Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......the British 'authorities' were worried about the level of support for the 'Monster Meetings' ; on Saturday , 7th October 1843 , they banned one such meeting which was due to take place the following day in Clontarf , Dublin .......
Daniel O'Connell protested at the banning , as did his colleagues in the leadership of the 'Loyal National Repeal Association' - they were later to be arrested by the Brits and sentenced to a year in prison for 'conspiracy' , but this judgement was then reversed in the British House of Lords .
When , on that Saturday , the 7th of October 1843 , O'Connell noticed that posters were being put-up in Dublin by the British 'authorities' stating that the following days meeting had been banned , he backed down ; in this scribblers opinion he should have 'stuck to his guns' and ignored the British 'writ' - he should have went ahead with the Clontarf 'Monster Meeting' therby 'putting it up' to the Brits .
But... "moral force only" won the day ; O'Connell issued his own poster that same day (ie Saturday 7th October 1843) as well as spreading the word through the 'grapevine' that the meeting was cancelled . That poster makes for interesting reading .......
(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.......
".......when both the RIC and the British Army had left Ballyvourney , we made a move on the RIC Barracks to burn it ; we were too relaxed for our own good ......."
" At noon on 1st November , two local IRA Volunteers - Con Sean Jer ('Kelleher') and Paddy Riordan were engaged in sprinkling the interior with petrol ; the rush of many feet and a fierce hammering on the front door was the first intimation they had that the enemy was upon them . The back door was open and both IRA men ran through it to the yard at the rear . Con held an unlighted torch in one hand ...
...the time was short but he paused , struck a match , lit the torch and , turning , flung it through the open door - the building burst into flame , and Con and Paddy threw themselves flat on the ground in the nick of time to allow a volley of bullets pass over them . British Auxiliaries from Macroom had dashed , in their lorries , to the gate and had run the short distance to the house . Con and Paddy made another rush , running at a slant towards the cover of the Cascade Wood ; a heavy fire clipped the undergrowth around them .
A lorry had run up the road behind the wood with the object of cutting off their retreat . The Auxies dismounted and ran towards the Cascade Bridge , but both IRA men had just crossed it and , unseen, had gained the high ground at Ceapach . Too close for comfort . "
(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 .
(11 of 21).
The CIA decided to make a pornographic movie featuring a Sukarno double romping with a supposed Soviet blonde spy ; this would be used to discredit him . They made the movie with the help of Los Angeles porn merchants and titled it 'Happy Days' . Meanwhile , anti-Sukarno guerrillas were being organised and CIA pilots were flying bombing raids in support .
One pilot , Alan Pope , was shot down and captured after he mistakenly (?) bombed a church , killing most of the worshippers . Eventually , Sukarno agreed to accept American money and stay away from the Soviets - the CIA left him alone . Whatever works .......
(MORE LATER).
