"WALK WARILY, LISTEN KEENLY, AND HALT PROMPTLY.."

ON THIS DATE (24TH FEBRUARY) 101 YEARS AGO : BRITISH-IMPOSED CURFEW IN DUBLIN COMES INTO EFFECT - "WALK WARILY AND HALT PROMPTLY".

'Soldiers To Take Charge Of City.

Walk Warily And Halt Promptly.

The 'Times' correspondent in Dublin states that the curfew order became operative at midnight on February 23. The soldiers took charge of the streets until 5am, when the police resumed duty.

Numerous permits have been granted to night workers but many are not applying.

The corporation has decided to extinguish all street lamps at 11.30pm on the ground that they refuse to light the streets for the benefit of an alien people who were not interested in the progress of the city or the liberty of the subject.

It was also decided to forbid any municipal employee or official to apply for permits from the English military government.

The corporation ordered the cessation of municipal services likely to endanger the employees lives, and stopped payment to any employee working overtime during the curfew hours.

Sir Andrew Beattie denounced the decision to cut off the light, which, he said, would afford opportunities for scoundrels. The Sinn Féin members replied that the darkness would not increase the danger from the soldiery.

The official curfew notices in Dublin warn citizens to walk warily, listen keenly, and halt promptly.'

The "alien people" mentioned above were actually the "scoundrels" referenced by the 'Irish Unionist', 'Sir' Andrew Beattie, a fact politely made by the then Dublin corporation body, and full marks to them for that!

'Official' State political bodies today and, indeed, 'unofficial' State bodies such as the trade union leaderships, wouldn't dare now make such a stand against the on-going British political and military presence in Ireland as they profit, career-wise, from not doing so.

Those entities are honest in that, when bought, they stay bought. 'Honest' as they are in that manner, they are also morally bankrupt due to their 'honesty'.





'NEW CHOIR' AND 'IRELAND'S SOLDIERS REMEMBERED'.

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, June, 1955.

NEW CHOIR :

'To The Editor, United Irishman.

A Chara,

May I avail of the columns of your paper to bring to the notice of your readers the recent formation of a choir.

We are called the O'Carolan Choir, after the name of the famous Irish bard, and we are interested mainly in singing Irish folk-songs in four-part arrangements. The choir is open to everyone with or without a knowledge of music ; if you can't read music we will teach you. We meet every Friday in 63 Grosvenor Road (basement), Rathmines, Dublin, at 8.20pm (learners at 8pm sharp) - come along and bring your friends!

Is Mise,

Mairin Johnston,

Secretary'.



IRELAND'S SOLDIERS REMEMBERED :

On Monday, April 11th last, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in Leengatha, Victoria, Australia, for all those who died for Ireland.

The celebrant was Rev J McGuigan and the Mass was offered at the request of Henry McGuigan, formerly of County Armagh, and Toronto, Canada, and now resident in New York.

At his request also, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in St Jude's Church, New York, on Wednesday, April 13th, for the republican prisoners. The celebrant was Rev J Flattery.

(END of 'New Choir' and 'Ireland's Soldiers Remembered' ; NEXT - 'Dunmanway Meetings', from the same source.)







ON THIS DATE (24TH FEBRUARY) 156 YEARS AGO : 'MEAGHER OF THE SWORD' RESIGNS HIS U.S. MILITARY POSITION.

'Does the world even have heroes like Ireland's Thomas Francis Meagher anymore? After fighting for Irish independence ("I know of no country that has won its independence by accident") ,then condemned to death, pardoned and exiled, Thomas Francis Meagher escaped to America,where he became a leader of the Irish community and commanded the Irish Brigade during the Civil War. General Meagher’s men fought valiantly at some of the most famous battles of the Civil War, including Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. After the war, Meagher served as Acting Governor of the Montana Territory. In 1867, Meagher disappeared on the Missouri River ; his body was never found...' (from the poster, pictured, left, sourced here.)

The defining day of the The Battle of Antietam/Battle of Sharpsburg was September 17th, 1862, which was the bloodiest day of not only the American Civil War but the bloodiest single day in all of American history. The battle took place between the town of Sharpsburg in Maryland and Antietam Creek, and it ended General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of a northern state, and was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union soil.

