1169 And Counting.....: 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN -

- THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

Mr Dick Spring : " The matter I am raising on the adjournment this evening is one with which the minister for justice, equality and law reform is familiar - he raised it himself on many occasions when he was opposition spokesperson. This is a matter of fundamental importance to the public interest in relation to the administration of justice and the protection of human life.

In March 1985 , the body of John Corcoran of Riverview Estate , Ballyvolane , County Cork , was found dumped outside Cork city , the murder apparently having taken place in County Kerry. It has been widely reported in recent times that he was murdered by the IRA on the instructions of the chief of staff and that the Garda Síochána were aware, from information received over some days previously, that Mr Corcoran was going to be murdered.

A statement issued by the Department of Justice on 8 December 1997 stated that the minister for justice had sought a full report on all aspects of this matter a short time after he took up Office in the middle of 1997. What I would like to know this evening is whether the minister has that report and if he is going to make it public......."
(MORE LATER).

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

APRIL 30 , 1970 :
" The Taoiseach sent for me , and told me that he had seen Mr Blaney and Mr Haughey and that the matter was ended , that there would be no repetition. I asked incredulously - 'Does this mean that Mr Haughey remains Minister for Finance ? What will my position be ? He knows that I have told you of his conversation with me on 18th April and of the earlier police information.' The Taoiseach replied - ' I will protect you .' I felt a very sorry man returning to my Department where I told the tale to my usual colleagues.

It is interesting to read the Taoiseach's entirely different account in the Dail : Volume 246 , No. 7 col. 1331 - '...but I had said to both of them....that the information that I had would justify my asking for their resignations...the Minister for Agriculture asked for some time to consider the position. Because of the condition of the Minister for Finance I felt I just could not possibly pursue the enquiries with him...' The Taoiseach makes it clear at the foot of col. 1440 that he was speaking of his meetings with the Ministers, separately , on Wednesday , 29th April.

The Taoiseach phoned me later that evening to have the Head of 'S Branch' at his home at 8.00pm . I had assured him that this was the Garda officer who had the most knowledge of the arms conspiracy. I informed the Commissioner and , later, had a phone call from Chief Supt. Fleming for information as to the purpose of the meeting and who would be present . I told him that I knew no more than that he was to be at the Taoiseach's house at the time stated. 'But' , he said , 'you know more than anybody else. Will you not be there?' I replied that I had not been asked and that I did not know the purpose. Later in the night , at about 9.30pm , Chief Supt. Fleming called to my house......."
(MORE LATER).

Dáithí Ó Conaill Commemoration , New Years Day , Sunday 1st January 2012 , Dublin -

- the annual Dáithí Ó Conaill Commemoration will be held in Dublin on January 1 , 2012 , in Glasnevin Cemetery. Those attending are asked to assemble at the Cemetery Gates at 12.45pm. More information on Dáithí can be read here.

Seán Sabhat Commemoration , New Years Day , Sunday 1st January 2012 ,Limerick -

- the annual Seán Sabhat Commemoration will be held in Limerick on Sunday , January 1 , 2012 , at the Republican Plot in Mount St Lawrence Cemetery : those attending are asked to assemble at the 'Horse and Hound' Pub, Mulgrave St , in Limerick City, at 12.30pm.

AND FINALLY , re the recent CABHAIR Swim...

.....we forget to mention that the Organisers presented all the swimmers with a Republican handkerchief , all five of which had recently been decorated in Portlaoise Prison by Irish Republican POW's , and we also forgot to mention that a raffle was held at the event at which only the five swimmers had been given tickets for : the prize was a bodhrón which , as with the 'hankies' , was made in Portlaoise Prison , and was won by Dougie who , next year , will now be able to supply his own drumbeat before he belly-flops into the water....!

And really , really finally : as this will most likely be our last post in 2011 , we have to say a big 'Go Raibh Maith Agat' to all our readers (we are quickly approaching 475,000 overall 'hits' !) and wish you all a Happy New Year ; we'll be back on Wednesday 4th January 2012 for definite , and possibly before then , if anything 'out there' takes our fancy.....!
Thanks,
Sharon (and Team!).

Monday, December 26, 2011

CABHAIR CHRISTMAS SWIM , 25th DECEMBER 2011 :

On what was , compared to last year's event , a Summer's day , the CABHAIR organisation 'fed and watered' approximately 100 people over the three-hour period that the Swim event lasted for - the CABHAIR Crew arrived on site at , as usual , 10am and packed-up 'shop' at about 1pm , in between which five sponsored swimmers 'earned their keep' (Lee , David , Dougie , Paddy and Tony) : the sixth swimmer , Declan , from near-by Driminagh , was asked repeatedly not to swim , as he had a small , fresh cut on his leg and , for safety reasons , the Organisers insisted he not enter the water which - eventually - he agreed was for the best. Those that sponsored Declan - he had two full sponsorship cards and one card half-full - will be offered their money back over the next few days.

Anyway ; the 'Declan Dilemma' (!) was one of three 'upsets' at the event - the nuisance caused by the eight 'Special Branch' men who , as usual, tried to turn people away from attending the Swim and the fact that three of their number had 'detained' Santa and two of his 'helpers' in a near-by street for twenty-five minutes (and actually repeatedly stood on his feet to stop him from moving away from them) were the only 'mishaps' in an otherwise flawless enterprise , and all of them outside of CABHAIR control.

