AN APPEAL TO REPUBLICANS....


The following quote is part of the description of the torture of Paddy Joe McClean (39), a remedial teacher. McClean was not a member of any section of the IRA; he was merely a local civil rights worker. He was arrested and taken from his home in Beragh, Co. Tyrone, at 5 a.m. on Monday 9 August 1971. He is married and has eight children. McClean stated:

"I spent the first 48-hour period with the other detainees at Magilligan camp. At the end of these initial 48 hours a hood was pulled over my head and I was handcuffed and subjected to verbal and personal abuse which included the threat of being dropped from a helicopter while it was in the air. I was then dragged out to the helicopter, being kicked and struck about the body with batons on the way.
After what seemed about one hour in the helicopter I was thrown from it and kicked and batoned into what I took to be a lorry. The lorry was driven only a couple of hundred yards to a building. On arriving there I was given a thorough examination by a doctor. After this, all my clothes were taken from me and I was given a boiler suit to wear which had no buttons and which was several sizes too big for me.
During this time the hood was still over my head and the handcuffs were removed only at the time of the 'medical examination'.
I was then taken into what I can only guess was another room and was made stand with my feet wide apart with my hands pressed against a wall. During all this time I could hear a low droning noise, which sounded to me like an electric saw or something of that nature. This continued for what I can only describe as an indefinite period of time. I stood there, arms against the wall, feet wide apart. My arms, legs, back and head began to ache. I perspired freely, the noise and the heat were terrible.
My circulation had stopped. I flexed my arms to start the blood flowing again. They struck me several times on the hands, ribs, kidneys and my kneecaps were kicked. My hood-covered head was banged against the wall....."
(More here...)

Read the above , follow the link and read what it offers . Then , read this link and see if you can help.......
Go raibh máith agat , from the '1169...' Crew .

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CURRAGH CONCENTRATION CAMP,1958...


'IN CURRAGH CONCENTRATION CAMP'.......
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .

MEATH :

Peter Smith , Balreask , Navan.
Leo Collins , Liscarton , Navan.
Dermot Blake , Academy Street , Navan.
James Perry , 11 Watergate Street , Navan.
Joseph Daly , Garlow Cross , Navan.
James Foy , Drumcondrath .

MAYO :

Patrick McCallig , Claremorris .
Péadar Murray , Rosclare , Newport .
John J. Monaghan , Cushmola .

MONAGHAN :

Seamus Hughes , Monaghan .

(MORE LATER).






THE LAUGHING STOCK OF DUBLIN....... !

From the 'Wigmore' Column , MAGILL magazine, June 1998 .

The above were quotations from the infamous editorial of 'The Sunday Business Post' newspaper, published on April 12 , 1998 , just two days after the Stormont Treaty was signed , which referred to the proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the State Constitution as "...well meaning drivel.." , saying that the Treaty would make us become "...the laughing stock of Europe.." .

It described the deal as "...a rescue operation for Ulster unionism .." to whom had been handed "...unprecedented gifts." Six weeks later , by May 24 , 'The Sunday Business Post' had changed its tune - somewhat . The different tone was captured in the second paragraph of the editorial of that day : " Clearly the vast majority of people on this island are prepared to invest their hope and trust for the future in what is , by any standards , a complex agreement ."

Gone were the "...drivel.." , the "...unprecedented gifts.." to unionists . We are no more the laughing stock of Europe...

[END of 'THE LAUGHING STOCK OF DUBLIN']
(Next : 'Henry Doherty is 44 days on hunger-strike' - from 1986)





NICKY KELLY: STATE HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT.
From 'Wigmore'Column , MAGILL magazine, February 1986 .

Last months State High Court judgement by Justice Rory O'Hanlon on the Nicky Kelly case has received scant coverage or explanation in the press . Nicky Kelly went on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prison in May 1983 and , in an effort to get him off the hunger strike , the government invited him to take a civil case on the grounds of his allegations that he was beaten into signing a confession by gardai .

Michael Noonan promised that "...a favourable outcome could be adduced as being relevant , even only indirectly , to the question of his imprisonment . " Noonan later said that "...if a jury found in his favour in a civil case , that would change things." Nicky Kelly took the government's advice , came off the hunger strike , and instituted civil proceedings which would , if successful , gain him damages and , above all , clear his name .

