Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......in 1829 , the British relented on the issue of Catholic Emancipation following a six-year campaign led by Daniel O'Connell , amongst others , in the 'Catholic Association' organisation. To the Irish , O'Connell was a hero ; to the Brits , he was becoming troublesome.......
On April 15th , 1840 , Daniel O'Connell launched the 'Loyal National Repeal Association' (as it called itself from 1841 onwards - at its inception it was simply known as 'The Repeal Association' : O'Connell was back-tracking with the name-change , all but apologising to the Brits for asking them to 'tweak' the system a little more in favour of the Irish.)
Daniel O'Connell made it clear that it was his desire that Ireland should remain under the British 'Monarchy' - saying , if you like - ' ...stay if you want , just treat us better.' The only force to be used , he stated , was "moral force" ; but even this was too much of a demand for Westminster - 'Sir' Robert Peel (Brit PM) replied that to 'grant' O'Connell his way " would not merely mean the repeal of an Act of (British) Parliament , but dismemberment of a great Empire . Deprecatimg as I do all war but above all , civil war , yet there is no alternative which I do not think preferable to the dismemberment of Empire . "
A group within the 'Repeal Association' (or 'The Loyal National Repeal Association' , as O'Connell insisted it be known as) supported Daniel O'Connell in his endeavours but were not convinced that "moral force" alone would win the day ; they were the 'Young Irelanders' , and they viewed their leader "with a mixture of affection and impatience......."
(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.
BURNINGS.......
".......myself , my brother Pat and another IRA Volunteer , Donal Og , were 'on-the-run' ; we were sleeping in an old barn , in the grain loft ......."
" The one door of our 'bedroom' opened through a gable on to the landing on top of an outside stone stairs , which was built along the gable wall . A wide gate mounted on the pillar of the stair landing gave entrance from the road to the open haggard . From the opposite gate-pillar the stone boundary fence of the haggard ran away at right angles to the barn .
I awoke to the sensation of the floor shaking under me ; heavy blows from underneath shook me in the bed - they also created a noise that should wake any living man . It was pitch dark and I could not see Donal as I sat up in bed - I could hear , however , his steady breathing as he slept peacefully through all the clamour . The light from powerful torches stabbed upwards through chinks in the floor boards ; I could hear heavy rain blown by strong gusts of wind . The sound of these elements cheered me although I knew that the enemy was upon us , or rather underneath us .
British soldiers would presently be at our door ; my immediate problem was how to wake Donal Og quietly . When a man is awakened , in the darkness, from a deep sleep , his first reaction is to speak , and that perhaps loudly . I could now see him and , bending over , I held my open hand close to his mouth , while I called gently . He awoke without a sound and I quickly apprised him of the situation . We dressed quickly but completely , getting into the bed to lace our boots ; then , revolvers in hand , we stole step by step to the door . Just as we reached it , the enemy arrived on the landing outside - their torches shone through crevices in the walls around the frame and between the frame and door .
The door was sound but opened inwards ; the lock was strong but its bolt went home into a thin square staple driven into the frame . Would it withstand a shoulder .......?"
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(5 of 21).
In 1950 , North Korean prisoners were used in 'Project MK Ultra' , the CIA- backed operation in using mind-bending drugs on enemy forces . There were other experiments in Germany , the Far East and Panama ; in 1953 , LSD was put in a bottle of Cointreau and given to a number of scientists meeting in the Appalachians to discuss their work . One scientist later jumped from a tenth-floor window . It is believed that others also died from such experiments .
There were experiments on animals , attempts to turn them into guided micro-phones and bombs . A cat was opened up , a micro-phone was put in , his tail was turned into an ariel , they took him into the open for a test ....and he was run over by a taxi !
(MORE LATER).