The National Flag flew high and proud from the Naas Road-entrance point , surrounded by three CABHAIR banners , at one 'end' of the Swim Site Irish Rebel music blasted-out from twin speakers whilst at the other 'end' , a man with a guitar entertained a section of the crowd with a sing-song , an almost endless supply of 'soup' (including two bottles of a stronger brew!), lemonade , mince pies , crisps etc , and Christmas crackers , were consumed by the crowds , the weather held-up nicely for all concerned , the neighbours came out in force to cheer-on the five lads and the local swan family were easily distracted by some well-placed tit-bits ! All foodstuffs , including the 'Swan Bait' (!) were donated by local shops and pubs etc , and were gratefully received by the organisers and the crowd.

As always , the CABHAIR people are to be congratulated for this much-needed event and , as mentioned by one of the organisers , all monies raised go directly to the families of the Republican POW's in Maghaberry and Portlaoise Prisons : we publish with this report a few pics from the day in question and, down the bottom of this post , we publish a link to three videos and over 80 pics from the event - so put the kettle on now and be prepared to say goodbye to the next hour or so !

'Swim Stall' 2011 ;" The Right of the People of Ireland..."

All 'Gold' winners , not Silver....

One makes a break for it...

....two find the exit.....

...whilst these three are caught in the act !

This wannabe escapee was roasted on the fire....

...and his comrade was caught by a cameraman-cum-guard !

Two swimmers , linked by the Green !

Santa 'hip-hops' his way to the Swim Site!

Sing-Song at the 2011 CABHAIR Swim!

Finally - Congrats as well to the 3 swimmers who also braved the (fine summer's day!) elements for CABHAIR in Craigavon Lake and the 5 swimmers in Wexford who took the plunge : well done , Men - fair play to ye all !
The three videos and over 80 Swim pics I mentioned earlier can be located here - but you might need a 'Facebook' account to view them. Once again , CABHAIR have more than held their own , and our Irish Republican Prisoners , and their families have , once again , being reminded that they are not forgotten by their comrades , colleagues and supporters on the 'outside' - and they never will be !
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN -

- THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

According to 'The Kerryman' newspaper of November 29 , 1988 , Seán O' Callaghan said in an interview (with the editor of that newspaper , Gerard Colleran) : " I personally shot Corcoran using a machine gun. I felt no remorse for the murder.....I had to travel to Monaghan to meet the IRA's Chief of Staff to get permission to shoot [Corcoran].......[leading up to the murder] John Corcoran spoke to me. I taped most of what he said. I sent the tape to his family. [Prior to the murder] we were sitting in a field chatting for three or four hours. He didn't try to get away. He was not arguing. He was not blindfolded. He knelt down on the ground and I shot. I said a prayer, an act of contrition, before I shot him. He turned his back. He was shot in the back of the head. Corcoran said 'go easy'. That was it."

O' Callaghan gave similar accounts in interviews later with the 'Sunday Times' and the 'Boston Globe' , detailing in these interviews how he had informed the gardaí of where John Corcoran was being held and of the imminence of his murder.

" An Absolute Disgrace...."
On Wednesday , January 28 , 1998 , former Tánaiste Dick Spring raised the issue in an adjournment debate in Leinster House. The following is the full text of Mr Spring's speech and the reply by the minister for justice , John O' Donoghue .......
(MORE LATER).

.....the CABHAIR organisation , which seeks to financially aid Irish Republican POW's and their families , held a fund-raising raffle on the 11th December last , in a hotel on the Dublin-Kildare border : the event was over-subscribed and , even though all 650 tickets were purchased in advance (with 50 being held back for 'on-the-day' sales) another 100 tickets , at least , could have been sold had they been available !
However : the lucky eight winners were -
1st..........John...............243...........Seller,
2nd........Theresa..........269............Laois,
3rd.........Liam Roberts...346..........Carlow,
4th.......Kevin Kavanagh...281......Enniscorthy,
5th......John Power..........460.......Arklow,
6th.....John Gilraine.......585.......Dublin 1,
7th......Eileen.................095......'H',
8th.....Declan................296......Mullingar.

- all prizes have since been claimed , and the next raffle will take place in early January 2012 : details to follow.

CABHAIR CHRISTMAS SWIM....

....for the 35th consecutive year , the CABHAIR organisation will hold a sponsored Swim in the Grand Canal , in Inchicore , Dublin , on Christmas Day at 12 Noon : preparations , which were finalised two weeks ago , have been checked and re-checked and declared 'AOK!' , Santa has been booked for an hour - by 'Special Request' of the many kids that would otherwise run riot (!) at the location , although he may be too 'tired and emotional' to make it to the other two CABHAIR Swims which are being held that same day (details here) - and the local community has , as always , been more than generous with the 'Goodies' offered , which will be more than enough to sustain swimmers , on-lookers , passers-by and the swans , which have to be bribed with tit-bits to vacate the area for an hour or two!

Last years Swim can be read about here , and pics from it and previous Swims can be seen here : this blog will try its best on Christmas Day to give a report and supply a few pics from this years Swim , but we can't promise anything - the CABHAIR Swim Crew have asked us to assist with 'catering' at the event , which includes making sure that all guests , on-lookers and passers-by etc are 'fed and watered' and that's a very dodgy place to put us on what is otherwise a 'dry day' as far as the pubs are concerned..... !

UP THE REPUBLIC - OUR DAY WILL COME !

