the six counties walk in fear on their own streets .

Only international intervention can end the 'officially' sanctioned mis-use of this murderous weapon .

[END of ' PLASTIC BULLETS ... '].
(Next -" WE FIGHT ON " , say IRA Chiefs ; from 1989).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(8 of 31).

Some sixteen months after its formation , NORAID claimed chapters in Manhattan , Queens , Staten Island , the Bronx , Long Island , Connecticut , New Jersey , Washington , D.C. , Baltimore , Philadelphia , Boston , Buffalo , Chicago , St. Louis and Detroit .

There were soon some seventy branches throughout the U.S. ; the greatest support was concentrated in the New York area , where the Committee claimed two thousand members . It received steady support from the older , more established Irish-American organisations , such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) , which runs the St. Patrick's Day Parade .

NORAID was filing six-monthly returns with the U.S. Justice Department in Washington , giving details of its fund-raising activities . The figures provide a good barometer of Irish-American re-action to British tactics ; from August 1971 to the end of January 1972 , the INAC reported collecting $128,099 . In the next six-month period , ending in July 1972 , and encompassing the Bloody Sunday killings , collections of $313,000 were recorded .

The next six months showed a considerable drop , with a reported collection of $150,000 ; the period coincided with the height of the IRA's car-bombing campaign , which resulted in heavy civilian casualties , and may have cost the IRA support in America reflected in NORAID's returns .

(MORE LATER).
Beannachtai na Nollag ; Christmas greetings and a Happy New Year to all our readers . From John , Sharon and our 'Junior' . Back Monday , as usual - slan go foill anois ).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... a row had broken-out between the Irish and British negotiating teams who were attempting to put together the 1921 'Treaty of Surrender' - the disagreement was over the form of words to be used in an 'Oath of Allegiance' which the Brits had demanded that the Irish should take . Both sides submitted proposals , but this led to further rows ; eventually , one of those on the Irish side , Gavan Duffy , could take no more .......

Gavan Duffy stood up at the negotiating table and stated - " Our difficulty is to come into the Empire , looking at all that has happened in the past . " With that , one of the Brits , Austen Chamberlain , is reported to have leapt to his feet and shouted " That ends it ! " ; negotiations closed down . That was around early/mid October 1921 - 'feelers' were put out by both camps , and the talking started again , and continued until Monday 5th December 1921 when the then British Prime Minister , Lloyd George , announced to the Irish side that he had written two letters , one of which would now be sent to his people in Ireland ; one letter told of a peaceful outcome to the negotiations , the other told of a breakdown in the negotiations - Lloyd George stated that if he sent the latter one " ... it is war ,
and war within three days . Which letter am I to send ? "

That 'War Letter' meeting took place on the afternoon of Monday 5th December 1921 ; at around 7pm that same evening , the Irish team left that Downing Street meeting to discuss the matter between themselves and returned to Downing Street later that night - at ten minutes past two on the morning of Tuesday 6th December 1921 , Michael Collins and his team accepted 'Dominion status' and an Oath which gave " allegiance " to the Irish Free State and " fidelity " to the British Crown - the Treaty was signed . Within six months a Civil War was raging in Ireland , between the British-supported Free Staters and the Irish Republicans who did not accept that 'Treaty' . And , today , 83 years after that signing , the struggle continues ...

However - that was the 1921 Treaty of Surrender - included in which , under Article 12 , was an 'agreement' to establish a Boundary Commission .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(10 of 11).

August 21st , 1981 . Martin O'Neill , 9 years of age , Ardoyne , Belfast . Shot by RUC at twenty-five yards range . Martin was struck in the face ; luckily , the plastic bullet only grazed him and he 'escaped' with a large graze and acute shock .

August 21st , 1981 . Dermot Gallagher , 11 years of age , Twinbrook , Belfast . Shot by British soldier ; Dermot was nowhere near a riot but was returning home from his local shop . His skull was fractured by the bullet .

August 21st , 1981 . Moya Quinn , 15 years of age , from Dermott Hill , Belfast . Shot by RUC ; Moya was badly bruised about the neck .

