JULY 15th , 1976 : IRA PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM DUBLIN'S 'SPECIAL COURT' .......
.......time was short to free the five Irish Republicans from Free State custody ; a second meeting to discuss the operation was held on 6th July 1976 , as the IRA GHQ Staff were not satisfied that the job could be done successfully .......
The Intelligence Officer of the Dublin Brigade IRA was at the 6th July meeting , as was the Adjutant of the Dublin Brigade , the Acting-Adjutant General , the IRA Director of Intelligence , the IRA Director of Finance , and a GHQ/Dublin Brigade Officer . Detailed plans of the lay-out of the inside of Green Street Courthouse had been acquired , as had the roster by which the Gardai on duty worked too.
The five prisoners themselves had been contacted re the rescue attempt and were prepared to take part in it , so the 'go-ahead' was given for an agreed date : 12th July 1976 , a Monday , although this was later changed to Thursday , 15th July 1976 , for reasons unknown to this scribbler .
The plan called for simultaneous action by the five prisoners and the IRA Unit - at an agreed time , the five men were to force their way into the courtyard of Green Street Courthouse and run towards the gates , where the explosives were .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE CASTLE OF MACROOM .......
".......beaten down by disease and poverty , some natives tended to 'doff their cap' to the denizens of the Castles , and stare in awe as they passed in their finery ......."
" Not everyone bowed the head ; even in the worst times , when all organised opposition to tyranny had been crushed , an individual arose and struck a blow for the motherland "to show that still she lives ." My father often told me of one of those warriors , a stout fellow known as Sean Rua an Ghaorthaig ; true , he was known as an outlaw or 'rapparree' to 'the powers that were' and to most 'respectable' people , but in Irish history he would be classed with Redmond O'Hanlon and Eamonn an Chnuic . In England he would be with Robin Hood or Locksley - history would be very poor stuff , in any country , without such men !
To the south of Macroom Castle and immediately in front of it Sleibhin Hill rises green and fairly steep - its other side, also green and steep , overlooks the Gaortha , a low-lying area of a few square miles in extent , covered with brushwood , mostly alder, and water-logged by innumerable channels of the River Lee . Here it was that Sean Rua retired from his enemies and for many years baffled all their attempts to dislodge him . He made his own gunpowder for his firearms , and it was said to be practically smokeless . He did not spend all his time hiding and inactive in the Gaortha ; now and again he sallied forth and exacted tribute from some Planter . Often did the 'Gentry' muster against him with all the available local yeomanry and militia , but Sean Rua always managed to elude them in the sheltering tangle of his natural fortress .
Sean Rua an Ghaorthaig was a crack shot - once , in disguise , he competed at a Yeomanry musketry test in Macroom : a local Sergeant , an expert shot , tied with him for the final . The 'unknown Yeoman' , from a distant company , beat the Sergeant and great was the chagrin when , too late , it was discovered that Sean Rua had gone home with the prize . Sean had a high sense of humour and was prepared to run risks to gratify it ; but the Sergeant wanted his revenge .......
(MORE LATER).
TALKING TO THE PROVISIONALS.......
" The British Government has twice entered into detailed negotiations with representatives of the IRA . Nollaig O Gadhra recalls the talks that took place exactly ten years ago between the Northern Ireland (sic) Office and the Provisional Republican Movement . "
By Nollaig O Gadhra .
(From 'The Sunday Press' newspaper , 10th February 1985).
Re-produced here in 12 parts .
10 of 12 .
Because the Provisionals did not wish to apply for permits to the RUC it was necessary for the British to give "a personal assurance" from the 'Northern Ireland (sic) Office' that "if all that stands between us and the successful conclusion of our present arrangement is 24 permits , we shall find a way around that difficulty ." ('1169...' Comment - the Provisionals now request permits from the Brits and the Free Staters to carry-out Easter Lily collections , to hold parades and street demonstrations : for shame , applying to those that put brave Irish men and women in their graves for 'permission' to 'remember and honour' those same men and women put there by the same foe . If that is 'success' , we want no part of it ...)
The break-through came on 7th February 1975 , and the next day the formulae of words to be issued by both Mr. Rees and the Republican Movement on the coming into operation of the new Cease-Fire were agreed . In his statement , Mr. Rees recalled a previous statement about the talks , confirming that they had taken place but being very vague about details , either of what had been agreed or what the talks would involve in the future .......
(MORE LATER).