NOLLAIG SHONA DAR LEITHEOIRI !

Ar eagle an dearmaid ....

Ba bhrea an rud e siocháin bhuan bunaithe ar an gceart a bheith againn in Éireann . Is i an bronntanas is fearr a d'fheadfaimis a thabhairt duinn fein agus dar gclann .

Coinniodh an ceart agus an tsiocháin uainn le breis agus ocht gcead bliain , de bharr ionradh , forghabhail agus miriaradh na Sasanach. Socrú ar bith a dheantar in ainm mhuintir na hÉireann agus a ghlacann le riail Shasana agus a dhaingnionn an chriochdheighilt , ni thig leis an ceart na an tsiocháin bhuann a bhunu .

Ni dheanfaidh se ach la na siochána buaine a chur ar an mhear fhada agus an bhunfhadb a thabhairt do ghluin eile . Tharla se seo cheana nuair a siniodh Conradh 1921 agus cuireadh siar ar mhuintir na hÉireann e in ainm na siochána . Is mór ag Sinn Féin Poblachtach Éire a bheith saor agus daonlathach , an cuspoir ceanna a bhi i gceist ag Wolfe Tone agus ag na Poblachtaigh uile anuas go dti 1916 agus an la ata inniu ann .

Rinne a lan fear agus ban croga iobairti mora , thug a mbeatha fiu , ar son na cuise uaisle seo .

CEART . SAOIRSE. DAONLATHAS .

-----------------

A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS TO OUR READERS !

Least we forget ....

A just and permanent peace in Ireland is most desirable . It is the greatest gift we could give to ourselves and our children . We have been denied justice and peace for more than eight centuries , because of English invasion , occupation and misrule of our country .

Any arrangement which , in the name of the Irish people , accepts English rule and copperfastens the Border , will not bring justice and lasting peace . It will only postpone the day of permanent peace , handing over the basic problem to another generation .

This happened before when the Treaty of 1921 was signed and was forced on the Irish people in the name of peace . Republican Sinn Féin cherishes the objective of a free , democratic Ireland , as envisaged by Wolfe Tone and all Republicans down to 1916 and our own day . Many brave men and women sacrificed a lot , even their lives , for this noble Cause .

JUSTICE . FREEDOM . DEMOCRACY .
From the '1169...' Crew , December 2011 : we'll be back before the years end! Thanks for reading , Sharon.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN -

- THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

We should expect a further twist to this case in the next few months , with the publication in May of Seán O' Callaghan's account of his life in the IRA and his role as a garda informer.

It is obvious that O' Callaghan will deny his involvement in the murder of John Corcoran and that he will have some elaborate but ultimately unbelievable explanation of why he earlier said he was involved.

However incredible that explanation will be , it will be seized upon by the gardaí as yet another reason for closing the file on the John Corcoran case forever - so , for the record , let us recall what Seán O' Callaghan said previously about his involvement in that murder.......
(MORE LATER).

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

23rd APRIL 1970 :

" On Thursday I had a telephone call from my Minister , Mr O Morain , from his home : he seemed to be in great distress. He asked me to get him into some nursing home immediately , that he felt seriously sick. With some difficulty , I got the Minister the suite in Mount Carmel Hospital which I had occupied in 1969 and he was admitted on April 24th ('1169...' Comment : no change there , then - if you are 'well connected' and/or have money [both, in this particular case] you will get the best of medical treatment immediately but if you're unemployed or just an 'ordinary' employee , you can expect between eight and fifteen hours of a wait in A+E before you're even looked at...) .

In the afternoon I saw the Taoiseach and told him off Mr O Morain's illness and of my arrangements - he said that he had ticked him off on Wednesday , saying that he would be hearing from him again. I concluded that this was what had triggered off Mr O Morain's break down.

The Taoiseach then told me that he had had a visit from the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners who had told him of my threat that 'heads would roll' : the Taoiseach said - " You had no business saying that and you had no right to tell him that I had ordered the police investigation." I was taken completely aback , and replied - "But you gave me instructions that the police were to make a full investigation and the Commissioner complained that the customs people were stalling deliberately and he asked for my assistance, and I felt that it was my job to get co-operation." The Taoiseach said - " I don't understand why you are playing such a personal part in all of this , why do you not leave it to the police..."

I was dumbfounded : I had expected to be praised , not blamed......."
(MORE LATER).

€100 HOUSEHOLD TAX 'MUST BE INCREASED' - EU/IMF.....

In January 2012 , a new tax of €100 is to be imposed on approximately 1.6 million households in this State ; at least 240,000 households will be exempt , for now , due to their financial circumstances ie if those living in them qualify for mortgage interest supplements , if they live in social housing units , if they live in unfinished housing estates , if they are living in rented houses (although the owner/landlord will be liable which , in turn , means a rent increase....) , if the occupier meets certain social welfare criteria and tenants who live in local authority housing.

The households that will be instructed by the politicians in Leinster House to suffer the imposition of this unjust tax will be given until the 31st March 2012 to pay it or a 'fine' (a financial penalty) will be issued , before court cases proceed - if the household tax is not paid by that date , and if arrangements have not been made to pay it in four installments of €25 , then 'late payment fees' will be added to the amount owed . If , after two years, the tax remains unpaid , then the householder will 'owe' €280. Those who are deemed by the politicians to 'owe' this tax but don't pay it will be taken to court under the 'Fines Act 2010' and , depending on circumstances , will be ordered by State representatives to hand over between €1,000 and €2,500.