August 28th , 1981 . Paul Corr , 12 years of age , Beechmount , Belfast . Shot by British Royal Marine Commandos from a passing open-back landrover . The downward-travelling plastic bullet hit Paul on the side of his nose tearing part of it off and carried on down to the roof of his mouth , shattering and ripping out his pallet and driving his teeth down into his mouth . Paul was coming home from his local sweet shop when shot . There was no riot going on in the area .

Most of these people , young and old , were shot in non-riot situations ; many more are hit and receive treatment secretly because of fear of harassment . Thousands survive with lesser but painful injuries - thousands more are lucky enough not to be hit . Many British soldiers and RUC men 'doctor' their plastic bullets by inserting razor blades , jagged bottle tops and slivers of glass .

Most people are shot with these terrible weapons in a casual manner - no British soldier or RUC man has ever been charged for misuse of these weapons .......

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(7 of 31).

When NORAID registered with FARA initially it named the Northern Aid Committee , Belfast , as its principal . But as NORAID's activities in America increased throughout the early 1970's , the 'Justice and State Departments' adopted a more stringent attitude towards it , and stepped up their investigation of the Committee in order to demonstrate that it was in fact acting under the control of the IRA .

According to Michael Flannery , NORAID " spread like wildfire ... " in the first years of its existence . However , its initial effort to get money across to Ireland was marred by failure ; the first cheque , for $2,500 , was sent through a New York bank - it never arrived . NORAID claims the bank destroyed it because it was told the money was for " subversive purposes ... " .

The Committee collected clothes as well as money ; Aer Lingus transported the clothes - " They took tons of clothes for us , " according to Michael Flannery , " hundreds of blankets , baby clothing direct from the manufacturers . " But he explains that the Aer Lingus clothes shipments stopped after some of the garments were damaged because the airline had the cargo fumigated .

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... in their desire to appease their supporters in the Six Occupied Counties of Ireland , Westminster's Winston Churchill stated that it was " absurd " to believe that the Boundary Commission would find against them ; the then British Chancellor of the Exchequer , Austen Chamberlain , was even more blatant .......

Austen Chamberlain 'reminded' the Unionists that they had , in effect , control of the " impartial Chairperson ... " of the Boundary Commission ! Indeed , it was the same Mr. Chamberlain who , during the negotiations with the (then) Irish Republican side insisted that they (the Irish) should take an " Oath of Allegiance to the (British) Crown ..." as part of the 1921 Treaty of Surrender .

Chamberlain was adamant that an Oath should be taken , so the soon-to-be Free Staters put forward the following form of words to the Brits -

- " I ....... , do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State , to the Treaty of the Association and to recognise the King of Great Britain as Head of the Associated States . "

But this was'nt a big enough 'climb-down' to suit the Brits ; they insisted that their form of words would hane to be used -

- " I ....... , do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established and that I will be faithful to His Majesty King George V , his heirs and successors by law , in virture of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain and her adherence to and membership of the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations . "

This was 'a bridge too far' for the Irish ; further disagreement ensued between them and the British negotiating team over this 'Oath of Allegiance' and , finally , in exasperation , one of those from the Irish side , Gavan Duffy , could take no more - he stood up at the negotiating table and made a short statement to the Brits .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(9 of 11).

August 1st , 1981 (Day of Kevin Lynch's death) . Pauline Quigley , 16 years of age , New Lodge , Belfast . Shot in head at point-blank range by British soldier . Pauline received a hair-line fracture to her skull , with four stitches on the outside .

August 1st , 1981 . Vincent McGee , 34 years of age , Belfast . Shot by British soldier at point-blank range . Vincent suffered permanent kidney damage .

August 2nd , 1981 (Day of Kieran Doherty's death) . Patricia McGivern , 33 years of age , mother-of-three , Belfast . Shot by a British soldier from two feet . Several tendons were severed in her right hand and her flesh was torn away .

August 2nd , 1981 . James Kavanagh , 69 years of age , Lower Falls , Belfast . Shot from passing British Army armoured car ; James lives near Patricia McGivern . His lower left leg was severely bruised . Because of his age he will require medical treatment for a long time .

