1169 And Counting.....

Wednesday, July 06, 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 Urlingford issue marked a new low in the relationship between Customs and the Garda , but there was more to come : Customs documents stolen from Dublin Castle and leaked to the media highlighted concerns about other cases in Dublin.

They were also worried about the Garda dealings with a side-kick of the Cork drug lord , Tommy O' Callaghan , concerns which were also raised by a former member of the Garda , Jack Doyle . Today , the two agencies are still involved in a turf war - customs officers throughout the country (sic) say relations with their Garda counterparts are as bad as ever , if not worse.

The two forces are supposed to work together , share intelligence and share the spoils in the fight against drugs but customs officers complain that the information is given on a one-way basis only , and they point to two major Garda seizures of drugs and cigarettes in the last six weeks to prove their point.......
(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.

" Knowing the Commissioner as well as I did I would regard it as entirely out of character for him to give such an expression of opinion and I do not think that he would go any farther than not to demur from an expression of opinion from the Minister.

It was known to me , of course , that it was known to Mr Wymes that he owed his appointment as Assistant Commissioner to Mr Haughey ; he was about twentieth in the order of seniority in 1963 and was not the nominee of the then Commissioner , Mr Costigan. Likewise , Mr Wymes was aware that he was not favoured by the then Minister for Justice , Mr Lenihan - when the question of selecting a successor to Mr Carroll was raised in March 1968 - and that it was largely due to Mr Haughey that he was given the post of Commissioner.

In such circumstances it would have been only natural that Mr Wymes should hope against hope - as I did myself - that the police information was not true in relation to Mr Haughey, or that at least whatever he was doing was Government policy......."

(MORE LATER).

LAST EVER POST ABOUT OUR 2011 NEW YORK HOLIDAY for now, anyway......

The 'Search And Destroy' alternative fashion store , East Village , New York - they tell it , and sell it , like it is......!

As you may have guessed (!) , I'm having a very hard time putting our recent New York holiday behind us and those of you who have been there for a holiday will understand why that is , whereas those of you who haven't probably won't have a clue as to why I am still in mourning.... :-(

.....however - I couldn't let the holiday pass without mentioning one of our best shopping experiences , in a rather racy establishment , pictured above , where Lady Gaga , amongst other famous people , can regularly be found : but a word of caution for those who would be what I consider reserved/prudish - shop elsewhere !

It's worth buying something - anything ! - in this shop , just to get your hands on one of their plastic bags :

.....now you know why I told you it is a "rather racy" store - but it's a brilliant experience. Just like the City itself....
Thanks for reading - I hope to have the NYC 'bug' out of my system in the next few days.....

Friday, July 01, 2011

HOLIDAYS AND SHOPPING OVER , NEW YORK NOT TOO BADLY DAMAGED......!

Breathless and empty : we are all breathlessly exhausted and our purses are empty - but we'd head back to NYC in the morning if we could !
We had an unbelievable two weeks in Manhattan , Queens , the Bronx , the Bowery , Hells Kitchen , Brooklyn and all points in between (!) and , of course , in New Jersey , in the ginormous shopping outlet that is Jersey Gardens - which we had to visit twice , such was the sheer volume of the clothes etc etc that the five of us purchased : it was just simply physically impossible to transport all our bags back to base in Queens in the one trip !
Our friends , colleagues and comrades in New York - Frankie , Shay , Mal , Kev , Lizzie , Sue , Beth , Tara and Coleen , to name but a few, spoiled us something rotten : between them all , the five of us had the free use of new apartments in Queens and the Bronx , and separate storage space (badly needed and much appreciated!) in the Bowery District plus - and a special 'Go Raibh Maith Agat Go Léir' to Charlie - the free use of a mini-bus and driver for the two weeks !
We publish with this post a few pics of our travels ,but there are some other pics from same which must never see the light of day....
;-)!

Myself and the girls pictured on one of our many raids on a Manhattan shop.....!

One of two venues we didn't visit.....

....and the other one !

A corridor in Jersey Gardens named in our honour...!