What is not so widely known in relation to this new tax , however , is that , on Friday 29th July 2011 , an 'MoU' ('Memorandum of Understanding') was issued by a joint committee comprising EU and IMF management stating that the €100 tax must be increased by December 2012 due to what that committee called "fiscal consolidation" issues - and the State Department of the Environment in Dublin has admitted that that is the case , although they attempted to claw back some dignity by declaring that the rate of increase has not been agreed upon ie they have not yet been told by the EU/IMF how much to increase it by !

And there's worse to come : in 2014 , another household tax will be enforced - again , at the dictat of the EU/IMF - which will be based "on the site value of each house" and a new company , 'Irish Water' , will be established to oversee the installation of water meters in all domestic dwellings : these three new taxes (€100 Household Tax , Site Value Tax and Water Tax) were demanded by the EU/IMF and signed-off on by the rich, useless , careerist time-serving suited muppets in Leinster House in the 'MoU' that was given to them by the EU/IMF on Friday 29th July 2011 , and it was in that same 'contract' that the latter shower agreed to enter into "discussions" with that EU/IMF committee in relation to how finances are controlled in this State.

The options facing those of us who retain a moral compass is clear : picket , protest , riot in the streets , cause civil unrest and havoc, and bloodshed , if need be - but , above all , DO NOT PAY the Household Tax , or the Site Tax , or the Water Tax ! Or.....take the 'easy' option : pay all new taxes plus the inevitable increases in the 'old' taxes plus the lower wage you'll be working for / lower welfare payments you will be on (if they don't 'knock you off' the welfare money altogether) and then decide , on a daily basis , whether you will put food on the table OR turn the heating on. Because it really will be that simple - hand your money over to them or fight to keep it. And you're going to have to make that choice very soon.....
Sharon.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN -

- THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

Seán O' Callaghan has said repeatedly that prior to the murder of John Corcoran , he (O' Callaghan) , who was a top level garda informer at the time, told the gardaí of the imminent fate of John Corcoran and of where he was being held. We have been informed by garda sources that the gardaí at the time decided not to intervene to save the life of John Corcoran because by doing so they would "blow the cover" of their most valuable informer ever - Seán O' Callaghan.

Given that , at the time (1985) , O' Callaghan was supplying the gardaí with the most valuable information on what was going on within the IRA , it would have been inconceivable that he would have withheld information on the imminent execution of a low-level garda informant.

John Corcoran had been such an informant and , as such, one would have expected the gardaí to be particularly solicitous about his welfare. There is clear evidence of a concerted cover-up over what happened to John Corcoran : it is obvious that those involved in the cover-up are the gardaí , the Department of Justice and, now , John O' Donoghue himself who , less than a year ago , was promising full disclosure of what occurred.......
(MORE LATER).

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

" One anecdote regarding Mr Haughey's horse accident went like this - "Did you hear the real story - Charlie did not fall the horse , he fell off the groom..." . There was nothing much to it , the rumour was partly in affection for a public figure who was attractive to women. * ( * '1169...' comment : lol ! That last claim should have finished "....because he was loaded " , as that's the only way that that man could be properly described as 'attractive' !)

But when a new Minister , Mr O' Malley , was appointed in May , he questioned me as to the rumours and I told him of the Taoiseach's view that there should be no enquiry and that I had so informed the Commissioner - the Minister said : "I ORDER you to tell me of any information which you were given and I ORDER you to tell the Commissioner that I want to know any information that has come to the notice of the local Gardaí." I told the Minister one of the most far-fetched yarns that had come to my ears (which no man in his senses would believe) and I conveyed what he had said to the Commissioner , who replied , dryly, that if the Minister were to give him an order in writing he would consider it. That ended that.

Around 1.00PM the Commissioner phoned to say that the 'S Branch' were experiencing difficulty with customs officials who were stalling from answering police enquiries ; I phoned the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners who said that he would have to wait until after lunch to consult the Revenue Commissioner on the customs side. I threatened that unless the Gardaí were given immediate co-operation I would phone the Taoiseach and that 'heads would roll'. In reply to a question I said that the Taoiseach personally had directed me to have a full police investigation......."
(MORE LATER).

DÓNALL Ó BRAOIN : A "THUG WITH BLOOD ON HIS HANDS..."

.....which was what the British political and military forces in Ireland called him. We refer , of course , to Dan Breen, an inspiration in his military days to generations of Irish Republicans.
The man was asked about the IRA ambush that will always be linked to his name , and gave this answer - "I would like to make this point clear and state here without any equivocation that we took the action deliberately having thought over the matter and talked it over between us. Treacy had stated to me that the only way of starting a war was to kill someone and we wanted to start a war, so we intended to kill some of the police whom we looked upon as the foremost and most important branch of the enemy forces . . . the only regret we had following the ambush was that there was only two policemen in it, instead of the six we had expected, because we felt that six dead policemen would have impressed the country more than a mere two......"
(From here.)

A 1967 interview with Dan Breen can be listened to here.

We came across the following item during our research on this man and realised that, with a few slight changes , it could be re-issued today and delivered to all those in Kildare Street and some corrupt individuals outside that useless institution -

- and it is that same loyalty to a 32-County Republic that is ever-prevalent to this day in true Irish Republicans , and , like Dan Breen in his military days , those true Irish Republicans will not compromise with Westminster : this struggle , through its good and bad days , will continue until a complete British military and political withdrawal has been achieved. We owe it to the heroes from the past , and to the children of the future !