August 9th , 1981 * (10th Anniversary of introduction of internment without trial) . Peter Magennis , 40 years of age , father-of-five , Bawnmore , Belfast . Peter was shot through the window of his home by a passing RUC landrover patrol . Peter died . He was the seventh to be murdered in this recent phase . Like the others he was nowhere near a riot when killed .

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(6 of 31).

The FBI also noted that the Irish Northern Aid Committee had registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) on January 14th , 1971 , less than a year after its formation . Since 1938 , FARA has been used to compel any person or organisation deemed to be acting as an agent for a " foreign principal " to register as such with the U.S. Attorney General .

The name of the 'foreign principal' has to be disclosed , as do other details about the relationship to that 'principal' and the nature of the activities undertaken on its behalf . These must be furnished on registration , and every six months following ; if money is collected for the 'foreign principal' , the amount raised must be filed , as well as details of how it was collected . All disbursements in connection with the 'foreign principal' must also be disclosed .

FARA's statutes demand that any written material of a political nature produced by the agent must be designated as " foreign political propaganda ." Registration allows the authorities to mount unannounced searches , without warrants , of the agent's financial records and correspondence .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... when (pro-Brit) Stormont 'Prime Minister' 'Sir' James Craig heard of Michael Collins' boast (ie- ' We'll get back almost half of the Six Counties [by using the Boundary Commission] ... ') , he 'lost the head'.......

Craig stated that if the Boundary Commission " were to make anything more than the very minutest change in our boundary , the inevitable result of that would be bloodshed and chaos of the worst description . I will never give in to any re-arrangement of the boundary that leaves our Ulster (sic) area less than it is under the Government of Ireland Act . "

The Brits could see a situation developing in which they might have to use force against one side or the other - ie against the Unionists to make them accept the ruling of the Boundary Commission , or against the Free Staters in the Leinster House 'parliament' in Dublin , to make them accept that the Boundary Commission was just a 'talking shop' ; and , mindful of the fact that the Brits have no friends , only interests , it suited Westminster , this time , to support the Unionists .

Winston Churchill , the then British 'Colonial Secretary to Ireland' , stated that the possibility of the Boundary Commission " reducing " what he called " Northern Ireland (sic) to its preponderatingly Orange (ie Unionist) areas (is) an extreme and absurd supposition , far beyond what those who signed the [1921] Treaty meant . "

Also , Austen Chamberlain , the then British Chancellor of the Exchequer , went even further in their desire to appease the Unionists .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(8 of 11).

July 9th , 1981 . Martin Tumelty (brother of Sean - see this list , May 30th) , Divis Flats , Belfast . Martin was shot in the head by the RUC - fortunately at long range . He suffered severe facial bruising .

July 22nd , 1981 . Brian McDonnell , 26 years of age , Springhill , Belfast . Shot by British soldiers at point-blank range while standing at door of his taxi . He suffered from extensive bruising to his back .

July 24th , 1981 * . Peter Doherty , 40 years of age , Divis Flats , Belfast . Shot by British Royal Marine Commandos ; Peter was standing inside the window of his own flat when hit . He died a week later from massive head injuries .

July 27th , 1981 . Martin Rooney , 13 years of age , Divis Flats , Belfast . Shot by British soldiers while coming home from working on a milk-round . A passing lorry which was taking Martin to hospital was delayed by British soldiers : Martin was taken to hospital suffering from a fractured skull .

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(5 of 31).

The U.S. authorities have taken a different view ; they have maintained , along with the British and Irish governments , that NORAID is really an IRA front , and that its money goes into the pockets of gun-dealers and gun-runners .

When Daithi O Conaill and Joe Cahill arrived in America , their visits were monitored - the FBI noted that O Conaill had come as a representative of the "Provisional IRA" and a "member of the army council," the organisation's ruling body . Later that year Joe Cahill returned , and from mid-November to December 6 he visited Chicago , San Francisco , Cleveland , Boston , Yonkers , and Philadelphia . The FBI source named Cahill as a "sponsor" of the 'Northern Aid Committee' in Belfast .

On July 10th , 1970 , when NORAID held one of its first demonstrations , near the United Nations Buildings in New York , the FBI was there to watch .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... Voices were raised at a meeting to discuss the Boundary Commission , held on 2nd February 1922 ; the meeting broke down abruptly with no agreement reached . However , the Unionists claimed that the meeting was a success from their point of view , while Michael Collins (speaking for the Free Staters) claimed that that same meeting was a success from their point of view .......