Hot Dogs made even us 'Cool Cats' thirsty !

Thousands turned out to say 'Goodbye/Good Buy' to us...!

That's it for now , Readers - we will be back 'properly' (!) on Wednesday 6th July 2011 ; in the meantime , here's a good blog that should keep you going until then....
Slán go foill anois ,
Sharon and Crew.

Wednesday, June 08, 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.

RTE News had come and gone , leaving Customs to comment that the operation seemed to be stage-managed by the Garda. They assumed that the RTE correspondent was given ample notice earlier that day to be present for the Urlingford seizure. At first , the Garda claimed that the seizure of £130 million worth of cannabis resin was intercepted by them , but it soon became apparent that they had brought it in themselves. No criminals turned up to meet the consignment.

Nonetheless , the government of the day hailed the operation as a major success , an example of co-operation between the Garda , Customs and the Naval Service : nothing could have been further from the truth.

Fianna Fail , the main opposition at the time , shied away from the debacle - only the PD's , and most notably current Justice Minister Michael McDowell, insisted on raising awkward questions about the Garda operation. The public , he said, was entitled to know whether the Garda had standing authority to land huge amounts of drugs in the State without prior ministerial sanction.......
(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.

" As my Assistant Secretary , Andy Ward, said to me - 'How lack of information on this simple point cast doubts on the validity generally of the police information is a strange conclusion for the Minister to make'. It is evident at any rate , from the Minister's own mouth, that before 10th December he was aware of the situation and that the subject matter to be discussed with the Commissioner and Chief Supt. Fleming was no surprise.

It was subsequently learned in the Department of Justice that no note was made of what transpired at the interview but the Commissioner supplied , on request by me in May 1970 , a photostat copy of an aide memoire written by Mr. Fleming on a foolscap sheet of paper which, according to the Commissioner , Mr. Fleming read to the Minister and then handed it to the Minister to read.

In the months January to April when the Minister resigned , neither the Minister nor the Commissioner ever expressed doubts to me as to Chief Supt. Fleming's source of information. I find it all the more extraordinary that either or both individuals should entertain doubts in view of the facts regarding the promotion in the previous week of Mr. Fleming (from the rank of Superintendent to Chief Superintendent) and the positive action taken in 1968 to give him consultative assistance.......
(MORE LATER).

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON......?

Turn on your speakers ,take a look , and make up your mind.....

DOUBLE-UP SUNDAY.....

This Sunday , 12th June 2011 , RSF in Dublin will be dividing its 'personpower' between two events : The Annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration in Bodenstown and the Monthly Raffle : we wish the team in Bodenstown every success (and good weather!) - but we won't be there , as this blog crew and three others have been 'seconded' to work inside a dry hotel , with an operational bar (!) to 'run' the Raffle. But sure we don't mind 'roughing' it...... ;-)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.... !
As previously mentioned - once or twice before (!) - myself and four other girls are off very soon now for a wee two-week break in the shopping outlets and in-and-around the Fifth Avenue area of New York City and , as such , this will be our last post until early July 2011 . We hope you will miss us as much as we will miss you but one thing we won't miss is the shopping outlets in-and-around ..... etc !
See you when we get back - stay good , and stay true : slán go fóill anois.
Thanks,
Sharon.

Saturday, June 04, 2011

PRIORITIES....

....we should keep events in perspective.