'TAPPING' INTO THE CRAIC.....!

If you're in Dublin over the next few days , you could do worse - much worse ! - than to keep this coming Friday night free for what is guaranteed to be an 'under-the-radar/word-of-mouth' -type night in The Tap Bar in North King Street : a man quietly making a name for himself on the Irish ballad scene , Martin Walsh , will be playing a gig in The Tap this Friday night , 9th December - doors open at 8.30pm and admission is only a fiver per person. If you don't actually meet the spirit of Kevin Barry there , you'll certainly leave with it in your heart..... !
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

REPUBLICAN SINN FÉIN AND THE RESIGNATION OF LIAM KENNY , CLONDALKIN , DUBLIN.

The following statement was issued to the media today , Saturday 3rd December 2011 , by Dublin RSF , and we were requested to post same on this blog :

In light of media speculation it needs to be clarified that Liam Kenny,
Clondalkin , resigned in writing from Republican Sinn Féin on September 23 , 2010 and , on October 18 , 2010 , he accepted a letter from the Clondalkin-based Maire Drumm / Kevin Barry Cumann of Republican Sinn Féin confirming that his letter of resignation had been accepted.
From September 23 , 2010 , Liam Kenny had no input , locally or nationally , to or with the Republican Movement.

Signed
John Horan (PRO)
Comhairle Ceantair Atha Cliath,
Teach Dáithí Ó Conaill,
Republican Sinn Féin,
223 Parnell Street ,
Dublin 1.

As a resident in Clondalkin , and an Irish Republican activist , I can confirm the above as I knew Liam from his brief stay in the Movement and spoke with him on various occasions both before and after he left.
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN -

- THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

John O' Donoghue apparently has bought the line that the investigation of the case has been " hampered by the continued absence " outside the jurisdiction of Seán O' Callaghan - but they made no attempt at all to contact O' Callaghan on his release from jail ; indeed , even though 'MAGILL' magazine made O' Callaghan's mobile phone number available to the garda officer supposedly investigating this case , he couldn't be bothered pursuing the matter , at least until the end of January last, once his first attempt to telephone the number had failed to elicit an answer.

As we reported in the February issue of this magazine , the much-trumpeted report into the case had been completed and given to the Department of Justice before any contact had been made with Seán O' Callaghan or any contact had been attempted . In spite of this , John O' Donoghue declared to Leinster House - " I am satisfied from a report I recently received from the garda that they are pursuing the investigations as far as they can."

Is there not an extraordinary coincidence between the garda reluctance to pursue this case at all and the existence of evidence that they themselves were complicit in the murder of John Corcoran ? This evidence again comes from Seán O' Callaghan and , in this respect at least, it is compelling.......
(MORE LATER).

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

" When I was with the Taoiseach on 29th April he said suddenly to me - 'when you said last Tuesday that you thought that the Government might be secretly involved I saw RED , I was not able to speak to you I was so furious'. "

APRIL 22nd , 1970 :
" This was Budget Day and , during the morning, the Commissioner telephoned me to say that the Minister for Finance , Mr Haughey, had had an accident in a fall off a horse and that he was in the Mater Nursing Home. I informed the Taoiseach who had already heard from another source. Later , the Commissioner phoned me again to say that a strange rumour was circulating in North County Dublin that Mr Haughey's accident occurred on licensed premises on the previous night.

We discussed the matter and I said that I had better tell the Taoiseach that, too , making it clear that this was not police business and that unless he otherwise directed the Commissioner would not have any official enquiries. When I informed the Taoiseach of the rumour , as reported by the Commissioner , he said - 'Oh no , not that, too...' , and he went on to agree that there should be no police enquiries - he was emphatic on that . I conveyed the Taoiseach's view to the Commissioner.

Within a couple of days there were all sorts of rumours in golf clubs , political circles etc as to how the accident occurred , with various husbands , fathers , brothers or lovers having struck the blow in any one of dozens of pubs around Dublin. In short , the accident served a Rabelaisian purpose without anybody really believing that it was other than a fall from a horse......."
(MORE LATER).

IRISH REPUBLICAN CAR CONVOY , SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2011 : FROM NEWRY TO DUBLIN....

This is an Independent event organised by Duleek Independent Republicans. That organisation are appealing to all Irish Republican organisations/independents to participate in this convoy from Newry to the British Embassy in Dublin to demand the full implementation of the 2010 agreement.
All participants are asked to decorate their vehicles with flags, posters, etc relevant to the convoy theme, "IMPLEMENT THE 2010 AGREEMENT IN FULL" . Let the message be loud and clear that Irish Republicans are not going to stand idly by and allow Republican prisoners to be criminalised.
The convoy will pass through Dundalk, Drogheda, Julianstown, Balbriggan, George's Quay, Trinity College and out to the British Embassy at Ballsbridge , where a one hour protest will take place outside the embassy.
Please forward the word and encourage as many as possible to participate.

A recently-produced (by RSF) POW poster , on display throughout the State and in the Occupied Six Counties.

RSF PROTEST AT CROKE PARK RE RUC/PSNI PRESENCE:

Republican Sinn Féin held a very successful protest at the main entrance to Croke Park on November 25th , 2011 , against the presence of the RUC/PSNI in the stadium, defying an attempt by the 26-County police to close the road to any protests. Inside a team from the 26-County police were playing a team from the RUC/PSNI in a Gaelic football match.