The combined tally of dead, wounded, and missing stands at 22,717 soldiers of which the Irish Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, who recruited soldiers from among Irish immigrants for the Union side, lost over 60% of its men in an area that came to be known as 'Bloody Lane'. We have previously mentioned Meagher's involvement in the Irish struggle on this blog (here and here , for instance) but, before he left these shores for America, he unveiled an Irish flag (which he had based on the French Tricolour) in his native city, Waterford, on the 7th March 1848, outside the Wolfe Tone Confederate Club.

On the 15th April, in 1848, on Abbey Street, in Dublin, he presented the flag to Irish citizens on behalf of himself and the 'Young Ireland' movement, with the following words : "I trust that the old country will not refuse this symbol of a new life from one of her youngest children. I need not explain its meaning. The quick and passionate intellect of the generation now springing into arms will catch it at a glance. The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the 'orange' and the 'green' and I trust that beneath its folds, the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood..."

He was arrested by the British for his part in the 1848 Rising, accused of 'high treason' and sentenced to death ('...to be hanged, drawn and disemboweled..') but, while he was awaiting execution in Richmond Jail, this was changed by 'Royal Command' to transportation for life and in July 1849, at only 26 years of age, he was transported from Dun Laoghaire on the S.S. Swift to Tasmania.

Before he was deported, he spoke about the country and the flag he was leaving behind - "Daniel O'Connell preached a cause that we are bound to see out. He used to say 'I may not see what I have labored for, I am old, my arm is withered, no epitaph of victory may mark me, but I see a young generation with redder blood in their veins, and they will do the work.' Therefore it is that I ambition to decorate these hills with the flag of my country...."

In Tasmania he was considered, and rightly so, to be a political prisoner (a 'Ticket of Leave' inmate) which meant he could build his own 'cell' on a designated piece of land that he could farm provided he donated an agreed number of hours each week for State use.

In early 1852, Thomas Francis Meagher escaped and made his way to New Haven, in Connecticut, in America, and travelled from there to a hero's welcome in New York. This fine orator, newspaper writer, lawyer, revolutionary, Irish POW, soldier in the American civil war and acting Governor of Montana died on the 1st of July, 1867, at 44 years of age. Asked about his 'crimes', he replied - "Judged by the law of England, I know this 'crime' entails upon me the penalty of death ; but the history of Ireland explains that 'crime' and justifies it." And the reasons for such 'crimimal acts' still exist to this day.

However : on the 24th February, 1865 - 156 years ago on this date - Brigadier Thomas Francis Meagher was relieved of his command of the Irish Brigade under the instructions of Ulysses S. Grant ; the decades of turmoil were said to have affected the man to such an extent that he sometimes sought refuge in a bottle - 'Not until February 24, 1865, did Thomas Francis Meagher resign from the Union army. Long before his resignation, the Irish Brigade had collapsed as a vehicle for Irish-American identity. During his tenure as both a recruiter for the Irish Brigade,and as the commanding officer, Thomas Francis Meagher became the cornerstone figure for the Irish unit, and through his speeches, he gave it significant political and social clout..' (link to PDF source here.)

"The glory of the old Irish nation, which in our hour will grow young and strong again. Should we fail, the country will not be worth more than it is now. The sword of famine is less sparing than the bayonet of the soldier..." Thomas Francis Meagher.





'IN THE NAME OF THE LAW...'

Confidence in the Garda Siochana continues to erode as more incidents of questionable Garda 'evidence' emerge.

By Sandra Mara.

From 'The Magill Annual', 2002.

Solicitor John Fahy said his client, Edward Moss, got £10,000 in an out-of-court settlement and was happy with that. There was no suggestion of being offered £15,000 not to make a complaint. Frank McBrearty Jnr and the other defendants in the case, staff members of Frankie's Niteclub, were all acquitted.

In the light of these events the McBreartys, together with opposition TD's (sic) Brendan Howlin and Jim Higgins, have repeatedly called on Justice Minister O'Donoghue and the government to hold a public inquiry into the events in Donegal - not just in Raphoe, but in the greater Donegal area, where allegations of corruption abound.

