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).