The (pro-British) Unionists were told that the Boundary Commission was only set-up to ease the passage of the 1921 Treaty of Surrender amongst hesitant (soon-to-be , at the time) Free Staters who , in turn , were told by the Brits (and by Collins and other Free State leaders) that the Boundary Commission would eventually conclude that two or three of the (British partitioned and occupied) Six Counties would be 'returned' to the Free State thereby making the remaining (British occupied) counties unviable for Westminster to maintain , financially and militarily .

Indeed , the whole episode is somewhat reminisent , in this scribblers mind anyway , of Gerry Adams and the 'T.U.A.S.' document , which was issued (on behalf of the Provo leadership) during one of the many 'discussions' (in 1994 / 1995) with the Brits and the Free Staters : those latter two groups were told by Adams that the PIRA-approved 'T.U.A.S.' method meant seeking a United Ireland by a Totally Un-Armed Strategy , whereas Adams' own cannon-fodder , PIRA volunteers , were assured that 'T.U.A.S.' stood for Tactial Use of Armed Struggle !

Adams and his colleagues in the Provo leadership had learned well from their tete-a-tetes with their pay-masters ! However - end of that small 'tangent' ; when (pro-Brit) Stormont 'Prime Minister' , 'Sir' James Craig , heard of Michael Collins' boast (ie " We'll get back almost half of the Six Counties ...") he 'lost the head' - Westminster was told "... there will be bloodshed and chaos .." .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(7 of 11).

June 12th , 1981 . Sarah Begley , 43 years of age , Unity Fats , Belfast . Shot by the RUC . Sarah was hit from close range . She suffered a broken jaw and sixty stitches to her face , and may lose her left eye if follow-up surgery is not successful . She was going in the door of her flat when hit .

June 17th , 1981 . Michael McAlorum , 10 years of age , Turf Lodge , Belfast . Shot from passing British Army armoured car . Michael was playing with his friends when hit . He received a depressed fractured skull in the incident .

June 25th , 1981 . McKevin family , Moyard , Belfast . A plastic bullet was fired into their home while they were sleeping .

July 8th , 1981 *: day of Joe McDonnell's death . Nora McCabe , 29 years of age , mother-of-three , Belfast . Her brother , Patrick Cosgrove , is in H5-Block , Long Kesh . Shot from passing RUC vehicle while walking near the Belfast National H-Block/Armagh Committee Office . Hit in the head at close range , Nora died afterwards . She was shot a hundred yards from her home and was not near any rioting .

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(4 of 31).

Originally , NORAID was linked with an organisation called the 'Northern Aid Committee' , based in Belfast ; this , in turn , had been set-up by the Republicans in the wake of the riots in 1969 . Joe Cahill and another leading IRA man , Sean Keenan , from Derry , were its sponsors . It was supposed to handle the money sent from NORAID .

After a few years , the Belfast Northern Aid Committee was replaced by the Green Cross , which was part of An Cumann Cabhrach , the organisation for dependents of IRA prisoners . NORAID has always maintained that its relationship is with these organisations and not directly with the IRA . NORAID's purpose , insists Michael Flannery , - " was to help and clothe the people of the North . " But he says that " we have no stipulations as to how the money we send is to be spent . "

At the same time , he denies that the money goes to buy weapons for the IRA : " I am heart and soul behind the IRA , " he asserts easily , " we should be shouting IRA from every housetop . It's the only way peace will come to Ireland . " But he is quick to add - " At no time in the present have I had any connection with the IRA . " He admits he met with Daithi O Conaill and others , but only as representatives of Sinn Fein , the 'political wing of the IRA' , of which O Conaill was a Vice-President .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... the (pro-British) Unionists in the Six Occupied North-Eastern Counties of Ireland were threatening all manner of retribution on Westminster if the Boundary Commission ( Article 12 of the 1921 'Treaty of Surrender') was established as agreed in that 'Treaty' .......