Since that time, the body of Mr Barron has been exhumed and examined by State Pathologist Dr John Harbison. His report indicates that Mr Barron died as a result of a hit-and-run. His findings have brought forth fresh demands for a public inquiry into the garda handling of the investigation of the death of Richie Barron and their dealings with the McBrearty family... (MORE LATER.)







'LICENSED TO KILL...'

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, March, 1955.

Every self-respecting Protestant will condemn the outrages of the Orange Order ; every self-respecting Protestant will condemn the outrages of the 'B Specials' ; every self-respecting Protestant, North and South, will realise that the continuance of such outrages cannot but result in his (sic) being held up to world opinion as a barbarian, as a savage, than whom even the Chicago gangsters of years ago were no whit worse.

Let them, in God's name, join with us in demanding that the 'B Specials' must be disbanded. The 'B Specials' must go!

(END of 'Licensed To Kill' ; NEXT - 'IRA Not A Secret Society', from the same source.)

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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THE 'MASTER-MINDS' OF THE ANTI-FREEDOM STRUGGLE IN IRELAND.

ON THIS DATE (9TH DECEMBER) 47 YEARS AGO : ANOTHER FALSE TREATY ACCEPTED BY THE FREE STATERS.

The 'Sunningdale Agreement' was an attempt in 1973 by Westminster at a 'power-sharing' arrangement between the British political establishment and Irish 'civil-right' nationalists regarding the British-occupied six north-eastern counties of Ireland. The document was signed by British PM Edward Heath and Free State 'Taoiseach' Liam Cosgrave on the 9th December 1973 (47 years ago on this date) at Sunningdale Park Hotel in Berkshire, England, and spawned a 'power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive' and a cross-border 'Council of Ireland', both of which were rejected by the then republican movement (but which were accepted by the UUP, the SDLP, Free State Labour Party and the Alliance Party) and, indeed, the whole set-up collapsed within a year and 'direct rule' from Westminster was imposed.

When, 25 years after Sunningdale (ie in 1998) a similar half-way-house treaty was being promoted by the political establishments in this country and England and by the Provisional organisation, the republican leadership here again spoke out about yet another bad treaty - "...the great unanswered question before history is why did Paisley on the one hand and the present Provo leadership on the other not accept and work the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973 which offered more and for which less was to be paid than the 1998 Belfast Agreement? Did we, as a people, have to endure 25 years more of sacrifice and suffering until both elements were poised to divide the major share of the spoils of office between them...when the Framework Documents were issued in 1995 (what) Irish people were facing was a repeat of Sunningdale with the Provos on board this time. Indeed, the British Prime Minister Edward Heath is reported as saying that "..the Good Friday Agreement was modelled on Sunningdale. But the present prime minister has never acknowledged that. He may even be ignorant of it for all I know. But obviously we know the people who were working out the new agreement went back over the whole of Sunningdale and more or less copied it."

But the Stormont Deal was actually less than Sunningdale. The l973 Agreement provided for an evolving Council of Ireland while the 1998 accord contains the possibility of merely cross-border bodies which would be responsible to the New Stormont and cannot grow and develop without the permission of that Unionist-dominated assembly. Further, the 26-County State has paid more for the Stormont Agreement than it did for Sunningdale. Articles 2 and 3 of the 1937 Constitution were not given away in 1973; in 1998 they were and the nationalist people of the Six Occupied Counties were reduced – in the eyes of the 26-County State – to the level in rights of people with one Irish grandparent living as far away as Australia or New Zealand..."

The republican position, then as now, can be summed-up in the words of Seán MacDiarmada - "We bleed that the nation may live. I die that the nation may live. Damn your concessions, England; we want our country."





'SINN FÉIN VICTORY RALLY.'

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, June, 1955.

A Sinn Féin Northern election victory rally was held in Dublin on Saturday, 5th June last, at which Seoirse Dearle, who presided, said that the cynics and the "hurlers on the ditch" who had criticised Sinn Féin's intention to contest the 12 Northern seats in the British imperial elections were confounded when, on nomination day, all the 12 nominatioons were filled.

