THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE .......There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , September 1983 .
Dr. Noel Smith , the Breathnach family doctor , said in evidence that Osgur Breathnach's head was painful and tender and that he had a lump on it , that his left leg had bruises over the top lower third , lateral , to the side and back ; that there were the early stages of bruising on Breathnach's buttocks . In Dr. Smith's opinion , Osgur Breathnach was dangerously ill , suffering from concussion as a reslt of the head injury and suffering from other injuries which could not have been self inflicted . As a resesult of an application to the State High Court , Breathnach was removed to the Richmond Hospital , in Dublin .
He was examined by a Dr. Leech of the Richmond on his arrival on the Wednesday afternoon , April 7th , 1976 : Dr. Leech said in evidence that he found Breathnach to be in an anxious condition , that there was a small bruise on the left-hand side of his chest , a small bruise on the inside left ankle , bruises over the lower one-third of one of his legs , and tenderness over the triceps of the left arm . Dr. Leech said the injuries which he found were consistent with an assault of minor degree .
A Dr. Carey , a senior neuro-surgeon at the Richmond Hospital , who examined Osgur Breathnach on Thursday morning , April 8th , 1976 , said in evidence that he found no injury to the accused's head , no evidence of loss of consciousness , no evidence of external injury to the head or neck - there was , however , tenderness of the scalp , on the left side of the jaw , and bruising on the left arm , left chest , back of the right calf and on the left ankle . The bruisings on the arms was stated by Dr. Carey to be consistent with a punch , behind the right leg would be consistent with a kick or a knock . Osgur Breathnach was discharged from hospital later that day , April 8th , 1976 . That medical evidence was to prove useful , as was the non-medical evidence : a State Counsel involved in the case described Breathnach as "....distressed .....dehumanised....a human animal..".......
(MORE LATER).
(Martin McGuinness , left , with Henry Kissinger , as usual , on the right ...) DISARMING MARTIN .......
All (P)Sinn Fein leaders have a series of mantras and mini-speeches which they seek to get into every interview , regardless of the question .
The task of the journalist is to avoid setting off these reflex responses : the problem with Martin McGuinness is that he does it so pleasantly that it seems impolite to interrupt him .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1999 .
By John Waters .
If the 'Good Friday Agreement' does collapse , Mr. David Trimble , as of this moment , looks like the one who will have to shoulder most of the historical blame . The question arises : is his failure to adequately meet the moment to do with a lack , in the wake of the 'GFA' , of courage , determination , independence of mind , or some more calculating purpose which predates the Agreement ?
Martin McGuinness states - " You've got to ask yourself , say , of , from Good Friday on , David Trimble had wholeheartedly embraced the agreement , and faced down the Paisleys of this world , then those people who celebrated the achievement of the agreement , wouuld have been justified in their view . I think they had an expectation that that might happen . And the history of the last nine months has shown that David Trimble has failed his people . But , at the same time , I think you have to give Trimble a certain amount of credit for saying 'Yes' on Good Friday , for whatever reason , and even though he has been part of this infuriating delay and stalling tactic that has been deployed over the last nine months , he still has continued to say 'Yes' , which clearly shows that that section of unionism that he represents , for whatever reason , has been shifted by the process .
Now , again , it comes down to whether or not you think that , at the end of all this , David Trimble is going to walk away from a process that he too has been part of constructing with the rest of us . I think it's inconceivable that he will do that . I think that for him the honourable thing to do is to face down the rejectionist unionists and press on with the implementation of the agreement , because in the long run , the implementation of the agreement is going to absolutely marginalise and isolate the rejectionists who are trying to destroy it . "
'Rejectionists' and revisionists too : McGuinness says - " There is a lot of anger within republican areas in the North that this , if you like , offensive , by the revisionists and others in the South , appears to be all about blaming republicans for the current impasse...... " ('1169....' Comment - those 'rejectionists and revisionists' are the same people that have always blamed Irish Republicans for the Struggle : the Provos have handed them a new stick with which to hit them with ie 'you are not surrendering quickly enough' , an outcome which does not surprise Republicans but does seem to have caught PSF by surprise . Have they mis-judged their opposition that much ?)
(MORE LATER).
GUNS TO BREAD AND BUTTER .......EDDIE ROONEY looks at the transformation of the Official Republican movement from a revolutionary organisation run by its military wing to a social democratic electoral party .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , 1983 .
The old working-class support base of The Workers Party have so far been very tolerant of a leadership which has turned its back on people and traditions which are very dear to them . Many are a product of the era of Billy McMillen , who is now all but written out of the party literature . For many , any further change would represent the final straw .
There is little doubt that if this remaining working-class support is lost , there will be serious questions concerning the future of 'The Workers Party' in North of Ireland politics , yet there is really little prospect of a resurgence of radical republicanism within the party without the resignation of the current leadership. ('1169....' Comment - ....a position that Adams and Company find themselves in as well : they have placed all their political eggs in the one basket , but have handed control of that 'basket' over to those who have always been anti-republican . They have politically 'snookered' themselves and are entirely dependant on those anti-republican elements keeping their 'word' . More fool they !)
That is highly unlikely , and even if it happened , there could be no real chance of successfully competing against (P) Sinn Fein on what has now become their own ideological territory .
[END of ' GUNS TO BREAD AND BUTTER']
(Next - 'The Provos At The Ballot Box' : from 1983.)
