'THE PRESS' Newspaper , October 1797 - March 1798 .
Too Radical for the Radicals .......
....... in March 1798 , the British 'Viceroy' in Ireland , a Mr. John Camden , seen to it that the 'The Press' Rebel newspaper was put out of business ; within days of doing so , the Brits moved against the United Irishmen organisation itself .......
The mostly Dublin-based leadership of the United Irishmen organisation was rounded-up in a British raid on the home of Oliver Bond in Dublin (in March 1798) and hundreds of active members were hunted down across the country . Those not captured re-grouped and , on the 23rd May 1798 , took up arms against the British in a failed attempt to remove the British presence .
However , as has always been the case in Ireland , the 1798 Rising inspired Robert Emmet to challenge British mis-rule in Ireland (in 1803) which , in turn , inspired future generations to challenge that mis-rule . And today , in this 21st Century , that challenge continues .
'The Press' newspaper , the 'semi-official' organ of the United Irishmen organisation , was closed-down by the British on 3rd March 1798 , but its spirit lives on in this newspaper . Buy it , please , if its sold in your area , or take out a subscription and have it posted to you . Go raibh maith agat .
[ END of 'THE PRESS' Newspaper ...'].
(Tomorrow : in a temporary change of format - we publish a document which has been in our possession for the past 16 years , concerning the death of Theobald Wolfe Tone ).
LIGHTS , CAMERA , REAGAN .......!
By John Dean.
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , October 1980 , pages 30, 31, 35, and 37.
Re-published here in 20 parts .
(14 of 20).
As Governor of California (1966-1974) , most political observers agree , Ronald Reagan was basically an efficient if not overly creative administrator . He fought many tempestuous battles with liberal institutions and programs , but he was not quite the guns-blazing hard-liner that he later portrayed himself to be .
For example , although he did provide 5.7 billion dollars in tax rebates to the citizens of California , most of the rebates were in property taxes . But he raised state income taxes three times . The last boost came complete with a new tax structure that took a bigger bite from banks and corporations - his faithful conservative supporters . And even though he was constantly lashing out at rebellious students and their teachers , threatening state schools with budget cuts left and right , state spending on higher education actually rose 136 per cent during Reagan's two terms as Governor .......
(MORE LATER).
DEATH LIST 1989 .......
Two RUC Officers and two British soldiers , one based in West Germany , were killed by the IRA since mid-May , while a Catholic barman was shot by the UFF bringing the total death toll to 39 this year .
No by-line.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , July 1989 , pages 22 and 23 .
Re-published here in 14 parts .
(10 of 14).
19th April : Francis Galbraith (29) was shot by loyalists near the Sydenham by-pass , close to his parents home in east Belfast . A nephew of loyalist supergrass Joseph Bennett , Mr. Galbraith was apparently killed in an internal loyalist dispute over weapons . He leaves four children .
21st April : William Thompson (26) was shot dead in his black taxi on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast late in the evening . As his car passed the Everton Girls School at Upper Crumlin Road another black taxi pulled-up alongside ; Mr. Thompson was singled out and shot dead . Claiming responsibility , the IRA alleged that Mr. Thompson had been involved in the sectarian killings of nationalists in north Belfast , a claim denied by the dead man's family .
(MORE LATER).
