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.
Garda Jack Doyle was taken off all operations after the second delivery , but he maintained contact with Garda informant Edward Keating who , he said later, told him that the drug runs continued. Doyle was concerned , and began making secret recordings of his conversations with the informant.
Keating claimed that between 1995 and 1997 he had brought in 20 consignments of 100 kilos of cannabis , worth a million pounds each , and that nearly all of it made it on to the streets.
He also admitted to storing large quantities of drugs around his home in Blarney , Cork, where he had built a nine-bedroomed bungalow and stables . While there , the drugs were obviously not under the control of the Garda : the concept of a 'controlled delivery' is that the drug are permanently under the surveillance and control of gardai at all times.......
(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.
3rd APRIL 1970 :
" In a 'Saor Eire' bank robbery in Dublin , Garda Fallon was shot dead : a reward of £5,000 was offered for information leading to arrest and conviction and a list of suspects was published by the Gardai.
On the next day , a Saturday , the Garda Commissioner informed me that Garda Fallon had been one of four brothers who were serving in the Force, that a fifth had failed to get entry as he had not qualified in the Irish test and that their father had now appealed for his admission : the Commissioner and I discussed the merits and were of the opinion that such a gesture, which would require the authority of Government as admission would be outside the normal statutory channels , would be good for the morale of the Force , and for the image of the Government.
I phoned the Minister at his home and got his consent to submit the question to Government with a formal recommendation. The Minister appreciated my arguments that an appointment would be largely valueless unless it were publicised immediately......."
(MORE LATER).
20th AUGUST 1981 - 20th August 2011....
On Thursday , 20th August 1981 , INLA Volunteer Michael Devine became the tenth man to die on Hunger-Strike that year , and the 22nd Irish Republican POW to die on Hunger-Strike since 1917.
On Saturday 20th August 2011 , Michael Devine and the other twenty-one Irish Republican Hunger-Strikers who died to obtain the yet unobtained goal of a complete British military and political withdrawal from Ireland will be commemorated in both Cork City and Wexford Town : at 1(one)PM at the National Monument in Cork City , at the corner of Grand Parade and South Mall, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place, at which Republican songs will be sung and poetry readings from the Hunger-Strikers will be recited. The event is organised by Republican Sinn Féin and RSF President , Des Dalton , will be the main speaker. ALL WELCOME !
Also on that same day (Saturday 20th August 2011) , at the Republican Garden Of Remembrance ('Old Jail') , Hill Street , Wexford Town , at 3PM , a sponsored 24-hour Fast will commence , with all monies raised being donated to the CABHAIR organisation.
Before the above-mentioned Fast , a picket in support of Republican POW's will be held at the Bullring , from 1.30PM to 2.30PM . The main Republican speaker in Wexford on the day will be Matt Conway, and the event has been organised by Republican Sinn Féin. ALL WELCOME!
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.