On 2nd February 1922 , a meeting was held between Michael Collins and the Stormont 'Prime Minister' , 'Sir' James Craig . Voices were raised over the issue / structure / terms of reference of the Boundary Commission , and the meeting ended abruptly over the matter . However , 'spin' and 'PR' (media manipulation) was immediately employed by both sides -

- at a press conference following that failed meeting , 'Sir' James Craig (Stormont 'PM') claimed that the British Prime Minister , Lloyd George , had assured him that the Boundary Commission " ... would deal only with minor rectifications of the boundary ... " ; in effect , that the Boundary Commission was a useless 'talking-shop' which had only been set-up to help the Free Staters to 'sell' the 'Six County idea' to other Free Staters .

However - Michael Collins claimed that he had left that same meeting with a promise , from the Brits , " ... of almost half of Northern Ireland (sic) including the counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone , large parts of Antrim and Down , Derry City , Enniskillen and Newry . " !

Obviously , both men could not have been right ; it is straightforward to state that the Boundary Commission was a 'sweetener' , if you like , to be used by both sides to convince their respective 'flock' that the Brits were really on their side .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(6 of 11).

May 23rd , 1981 . Paul Fitzsimmons , 15 years of age , New Lodge , Belfast . Shot by RUC . Paul was hit on his eye and requires extensive skin grafts .

May 24th , 1981 . Thomas Torney , 17 years of age , Ballymurphy , Belfast . Shot by British soldiers . Thomas suffered a fractured left arm , bruising to his groin , and a torn muscle in the same area .

May 30th , 1981 . Sean Tumelty , 26 years of age , Divis Flats , Belfast . Shot at point-blank range by British soldiers . Sean was first shot in the stomach following which he was dragged into an alley-way and shot point-blank in the head . Sean is paralysed down his right side .

June 4th , 1981 . Desmond Linden , 50 years of age , Divis Flats , Belfast . Shot at point-blank range by British soldiers . He was struck just below his left ribs while standing outside his own flat . While on the ground he was kicked repeatedly . The ambulance which collected him was detained on two occasions by British troops leading to a complaint being lodged by the ambulance-mens trade union .

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(3 of 31).

The 'Irish Action Committee' already existed and could form the basis of the kind of organisation which Daithi O Conaill had in mind . O Conaill foresaw that as the IRA grew and became more active , it would lose more of its Volunteers to jail ; since traditionally the IRA supported the families of jailed IRA men , this would put a great financial strain on the organisation .

Irish-American money would help alleviate that strain . As they discussed the nature of the proposed organisation , it was decided that the name of the 'Irish Action Committee' would have to be changed . Michael Flannery was anxious that there be no connotations of violence associated with it - that is , it should be recognised as a benevolent organisation . They considered calling it " The Dependents Fund " , but this was rejected as too vague .

Finally they chose ' The Irish Northern Aid Committee ' (INAC) - or NORAID , as it has become popularly known . The founding members were Michael Flannery and two other old IRA men of that generation : Jack McGowan and Jack McCarthy . McGowan had fought in the IRA's Clare Brigade fifty years before , while McCarthy had been a member of the Cork Brigade . Like Michael Flannery , they had come to America in the 1920's after the Irish Republican cause suffered defeat in the Civil War .

And also like Michael Flannery , both men were active in the Irish-American community , with wide contacts in its various organisations and in the labour movement .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... the British Prime Minister , Lloyd George , stated (in December 1921) that the Boundary Commission might very well find that two of the partitioned Six Counties in Ireland , Fermanagh and Tyrone , should join the Free State ; the Unionists were outraged . The brother of the Stormont 'Prime Minister' replied to Lloyd George .......