Speaking at the protest the President of Republican Sinn Féin Des Dalton said: "The protest today is about driving home the message that British occupation of any part of Ireland is neither normal nor acceptable. The presence of the British colonial police in Croke Park is a betrayal of the principles upon which Cumann Lúthchleas Gael was founded. Foremost amongst these principles is Ireland’s right to its essential unity as a nation. The GAA has never recognised the British-imposed border but today the leadership of the GAA has allowed the same British forces who deny that unity of Ireland on to the pitch at Croke Park.

The GAA is being hijacked by the British and 26-County political establishments to bolster their campaign of normalising British rule and the partition of Ireland. The very fact that this game is being played behind closed doors and under tight security tells us that it is far from normal. If, as we are constantly told, that relations with the British State are now normal why all the secrecy and security? The truth is that British rule in Ireland will never be normal." Republican Sinn Féin is to be congratulated for , once again, publicly highlighting the on-going injustice that is the British military and political presence in Ireland.

'SIT-DOWN' MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A MARCH :

On July 6th 1953, 1,000 unemployed people sat on O' Connell Bridge , in Dublin, for 15 minutes holding up traffic - they were protesting a three-day waiting time for relief (unemployment benefit/dole) money.

In the opinion of this blog , a sit-down protest in the main street of a city/town would be a more effective form of social protest than a march through that main street : with yet another savage budget due to hit employed and unemployed in this State within the next week , the trade union movement - such as it is - should begin organising sit-down protests in as many areas as possible and should maintain same until such time as major financial changes are introduced ensuring that the poor and the poorly paid stop being victimised for the 'mistakes' and/or greed of the politicians and their banker colleagues. But that's not likely to happen any time soon , as it appears that the trade union movement in this State has more in common with those politicians and the bankers than they have with those they are supposed to represent.
Shame on them.
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

UPDATES RE 'RUC IN DUBLIN' AND 'SIPTU IN DUBLIN'.

The Republican Sinn Féin-organised protest to be held on Friday 25th November 2011 against the presence in Croke Park , Dublin, of a football team comprised of members of the RUC (also known by their new terror-tag 'PSNI') , an armed British paramilitary 'police force' in the six north-eastern counties of Ireland , will be held at 3pm outside Quinn's Pub , as per this RSF Press Release :

"Republican Sinn Féin oppose RUC/PSNI in Croke Park :

A spokesperson for Republican Sinn Fein said the decision by the GAA to host a match between the RUC and the Gardaí in Croke Park shows that the GAA is once again being used to normalise British Rule in Ireland.
The meeting of the RUC/PSNI v Garda Siochána for a match on Friday November 25 is a ‘private event’ according to Croke Park. The fact that the match has to be played ‘behind close doors’ shows just how abnormal and indeed how unwelcome it is.
Republican Sinn Fein opposes British occupation in any and all parts of Ireland. The PSNI, RUC, call it what you will, with its inherent sectarianism and bigotry, police that occupation.
Republican Sinn Féin will hold a protest against the presence of the RUC/PSNI in Croke Park on Friday 25. We will assemble at Quinn’s Pub in Drumcondra at 3pm and we call on all those who object to British occupation in our country to turn out and support the protest."

If you are unable to make it to this protest - or even if you are going! - you can register your protest against Croke Park management for inviting this British paramilitary gang to Dublin in the following manner -
Phone: +353 (0)1 819 2323 (if you are ringing from Dublin , just ring 8192300).
Fax: +353 (0)1 819 2324.
Email.
Thank You - now for the hypocrisy of SIPTU ......

SIPTU , the trade union who are organising a protest march this Saturday (26th November 2011) against the cutbacks to be implemented by Fine Gael and Labour this coming December is the same organisation which , in January and February this year , urged its members and supporters to vote for those same political parties !
"SIPTU asked its members and supporters to vote for the Labour Party because it - "....cares about workers and will strive to protect our interests in the difficult times which most certainly lie ahead......cares more about the citizens of the country than about bond markets and big business...." ". (From here.)

After they got into power in Leinster House by promising 'no more financial hits against employed and unemployed workers' , State Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore stated - 'On the issue of welfare cuts, (Gilmore) said there was no avoiding the fact that welfare expenditure had to be reduced. Asked about his commitment in June (2011) not to cut welfare rates, he said that what he was doing at the time was repeating what was in the programme for government...' - "Sometimes these things are often misinterpreted " , he said.....' .
(From here.)

Your presence on a SIPTU-organised protest march next Saturday (26th November 2011) against Fine Gael/Labour cutbacks will most definitely be "misinterpreted" by SIPTU as 'support' for their so-called 'opposition' to those two political parties despite the fact that SIPTU called for support for those same two political parties only a few months ago !
After you hang-up in disgust having told Croke Park what you think of their invite to a Brit paramilitary gang , you might like to contact SIPTU Head Office (Phone 01-8586300, Fax: 01-6865567) to tell them what you think of their support for a State political gang.....
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

THE MURDER OF JOHN CORCORAN....

....THE COVER-UP CONTINUES.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1998.

Dick Spring aptly characterised the statement in Leinster House on Wednesday , January 28th last , by the minister for justice , John O' Donoghue , on the 1985 murder of John Corcoran : Dick Spring said the reply was "...an absolute disgrace.." . The whole conduct of this case has been an 'absolute disgrace' all along. Those implicated in that disgrace are the Garda Síochána right up to the highest levels , the Department of Justice (of course) and , now - most spectacularly - Mr John O' Donoghue.