Our regular readers will be aware that myself and four other girls are due to fly out in the next few days for a two-week holiday in New York ; this is not our first holiday in NYC , so we are well aware of just how good a break it is. All five of us work fulltime , have children (and all the responsibilities and expenses that accompany them !) and we have been saving-up for this holiday for the past six months. Due to the generosity of good friends and comrades 'over there' , we had obtained the use of an apartment in the Bronx , for one week , and another apartment had been gifted to us in Queens for our second week - all free of charge , which is how we could afford to stay for two weeks. Also , we had secured 'storage space' elsewhere , again FOC , for our shopping because , as you can imagine , five young Ladies , with money , in NYC equals bags and bags of 'Goodies' !
It now looks like we won't be going , as an industrial dispute seems set to put paid to our escapade - so the five of us had a 'meeting' today to discuss developments and , not surprising - as we are friends that share more than a liking for just shopping and sight-seeing in NYC - all five of us were instantly in agreement that our holiday is less important than the rights of workers.
Management in Aer Lingus are attempting to force new terms and conditions on their workforce and those employees are attempting to fight back , to defend and hold-on to their present work practices , using the only 'weapon' they have at their disposal - their labour.
We fully support those workers , and urge them not to be swayed by their management , the media or , indeed , by their own Union , should it come to that , into giving up the fight : pressure will be applied on them to do so , they will be shouted at in relation to 'how lucky they are to have a job in the first place' etc and they will be projected to the public by anti-worker/right-wing elements as 'troublemakers' : the anti-trade union 'establishment' will attempt to present them as 'ungrateful' and 'greedy' etc but , for what it's worth - here are five members of the public , five Aer Lingus customers , five working-class women , advising you , the Aer Lingus workforce , to stand firm : fight for your right, fight 'to hold what you have' , fight to improve on that which you already have - in our opinion , the outcome of your fight will have much wider consequences for other workers , as their management/boss/owner attempts to increase the profit margin by reducing , financially , that which they pay out in wages etc.
Although the five of us are disappointed that we probably won't get away for our two-week break - having booked holidays from our jobs , arranged for baby-sitters , cancelled the milk (!) etc , we recognise that our holiday was a short-term gain , for us , whereas your needs , as workers , are greater ,in the longterm, for society as a whole : so persevere , Aer Lingus workers - don't let yourselves be traded cheaply. You have support 'out here' from those of us who have our perspectives in order.
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.

Wednesday, June 01, 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.

When Customs questioned the skipper of the Castletownbere trawler , he said he was working for the Garda , and the Customs officers informed their superiors. At a meeting at Garda HQ later that day , senior customs officers were told that a drugs operation was going down and , the following day, another meeting was held between the two where details of the operation were given.

Customs were told that after landing in Castletownbere , the drugs had been loaded on to a container and moved to a warehouse in Galway - the customs officers expressed concern at not being informed.

The following day gardai complained that a leak to the 'Cork Examiner' newspaper was causing serious operational difficulties , and stressed that they wanted the operation to be finished by that evening. The 'knock' location would be on the Galway to Dublin Road , they said - two customs officers waited in Athlone for word from the Garda about the exact location and , at 2.40pm , they were contacted by gardai to say the operation was going down in Urlingford but , by the time they arrived, the operation was well over.......
(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.

EARLY DECEMBER 1969 :

" I phoned the Commissioner that it would be in the interests of all concerned that he , as Commissioner, should make a formal report to the Minister of the information that had been given to him by the head of the Special Branch as to the involvement of Ministers with the IRA in arms trafficing ; the Commissioner did not express any doubts to me then or at any other time that he had reservations about the sources of the information or the authenticity of the information itself so that it came as a surprise to me to read Mr O Morain's evidence at Para. 11774 of Booklet 28 in which he said to the CPA on 15th June 1971 -

"The source is a source that was not reporting direct to his [Chief Supt. Fleming's] section at all (this was untrue) and a source which was regarded as very doubtful by Commissioner Wymes and myself..." .

The Minister saw the Commissioner and Chief Supt. Fleming on this date at the Commissioner's request. I did not become aware that the visit had actually taken place until I was so informed by my Assistant Secretary , Mr Andy Ward (now Secretary) , in January , when he told me that the Minister had remarked to him that Chief Supt. Fleming had been unable to tell him the occupation of 'Jock' (Padraigh) Haughey (Charlie's brother) and on that account he doubted the general authenticity of the police information......."
(MORE LATER).

'ROYALTY' - A LICENCE TO KILL .......?