... " Our Northern area will be so cut-up and mutilated that we shall no longer be masters in our own house . The decision of that Commission may be a matter of life and death to us . I submit to the Prime Minister that he had no right to do that and that he was in honour-bound not to allow such a Commission to appear in this document by the promise he had given to the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland . "

The Stormont ' Minister for Education ' , British 'Lord' Londonderry , the 'Marquis of Londonderry' (a 'landowner', who was also involved with coal-mines [as an owner , not a worker!] in Durham , England : he was later to become 'Leader' of the British 'House of Lords') stated (in the 'House of Lords') -

- " All that I would say now is that it may be necessary for the government of Northern Ireland (sic) to refuse to nominate a representative on the proposed Boundary Commission and that , if by its findings any part of the territory transferred to us under the Act of 1920 is placed under the Free State , we may have to consider very carefully and very anxiously the measures which we shall have to adopt , as a government , for the purpose of assisting Loyalists whom your Commission may propose to transfer to the Free State but who may wish to remain with us , with Great Britain and the Empire . "

At a meeting between Michael Collins and the Stormont 'Prime Minister' , British 'Sir' James Craig , on 2nd February 1922 , voices were raised over this issue .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(5 of 11).

May 21st , 1981 . Day of deaths of Patsy O'Hara and Ray McCreesh ; Margaret McElorum , 15 years of age , New Lodge , Belfast . Shot by British soldier . Wounded in small of back . Margaret was just approaching an open-air prayer meeting when shot .

May 21st , 1981 . Marie McKernan , 15 years of age , Markets , Belfast , and Kathleen Hanna , 24 years of age , mother of two - both shot by British soldiers in same incident . Marie suffered bruising to her chest , Kathleen received twelve stitches to her head .

May 21st , 1981 * . Harry Duffy , 45 years of age , Creggan , Derry . Hit by two bullets fired by British soldiers while coming home from local bar . His skull was split wide open by the second bullet . He suffered a massive coronary due to the loss of most of his blood . Harry was buried on the day his three youngest children made their holy communion .

May 22nd , 1981 . Tommy Cupples , 32 years of age , Short Strand , Belfast . Shot three times by RUC . Wounded in eyes , arms , thighs and buttocks . Thirty stitches in head . Suffered subsequent epileptic fits .

May 22nd , 1981 . Rosaleen McGee , mother of three , Grosvenor Road , Belfast . Shot by RUC . Her right arm was shattered . Rosaleen was taking part in a peaceful protest when shot .

May 22nd , 1981 . Margaret McDonald , Falls , Belfast . Shot from two yards by RUC . She was wounded in her stomach and will require a skin graft .

May 22nd , 1981 . Brendan McNally , Markets , Belfast . Arrested after bullets were fired through the door of his home . The next night his wife and children were threatened by British Army soldiers armed with riot guns .

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(2 of 31).

Daithi O Conaill arrived in New York in late 1969 / early 1970 ; his history of IRA involvement went back to 1955 , when , at the age of fifteen , he first joined the Republican Movement . As with Joe Cahill , there was no doubt about which course O Conaill would take when the choice had to be made between preparing for an active military campaign or following the political road .

The aims of building a support network and re-activating the arms supply were kept separate ; they had to be - fund-raising is a public activity , for it needs to appeal to as broad a base of support as possible . The IRA men had in mind an organisation rather like the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' , which had collected money and gathered support for the IRA during its war against the British from 1919 to 1921 . When Daithi O Conaill came to New York in the spring of 1970 he wanted to meet Irish Americans who would be able to help build such an organisation .

One of the first he spoke with was Michael Flannery .......

(MORE LATER).

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THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......

....... the Boundary Commission was to consist of three members - one from each Administration ; Dublin , Stormont and Westminster .......

The Westminster representative was to be the Chairperson of the Boundary Commission and , because of this and its circumscribed ' terms of reference ' it was a 'toothless' body but , even so , the Unionists were incensed - the (pro-British) Stormont 'Prime Minister' , 'Sir' James Craig (a 'landowner' and shareholder in the family whiskey business , ' Dunvilles Distillery ') wrote to the British Prime Minister , Lloyd George , on 14th December 1921 , completely rejecting any notion of a Boundary Commission as said body might judge that two of the Six partitioned Counties , Fermanagh and Tyrone " ... might be lost to the North.." due to a strong 'headcount' of Republicans / Nationalists in those two counties .

Lloyd George defended the Boundary Commission , saying - " There is no doubt , certainly since the Act of 1920 [ ie the so-called 'Government of Ireland Act' - two 'Home Rule Parliaments' for Ireland] that the majority of the people of the two counties prefer being with their Southern neighbours to being in the Northern parliament . Take it either by constituency or by poor law union or , if you like , by counting heads , and you will find that the majority in these two counties prefer to be with their Southern neighbours .