The civil case would have the added benefit that for the first time the case would be heard by a jury : but it soon became clear that the government had pulled a stroke - week after week their legal representatives sought to put obstacles in Kelly's way to a civil case . He was released in July 1984 , but he persisted in demanding that his case be reviewed , that his name be cleared . But the government strategy involved obtaining an 'estoppel', and they used the case of the Birmingham Six to stop Nicky kelly.......
(MORE LATER).

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BY JOVE ! It's just not cricket...

...an ex-student-prince type , who would like to consider himself as 'The Rt Hon Christopher Smooth, Minister for Public Concern' attempted , on Monday 30 July last , to dismiss this blog as having "monocular vision" because we "reveal the horrors British imperialists impose..." .

'Lord Smooth' stated - "...1169 and Counting seem unrelentingly to use "Protestant" as a pejorative..." which , as regular readers will know , is not the case ( in actual fact , we hold all religions in equal contempt !) . We have , however , employed the sicut '(sic)' when , in our opinion , the unwarranted use of the term 'Catholic' or 'Protestant' was used in a piece we were quoting from , and , on this occasion ,it is this which has confused 'Lord Smooth' ie he stated that , on the occasion he referred too , we only used the term '(sic)' because 'it was in the original [article]...' : it wasn't . We ourselves put it there because the article in question referred to a certain political organisation which was beginning , in the opinion as stated in the article , to obtain "... a small but growing new Protestant membership..." - we inserted the term '(sic)' after the particular religion mentioned ; it was not in the original article , as 'Lord Smooth' stated , as can be verified from this photograph (left-click to enlarge : the sentence in question is the last one in the marked paragraph) -



Our wannabe-adversary (who assured us that he "...featured in the columns of "Trinity News", the student weekly of Trinity College, Dublin, in the early 1960s..."!) based his other 'reasons' for dismissing this blog on a similar platform ie on that which we never wrote and/or by deliberately misrepresenting our intentions . We get this quite a lot and usually sort it out with a reply (or two...!) to the 'Comment' section/Guestbook of the site in question but , in this instance , we thought it best to publicise the lengths some people will go to in their attempt to discredit , not only this blog , but that which this blog stands for : the Irish Republican position in relation to the on-going occupation of a part of this isle by those political and military forces controlled by Westminster . Even if , in doing so , we offend the likes of 'Lord Smooth' .

Finally , we have refrained from providing a link to the royal territory occupied by the good 'Lord' , as we have no desire to foist his irritating 'marble-in-mouth' prose on our good readers . For that , you owe us big......;-)

Sharon.

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'IN CURRAGH CONCENTRATION CAMP'.......
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .

LAOIS :

Patrick McLogan , Main Street , Portlaoise .
John O' Donovan , Clonminan , Abbeyleix Road , Portlaoise .
Thomas Lynam , 63 Marian Place , Portlaoise .
Seán O'Donovan , 82 Marian Place , Portlaoise .


LONGFORD :

Ruaidhri Ó Brádaígh TD, Battery Road , Longford.


LEITRIM :

Patrick McGirl , Camber , Carrigallen .
(MORE LATER).





THE LAUGHING STOCK OF DUBLIN !

From the 'Wigmore' Column , MAGILL magazine, June 1998 .

On the day before the referendum on the Stormont Agreement, 'The Newsletter' newspaper published an eight-page advertising section for the Ulster Unionist Party (sic) , the purpose of which was to assure unionists that the Stormont Agreement favoured unionists rather than republicans . In support of this contention , the centre page spread of the ad section was headed - ' This is a bad deal for republicans' .

In its support it quoted Ruairi Ó Brádaigh, Bernadette Sands, Robert Ballagh, the IRSP, 'The Anderstown News' newspaper and 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper.

Two sources were quoted twice : Mitchell McLaughlin, chairperson of Provisional Sinn Fein , and 'The Sunday Business Post' newspaper: the latter stated - ' This is no deal for nationalist Ireland . It is likely to copperfasten partition on this island for many years to come , perhaps for decades . This year , 1998 , is the 200th anniversary of the 1798 rebellion. Ironically , it is also the year which will witness the greatest erosion of Irish sovereignty since the Act of Union was passed....... '
(MORE LATER).





JOHN DUNSTER AT WINDSCALE.......

From 'Wigmore' Column , MAGILL magazine, March 1986.

