THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY....... Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.
Harry Kirkpatrick named four men who he claimed were involved in "conspiracy to murder" in 1981 : however , in his earlier statement to the RUC in relation to this 'incident' , Kirkpatrick never once referred to Henry McNamee, a republican , whom he now named as being involved. A 'Mr Molloy' made a statement about the incident in which he said that the workers of the factory where the "murder" bid was to take place were lined up against a wall and that there was a British Army helicopter and a British Army Saracen outside the factory ; some of those workers were in the court and they laughed loudly at this point , as it was a complete pack of lies. Nobody was "lined up against a wall" , there was no helicopter , there was no saracen . But still four men were convicted of "conspiracy to murder" .
Kirkpatrick claimed that shots were fired at an RUC barracks on May 21st , 1981 . There was no evidence of shots being fired , or of the barracks being hit by gunfire , or even a report from the RUC themselves of coming under attack or even hearing shots. But again - on the 'evidence' of Kirkpatrick - two men were convicted of "conspiracy to murder".
Kirkpatrick then 'gave evidence' of how himself and three others took over a house to ambush the RUC.......
(MORE LATER).
CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.
Many are the remarks that have been made about State Justice Robert O hUadhaigh's conduct of his court and we are not going to make him blush with modesty by adding to them here.
Suffice it to say that if awards were to be given for liberalism , O hUadhaigh's mantlepiece would not groan with the weight of such baubles. To the spooks in the U.S. intelligence agencies , however, it would seem that if he is not actually a fully paid-up KGB man then he is not above doing a few cash-in-hand nixers for the Comrades ! The CIA file on Mairin de Burca included this bit on 'Red' O hUadhaigh-
" These extraordinary lenient sentences typify not only permissiveness with which dangerous left-wing agitators in Ireland are being encouraged but also toleration of hostile acts against the U.S. in this country which the Embassy badly needs the means to combat."
(MORE LATER).
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.
Tony Barry : "How many were pushing the heroin ?"
Noel Sillery : "In this flats complex , I would say there was only one main person in the area , plus there were three or four smaller pushers working for him. The way it was organised was that, for example, you'd see this person , the main pusher, walking across the football pitch , dropping a package , and walking on over to the corner and keeping an eye on it. Then one of the known drug pushers would come along and pick it up."
(MORE LATER).