In his reply to Dick Spring in an adjournment debate on January 28th , John O' Donoghue made an intriguing disclosure - that in late 1988 or 1989 "...a garda investigation file was forwarded to the director of public prosecutions with a view to prosecuting the person involved [Séan O' Callaghan] in Northern Ireland (sic) under the provisions of the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act 1976."

Mr O' Donoghue went on to say that "....this aspect was subsequently overtaken by events when the person was convicted on a charge of murder in Northern Ireland (sic) and received two life sentences there.....". But if in 1989 the gardaí wanted Séan O' Callaghan prosecuted for the murder of John Corcoran , why was it that they showed no interest at all in the case when Séan O' Callaghan was released from prison in the North in late 1996....... ?
(MORE LATER).

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

APRIL 19TH , 1970 :
" The Taoiseach was not in Dublin until late , when I made an appointment to see him next morning. I had a visit at my home later still from the Head of the 'S Branch' who gave me a copy of a report which he had submitted to the Commissioner who had directed that I should get a copy immediately."

APRIL 20TH , 1970 :
" I saw the Taoiseach shortly after noon , handed him the police report to read and gave him a full account of the events of Friday , Saturday and Sunday . He instructed me to have the matter fully investigated and to report to him at 9.30 the following morning . During the day I was kept informed from hour to hour of the progress of the police investigations and late that night the Head of the 'S Branch' delivered a continuing report to my home. My discussion with the Taoiseach that morning was restricted as the British Ambassador was waiting to see him. "

APRIL 21ST , 1970 :
" I delivered the police report to the Taoiseach and had a lengthy discussion with him. I told him that there was no danger whatsoever that a cargo of arms could be unloaded suddenly at any of the airports , that surveillance was continuing just in case , and I explained my reluctance to go over my Minister's head to him and I said , indeed, that I had qualms about approaching him, as I might be intruding on a secret Government mission. I said that in my dilemma I had spoken to the President who, without being told the nature of the subject, advised me that it was my duty to speak to the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach made no comment......."
(MORE LATER).

REPUBLICAN SINN FÉIN TO OPPOSE RUC/PSNI IN CROKE PARK :

Following a meeting of the Ard Chomhairle of Republican Sinn Féin on November 19th 2011, the following statement was issued:

"The announcement on November 11 that the RUC/PSNI is to play in Croke Park on November 25 shows that the GAA is once again being used to normalise British Rule in Ireland. Bringing the British Colonial Police into Croke Park - like the visit by the Queen of England in May - contravenes the principles upon which the GAA was founded, namely the essential unity of Ireland as a nation.
This principle is reflected in the fact that the GAA has never recognised the British-imposed border but has remained an All-Ireland Association. Faithful Irish Republicans, many of whom are members of the GAA, will oppose this visit and will use it to highlight the fact that British rule/occupation in Ireland is not or never will be normal or acceptable.
Like James Connolly we say ‘England has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland and never can have any right in Ireland’ . Republican Sinn Féin will be holding a protest on Friday. We will assemble at Quinn’s Pub in Drumcondra at a time to be confirmed."

The Republican Movement is to be congratulated for the stand it is taking on this issue - the political 'Establishment' in this crooked State will use any and all means to project itself as a normal , democratic leadership attempting to govern as best it can over a recession-hit electorate when the actual reality of the situation is that they are a bunch of wealthy unprincipled lying and cheating con artists , ever-ready to renege on election promises : now , again, they seek to present themselves as 'trustworthy' to those they admire in Westminster by showing how 'politically mature' they are in welcoming to Dublin members of the same British paramilitary 'police force' which enforces a British political and military writ in six of our north-eastern counties !
Republican Sinn Féin are to be commended for the stand they are taking in the face of this injustice ; to quote Oscar Wilde - "If one tells the truth , one is sure, sooner or later, to be found out."

FOLLOWING THE CAUSE........

....AND NOT THE 'MAN' .

Trade unions in this State are - in the opinion of this blog , that is - (mis)lead by a 'Top Table' of 'pet rebels' : millionaire or extremely wealthy individuals who , once upon a time in their distant past , (probably) had a social conscience and might have genuinely believed that they could effect some change for the better for the employed and the unemployed by throwing their lot in with what they believed to be like-minded men and women who claimed to be trying to improve wages and conditions for fellow workers.
We are 100% in favour of the stated objectives of trade unionism but , equally , we are 100% opposed to the weak and watery methods used by the trade union leadership in attempts , they claim, to obtain those objectives. With this 'health warning' in mind , we wish to bring this SIPTU-organised Dublin protest to your attention , and will record the fact that, in our opinion, such a protest should be held on a weekly basis , mid-week, in various cities in this State , and should end in a mass sit-down protest in the centre of that particular city. But this is 'Free State Trade Unionism' we're talking about here.....
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

LAW IN DISORDER.......

The state trumpets every drugs seizure as a major victory over the barons. But the war against drugs is really a murky world characterised by botched operations , questionable use of informers and ego-driven squabbles between the Garda Siochana and customs officials.
Mairead Carey gets the inside story.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , August 2002.