If Ulster (sic) is to remain a separate community , you can only by means of coercion keep them there and , although I am against the coercion of Ulster , (sic) I do not believe in Ulster (sic) coercing other units . "

That set 'the cat among the pigeons' ; the Unionist leadership were outraged at Lloyd Georges' comments , no doubt seeing them as Westminster preparing to 'wash its hands' of the 'troublesome Irish' or at least sending a signal (to the Free Staters) that it was of a mind to do so : the brother of the Stormont 'Prime Minister' was first with a reply to that statement by Lloyd George -

- and , in his reply , he spoke of a " matter of life and death " and challenged the authority of Westminster to do as it apparently intended to do .......

(MORE LATER).


PLASTIC BULLETS.......

First published in 'IRIS' Magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 .
In April 1981, 1,955 plastic bullets were fired - a rate of one every 20 minutes over the month . This was more than in the whole of 1980 .
Plastic bullets do not arouse the indignation that normal bullets excite . Over 7,000 have been fired since the death of Bobby Sands (ie May 1981 - November 1981) .
The intent of the British is that the mass protests can be shot off the streets without international opinion responding , as it would to news of large numbers of civilians being shot-up with buck shot or live rounds in , for example , South Africa .

Cases since April 1981 ; ' * ' denotes plastic bullet death .
Re-published here in 11 parts .
(4 of 11).

May 15th , 1981 . Paul Lavelle , 15 years of age , Ardoyne , Belfast . Shot at point-blank range in the head after being dragged up a side street by British soldiers . Serious head injuries .

May 15th , 1981 . Joseph Mullan , 11 years of age , Ballymurphy , Belfast . Shot from rear of British armoured car .

May 15th , 1981 . Damien McKenna , 19 years of age , Beechmount , Belfast . Shot by British soldier , received ten stitches in right ear . No riot was going on in the area .

May 17th , 1981 . Sarah Wildy , grandmother , St. James , Belfast . Shot by British soldier from armoured car . Severe bruising to stomach .

May 19th , 1981 . Kevin McLoughlin , 13 years of age , Whiterock , Belfast . Shot from British armoured car . Suffered severe head injuries . Kevin was sitting on a fence near his home when shot .

May 19th , 1981 * . Carol-Ann Kelly , 12 years of age , Twinbrook , Belfast . Shot by British soldiers from rear of jeeps . Carol-Ann was knocked unconscious by the plastic bullet . The British Army delayed the arrival of an ambulance for fifteen minutes ; due to the resultant loss of blood Carol-Ann died three days later in hospital . She was shot while carrying messages home for her mother . A neighbour , Kathleen Robinson , said - " This young child was shot for absolutely no reason . There was no trouble in the area at the time . "

(MORE LATER).


NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .

Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .

' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(1 of 31).

The only hint of vanity about Michael Flannery is the rather incongruous slick of sandy hair that curls above his forehead . He is set very much in the mould of a Catholic stoic . He neither drinks nor smokes , and he attends mass every morning at eight in his local church in Jackson Heights , Queens , in New York .

A former life-insurance salesman , Michael Flannery goes about his business in a quiet and undemonstrative way ; when ideological troubles shook James Heaney's organisation , the 'American Congress for Irish Freedom ' in the late 1960's , Flannery left to form his own organisation , the ' Irish Action Committee ' . Like many similar Irish-American organisations preceding it , this committee set out to raise support for the increasingly embattled Irish nationalists .

In late 1969 , both factions of the IRA wanted to win support in America ; it was the leaders of the Provisional wing which made the greatest inroads , however , and utilised the potential energy beginning to emerge among Irish Americans anxious and angry at the course of events . In late 1969 and early 1970 two leading IRA men came to America - they had two aims : to meet with influential Irish Americans who were sympathetic to the Cause and who would help raise money for it , and to re-activate the arms network that had atrophied since the 1950's . Daithi O'Conaill and Joe Cahill were veterans of the IRA's struggle ; Cahill , a Belfast man , was the older , with an IRA record going back to the late 1930's .......

(MORE LATER).

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