Cries of vote splitting were also levelled at the Movement from all sides, completely ignoring the fact that Sinn Féin in contesting all seats were providing all the republicans of the Six Counties with an opportunity to express as a whole their desire to be free. Many of them had not had that constitutional means of expression for over 30 years.

Liam Fogarty, a fellow-student of Philip Clarke TD, called on the youth of Ireland to take inspiration from the courageous unselfish deeds of men like Eamon Boyce and Tom Mitchell. Michael Traynor, Ard Runaidhe Sinn Féin, and one of the candidates in the elections, stressed the weakness in our national economy through our connection with Sterling... (MORE LATER.)





ON THIS DATE (9TH DECEMBER) 63 YEARS AGO : UNITED IRISHMEN, THE LONDON TIMES AND POLITICAL ACTORS...

The following article was published in 'The United Irishman' newspaper in January 1958 - 'An article in 'The London Times' newspaper of December 9th, 1957 (63 years ago on this date), entitled 'Actors In The Political Scene', stated : 'The country families of the North of Ireland, after surrendering control to the captains of industry for a long period, are well established in the present government.' There, perhaps, is the key to the whole situation : the 'lords of land' and the 'barons of industry' who together make up the Tory-Unionist Ascendancy, the 'master-minds' with Britain's Tories, of the anti-freedom struggle in Ireland. These are the 'gentry' who imposed their views on the Orange rank-and-file under the guise of religion - the ones who stand to lose most by separation from Britain. It is those gentlemen who act as Britain's puppets in Ireland : even those who consider themselves as 'left-wingers' can be enticed to forget where they came from.

In a fit of pitiful pleading, David Bleakley stated : "It is an anachronism that an economically insecure Northern Ireland should exist in the midst of an industrially thriving British community. Ulster's labour force is ready, anxious and able to work its way through to prosperity. All it asks is to be given the tools and the jobs." He should have said that the whole concept of Occupied Ireland is an anachronism - that the only way we can all 'work our way through to prosperity' is by first winning vocational independence and driving British imperialism from our land. That would be wisdom but one does not expect wisdom for Ireland in the columns of 'The London Times' newspaper...'

The word 'anachronism' ('something [such as a word, an object, or an event] that is mistakenly placed in a time where it does not belong in a story, movie, etc/ a person or a thing that seems to belong to the past and not to fit in the present..') is apt when describing the continuing military and political occupation of part of Ireland by Westminster, but unfortunately it's not only in the columns of English newspapers that such wisdom is absent. We have, and always have had, our 'Times' readers here, too.





'IN THE NAME OF THE LAW...'

Confidence in the Garda Siochana continues to erode as more incidents of questionable Garda 'evidence' emerge.

By Sandra Mara.

From 'The Magill Annual', 2002.

Brendan Howlin told 'Magill' - "Before they arrived I spoke to Jim Higgins. They had also been in contact with him. They appeared anxious to establish the source of our information. This wasn't to be taken lightly. They came to me as if I was under some sort of suspicion myself. They said we need to get information, we need to get the name of the source." The Carthy Inquiry, set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, found itself conducting a widespread inquiry into allegations of garda corruption and incompetence in the Donegal Division.

At the time of Richie Barron's death, three on-duty gardai, together with one off-duty member, attended the scene, but failed to preserve the 'scene of crime'. Evidence, including bloodstains, was washed away by locals in the belief that it had been a car accident ; gardai continued to investigate the accident and, by early December, officers were drafted in from outlying districts to carry out multiple arrests of the extended McBrearty family. Four detectives arrived from Dublin and attended a pre-arrest conference in Letterkenny Garda Station ; some gardai expressed doubts about the legality of the powers of arrest in relation to some of the suspects, in particular that of Roisin McConnell, wife of Mark McConnell, who was also arrested as a suspect.

A young garda, Tina Fowley, was one of those casting doubts on the legality of the arrests - she was later to make a statement claiming a superior officer, who was at the pre-arrest conference, showed her a 'half-sheet', which is used to take statements from suspects, and she stated that "..there was writing on this sheet of paper, covering approximately a third of the page.There also was the name 'Frank McBrearty' written in long hand at the end of this writing. Also on the table in front of (named officer) was a black-and-white photocopy of a manuscript signature of the name 'Frank McBrearty'...(named officer) showed me the half-sheet and asked me 'was that a good likeness?' I took this to mean were both signatures alike. I thought it was a practical joke. I started laughing and so did he.." (MORE LATER.)





