THE WALLACE AND HOLROYD FILE .......These files are now coming under the scrutiny of the 'authorities' . Heads will role . But whose ?
From 'New Hibernia' magazine , April 1987 .
It was a man in the engineering business in Dublin who brought about the examination of the 'Riddle of the Wallace/Holroyd File' : more than 12 years ago he had been an Explosives Ordnance Officer in command of an Irish (Free State) Army bomb disposal team around what the British call 'the Monaghan salient' - that bit of the 26-County State which juts into what they call ' Northern Ireland' (sic) .
When he was'nt defusing Provisional IRA bombs , 'Commandant P' liked to have a drink in a local hotel . One of his social contacts was a man who was to become 'famous' as the 'Badger' - the MI6 agent identified by British Captain Fred Holroyd as a Garda detective .
On August Bank Holiday , Saturday , 1975 , the Badger paid an unexpected call on 'Commandant P's home in Castleknock , Dublin , : with him he had a tall Englishman , a " 'Peter Maynard' of the British Army " - Maynard was , in fact , Captain Maynard , of the RAOC , whom Fred Holroyd has identified as working for the MI6 chief in Lisburn , Craig Smellie.......
(MORE LATER).
THE HEAVY HAND OF THE LAW .......Allegations of Garda brutality only hit the headlines intermittently . But the problem may be much more widespread than most people imagine . Last year out-of-court settlements of cases involving members of the Garda cost the taxpayer over €1 million . What's going on ?
From 'MAGILL' magazine , April 2003 .
By Mairead Carey.
Six months later , after the Walsh sisters had lodged proceedings against the gardai , summonses were served : the girls were accused of assaulting two garda officers !
One of the assaults was said to have taken place on Nassau Street in Dublin , even though they were arrested and taken into custody on Grafton Street : they were also said to be so drunk as to be a danger to themselves and others and , in court , one of the Gardai said that Grainne Walsh was so intoxicated she could not speak or sign her name , even though a copy of her signature was later produced !
The Walsh sisters had been warned by their solicitor to expect a summons , " But it was still alarming , " said Grainne . Nine gardai , including two sergeants , turned up at the District Court to give evidence against them - " Every one told a different story when they took the stand . " In court , one of the two gardai who had arrested the sisters was asked by the judge if the incident had been investigated internally , and he replied that it had . When pressed , he told the court that he had investigated it himself ! The judge threw out the case , describing it as a "...disgraceful.. " day in the history of the police force , and stated that he would have awarded costs if he could , but public policy did not allow it , he said . In the (State) High Court last summer , counsel for the Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne said the force "...regret very much what had happened.."
and acknowledged that both women were of "...unblemished character.. " , and told the court that damages had been paid . However , trouble was to follow over the garda report into the incident.......
(MORE LATER).
VINCENT BROWNE : PILLARS OF SOCIETY .......
Vincent Browne is the nearest thing to Robert Maxwell that Ireland has got - in style , if not in scale .
From 'PHOENIX' magazine , 1985.
One of the first casualties of Vincent Browne's leadership-style was news editor Don Buckley , who found his editor's swashbuckling behaviour impossible to work under . Buckley left only a few weeks after the relaunch of 'The Sunday Tribune' , and was followed by Eugene McGloin whose contract was not renewed . Joe Carroll , the Diplomatic Correspondent , went to RTE's 'Today Tonight' programme , as did Emily O' Reilly who had previously enjoyed a close working relationship with Vincent Browne .
Others to leave were Deputy Chief-Sub David Quin , who joined the 'Irish Independent', Maggie O' Kane , who went to RTE , and Paddy Prendiville , now with the 'Phoenix Magazine'.
'The Sunday Tribune's celebrated rows are not entirely due to its editor's abrasive manner : most of the journalists are young to middle-aged , with CV's that might have made Special Branch files at some point in the last two decades.......
(MORE LATER).