John Dunster , the then Chief Physicist at Windscale , stated - " The intention has been to discharge very substantial amounts of radioactivity as part of an organised and deliberate scientific experiment , the aims of which would have been defeated if the level of radioactivity had been kept to a minimum . "

Mr.Dunster no longer works at the Windscale nuclear plant - he is now 'Director of the UK National Radiological Protection Board', the 'independent watchdog' body which is charged with protecting the public from radiation hazards . We can all sleep a little bit sounder for knowing that.

(Also : in the November 1986 issue of 'Magill' magazine , it was reported that , in 1958 , John Dunster admitted to the 'Geneva Conference on Peaceful Uses of the Atom' that "...discharges from Windscale have been deliberately maintained high enough to obtain detectable activity levels in samples of fish , seaweed and shore sand , and the experiment is still proceeding . This year (1958) the rate of discharge of radioactivity was deliberately increased partly to dispose of unwanted waste but principally to yield better experimental data ." It is those with similar 'short-term-benefit' attitudes that the current 'powers-that-be' in this State have put in charge of the Tara motorway and Shell projects , not to mention the so-called 'health service' etc . Not only is the present generation paying for that folly , but future generations will , too . )

[END of 'John Dunster At Windscale']
(Next : 'Nicky Kelly- High Court Judgement' , from 1986)

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'LOVE ULSTER' TO SEEK SUPREMACY IN DUBLIN AGAIN ?

This Loyalist/Combat 18/UVF combination have stated that they intend to parade their banners in Dublin on the last Saturday in September or the first Saturday in October 2007.......



Willie Frazer of the so-called 'Love Ulster' organisation has stepped-up his campaign to parade through Dublin , accompanied by other Loyalist thugs and Combat 18 members .
These are the same people from , and representing , the same organisation which the Dublin Administration last year tried to assist in their quest to triumphantly parade through the streets of Dublin : the place-seekers in Leinster House authorised the use of force against those who objected to the presence of 'Union Jack'-waving neo-Nazi's in Dublin , resulting in other elements using the occasion for what they deemed to be their own advantage - riots ensued on the streets of Dublin .
If this Loyalist parade goes ahead , Republicans have made their position clear .
Are the 'powers-that-be' in Leinster House listening this time...?

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'IN CURRAGH CONCENTRATION CAMP'.......
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .

KERRY :

Derek McKenna , Valencia Island .
Donald O' Shea , The Square , Kilgarvan.

LIMERICK :

Sean Edmonds , Castleconnell .
Michael Murphy .
Jimmy Devereaux .
John MacNamara .

LOUTH :

Laurence Grogan , 21 Sunnyside Cottage , Drogheda .
William Stewart , 16 Wolfe Tone Terrace , Dundalk .
Patrick Lennon , 22 Patrick Street , Dundalk .
James Rafferty , Lower Faughart , Dundalk .
Liam Fagan , Proleek , Ravensdale .
(MORE LATER).



PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO OUR GREATEST SCANDAL.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, June 1998.
By Vincent Browne.
('1169...' Comment : please note - the use of the term 'murder' in connection with the death of an informer is not our choice of word.)

Clearly , the Gardai have no stomach for a proper investigation of this scandal . Anyway they are not and could never be the proper agency for an inquiry into themselves .

There is a proper reluctance in calling for Tribunals of Inquiry into public scandals, given the cost and feebleness of some of the previous such enquiries , but there is hardly an alternative in this instance . We have a right to know whether our police force was complicit in the murder of a fellow-citizen and we have no way of knowing that other than through a public inquiry . Let's have it .

[END of 'Public Inquiry Into Our Greatest Scandal']
(Next : 'The Laughing Stock Of Dublin' - from 1998.)




JOHN DUNSTER AT WINDSCALE.

From 'Wigmore' Column , MAGILL magazine, March 1986.

In the late 1950's , a man called John Dunster was Chief Physicist at Windscale Nuclear Power Plant. He was given to saying things like " The sea has always been regarded as the ideal place for dumping waste and this is , of course , a reasonable and proper attitude . Most of the objects which ultimately find their way to the shore are harmless and a considerable source of pleasure for children . Not the least of the attractions of the sea as a dumping ground is the lack of administrative controls ."

Mr Dunster was in charge of overseeing the discharges into the Irish Sea from Windscale at a time when those discharges were deliberately kept higher than they needed to be , just to see what would happen.......
(MORE LATER).

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