The vast majority of customs officers who spoke to 'Magill Magazine' believe that a joint agency similar to the US 'Drug Enforcement Administration' (DEA) is the only answer to their current problems. They point to the success of the 'Criminal Assets Bureau' (CAB) as an example of how Customs and the Garda Siochana can work well together.

Labour Party justice spokesperson , Pat Rabbitte , also believes it is time that the Minister considered a single agency to tackle drugs - " There is no room for turf wars in the fight against the drug barons. The new Minister should look at the merits of streamlining , in a single agency, those in the frontline against drug dealing."

As for Jack Doyle's allegations , he says - " There seems to be a prima facie case that requires an investigation. If there is any truth in these allegations , there is a need to review whether legislative changes are necessary to govern these type of operations."

[END OF 'LAW IN DISORDER'.]
(Next : ' The Murder Of John Corcoran : The Cover-Up Continues' - from 'Magill Magazine' , 1998.)

THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.
From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.

" In speaking to Mr de Valera I was certain that I was adopting the right course : I had had many kindnesses from him and I knew that he would not resent my approach. When I was put in contact with him by his personal secretary , Miss O' Kelly, I said - "I have come into knowledge of matters of national concern and I am afraid that if I follow the normal course the information might not reach Government. Does my duty end with informing my Minister or am I responsible to Government by whom I was appointed ? ".

The President asked me to repeat what I had said and I did so : he said 'Are you sure of your facts' , and I said yes. The President asked 'Are you absolutely sure of your facts' and I replied that I was absolutely sure. "Then" , said the President , "You have a clear duty to Government , you should speak to the Taoiseach" . I thanked him.

I did not tell the President the nature of my information and he did not ask. After the dismissal of the Ministers on May 6th I had a phone call from Miss O' Kelly who asked me to repeat my conversation with the President. I did so in the terms above , of which I made a note. Miss O' Kelly thanked me and said that I had confirmed the President's recollection that the subject matter had never been mentioned by me...."
(MORE LATER).

RAFFLE RESULTS......

....from the monthly raffle held on Sunday 13th November 2011 :

First prize of €200 was won by Robin , Blanchardstown , with ticket No. 524 , Second prize went to C. Kennedy , ticket No. 345 , Third prize went to Eóin , from Tallaght , with ticket No. 322 and the 'Half-Way' prize - Fourth - was won by Maggo , with ticket No. 159.
Fifth prize went to the holder of ticket No. 589 , Colm , from Raheny , Sixth prize was won by Paul G. with ticket No. 003 , the second-last prize - Seventh - went to Jack P. , ticket No. 327 and the last prize - Eight - went to Greg K. , the holder of ticket No. 029.
Well done to all the winners - and especially to those who opened their prize envelopes and bought us all a round !

THREE IRISH REPUBLICAN COMMEMORATIONS TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2011 :

"Rev. Michael Griffin C.C., (Gurteen Galway.), A supporter of the Irish language and volunteer causes, was taken from his residence at 2 Mountpelier Tce. Galway on the night of 14 -15 November 1920 to the HQ of the Crown forces in Taylor’s Hill. His body was found on Sunday 20th. November having been buried in a boggy field at Cloghscoltia near Barna. A military inquiry held at Eglinton Police Station found that he died as a result of a gunshot wound to his head, fired feloniously, wilfully and with malice by some person or persons unknown......"
(From here.)

The Father Griffin Commemoration will be held on Sunday next at 12 Noon in Bearna , County Galway - details here whilst two other brave Irishmen - Kevin Barry and Frank Driver - will also be remembered by Irish Republicans on that same Sunday , in Kildare and Carlow.
Details here.

"Yes , I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight , and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

An 'Oscar Wilde' tribute , from this blog to those three brave men who , having seen the (political) "dawn" , joined like-minded men and women in an organisation which is campaigning to hasten its coming.....
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

RSF 107th ARD FHEIS : BRIEF EARLY REPORT AND PICS....

Although we couldn't stay as long as we wanted to at the RSF Ard Fheis , which began today in a Dublin hotel , during the four hours that we were 'on site' (8AM to 12 Noon) we witnessed seven 'Special Branch' cars parked(/abandoned) around the hotel entrance and counted more than one dozen armed representatives of this corrupt State at the hotel door , quizzing every person that went in to or came out from the premises : the 'indirect' message in doing so , of course , is to convince the hotel owner , management , staff and customers that 'having Irish Republicans about the place is bad for business'. It didn't work , as we were made feel most welcome by all concerned except the armed State thugs , who prowled the vicinity looking for 'fresh meat' to contaminate.
However : during out short stay , we were introduced to representatives from Na Fianna Éireann , Cumann na mBan , CABHAIR and a spokesperson representing POW's in Portlaoise and Maghaberry prisons , all of whom were present to read messages of support for Republican Sinn Féin.
The following pictures were taken during the 'build-up' stage ie between 8AM and 9.30AM and , as such , are not representative of the Ard Fheis proper , but we couldn't wait around for the hall to fill up as we had to leave to start organising for the monthly raffle , which is being held tomorrow (Sunday 13th November) in a hotel on the Dublin/Kildare border - we're 'living' in hotels this weekend......;-) !

Speakers lectern 'backdropped' by Flag display.

9AM , in the Main Hall.

9.15AM - getting there....!

9.30AM - and the crowd filters in....

The 2012 RSF Calendar , on sale now for €5.

If we get more pics we will post them here in the next day or two , if we have no more raffles to attend to , that is..... !
Thanks ,
Sharon.