'ALICE FRENCH RIP.'

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, November 1954.

'Oh how I wish that Ireland had a voice

To speak the praise of her whose heart is stilled

To beat no more in triumph to rejoice

Or grieve for those by foe or traitor killed.



What lips could frame an elegy for you

Whose heart encompassed all whose blood was shed

To cool the fevered brow of Roisin Dhú

That now you rest with our immortal dead.



Be this the epitaph they'll carve for you ;

Her life was spent to lift the Saxons' curse

She strove for Ireland, and 'till death was true -

Her sword still smites in all her searing verse. By M. Ó Cinnéide.

(END of 'Alice French RIP' ; NEXT - 'Cavan Ceremony', from the same source.)

CABHAIR CHRISTMAS SWIM, 2020.

The 44th successive Cabhair Christmas Swim (1976-2020) will, as usual, be held - later on this month - on Christmas Day at 12 Noon at the 3rd Lock of the Grand Canal, in Dublin (opposite the Kelly's/Blackhorse Inn building in Inchicore, Dublin 8), but a 'Plan B' has been put in place by the organisers to take account of the circumstances brought about by the Covid 19 issue.

There are, as stated already on this blog, two possible scenarios regarding this event : it either goes ahead in full 'party'-type mode ie music, dancing, 'soup' for the adults (!), crowds etc etc, presuming that, by the 25th December 2020, Covid will have been dealth with, or the Swim will take place in a restrained manner to take account of Covid-enforced social distancing ('Level 3', at the time of writing) and other common-sense guidelines ie just the 'bare bones' - a reduced number of swimmers, one family member with each swimmer, a much-reduced Cabhair Crew on the ground and the public being asked to observe from a safe distance (ie the bridge, or further up the canal), with no foodstuffs, no 'lemonade or soup' (!) , no music etc on site, which should help to prevent a crowd from gathering at the actual Swim spot.

At the time of writing, it's looking like it's 'Plan B' that will be put into operation on Christmas Day at the Swim site, but we'll hold our whist for now and hope for the usual, party-type affair on the day. What is certain, however, is that, for the 44th successive year, the Swim will be going ahead, in one format or the other!





ON THIS DAY NEXT WEEK (WEDNESDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2020).....

...we won't be posting our usual contribution, and probably won't be in a position to post anything at all ; this coming weekend (Saturday/Sunday 12th/13th December 2020) is spoke for already with a 650-ticket raffle to be run for the Cabhair organisation (work on which began yesterday, Tuesday 8th) and the 'autopsy' into same which will take place on Monday evening 14th via 'Zoom'.

Then it's straight back to the preparations for the Cabhair Christmas Swim, which is the 44th successive such event. Our next 'normal' (!) post will be on Wednesday 23rd December 2020, although if anything grabs our attention between this and then we might do a 'ghoster' - but it would wannabe good!



At the time of writing, this State is still governed by the Leinster House-enforced 'Level 3' restrictions in relation to Covid which, compared with 'Level 5', offers some small comfort in regards to visiting loved ones in nursing home and some relaxing of travelling and shopping etc. But the ports in this State remain open for business, and this despite the fact that, for instance, in America, internal travel has been severly curtailed but business people and tourists from that curtailed country (and other countries) can freely enter this State and travel around!

That is as good an example as any of what is described here as 'an Irish solution to an Irish problem' ie put that 'law' on paper, refer any questions or queries about it to that written text and assure himself/herself that's asking about it that 'all is in hand (sure it'll be grand on the day...)'! And that, for the most part, is acceptable to most of the citizens here, as its being like that since this corrupt entity of a Free State was spawned in 1922 and most people will shrug their shoulders and declare 'ah sure, it's about the best we can do..'.

Its attitudes like that that Irish republicans want to change - we shouldn't just accept 'second best' and/or 'half-baked' so-called 'solutions' : we, as a Nation, are worth more than that. We deserve more than that, and we have earned more than that. And we will have more than that. We will have that which we are entitled to!

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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