Whilst we on this humble blog are still trying to come to terms with the dreadful and disgusting shows of 'affection' and cap-doffing by Irish people in this 'republic' to a British 'queen' who colony-hopped her way over to us last month , we almost forgot to look at the whole 'royal' scenario from a different angle ie the manner in which they see themselves .

Our attention was drawn to the actions of a then 34-year-old member of the Saudi 'royal family' , who goes by the name 'Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud' and who , like 'royals' the world over , had a 'Staff' working for him : his 'manservant' , a Mr. Bandar Abdulaziz , then 32, was found battered to death in a London hotel in February 2010 - the British 'Old Bailey' heard that the 'manservant' had '...been murdered in a sexual attack...' committed by his 'Master'....' . The 'butler' had been beaten and strangled , and had bite marks on his face, but his 'royal' boss denied murdering him , although he did admit to manslaughter and to one count of causing him grevious bodily harm , with intent!

The 'royal' Saudi 'prince' assaulted the 'manservant' before he died , but denied being in a gay relationship with him , even though he had been receiving 'visits' from what were termed 'gay escorts' at the hotel. During the 'trial' , CCTV footage was shown in which the 'royal prince' could be clearly seen repeatedly kicking and punching his 'manservant' in the lift of the hotel and reports at the time suggested that Mr. Abdulaziz was 'barely tolerated' by his Saudi boss and had the demeanor of one so demeaned.
It seems obvious that so-called 'royalty' , whether British or Saudi is , due no doubt in large part to the 'reality cushion' afforded it by the nature of how society perceives it and by its ill-gotten wealth , considers that it is a law on to itself and is set apart from the moral guidelines which should govern 'normal' interaction between people - and , having observed the various 'toadies' in this State that couldn't wait to curtsy , bow and scrape in front of or , indeed, in the mere presence of a 'royal' - it is not surprising that the 'royal elite' eventually , sooner rather than later , come to see themselves as being entitled to such 'reverence'.
As far as Irish Republicans are concerned , those 'royal elites' are a 'sponge' which soak-up resources which should be directed towards the employed and the unemployed , the healthy and the sick , and the young and the old : in good times or bad , it is simply immoral for any just society to elevate any section of that society to the position enjoyed by the British 'royal family' and other such 'institutions'. Those in this corrupt State that are 'gracious' to them have nothing to offer this society and should stop embarrassing the rest of us by their actions.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.... !

SO GOOD THEY NAMED IT TWICE.....!

.....and we're practically packing our bags as I type - this will be our second-last Wednesday blog post as myself and four other girls are jetting-off to New York for a two-week holiday later on this month: we'll be staying , mostly , in the Bronx (thanks again to Frankie , Shay and the girls!) but will also be filling wardrobe space (!) in Queens , Brooklyn and Hell's Kitchen , with Kevin , Mal , Liz and Susie and all our other friends : which is why we can afford a whole two weeks - free accommodation !
And , if we have any money left over from our many shopping sprees (HELLO Jersey Gardens....!) we may take our hosts out for something to eat.
A hotdog , perhaps...... ;-) !

Sunday, May 29, 2011

CABHAIR TESTIMONIAL , SATURDAY 28TH MAY 2011 , DUBLIN.

CABHAIR 'Honoree Presentations'.

A fantastic night was had by approximately 100 Irish Republicans in Dublin on Saturday May 28th 2011 , in the Academy Plaza Hotel , at the Annual CABHAIR Testimonial Dinner : visitors , colleagues and comrades from England , Scotland , Wales and America were present to observe the presentations made to the five Honorees - Walter O'Dunphy , John Murphy , Neil Chambers , Joe O'Neill and Maggie Trainor.
A brief(ish!) history of the (on-going) involvement of each recipient with the Republican Movement was given , in some detail, by the Chairperson of the proceedings , Dan Hoban , and the presentation was then made by Lita Ní Chathmhaoil , on behalf of the CABHAIR organisation.
We publish with these few words some photographs from the event , and a full report and more photographs will be published in the June 2011 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday the 8th of that month :

CABHAIR Testimonial Flagstand.

Section of the crowd.

CABHAIR bodhrán 'Shop' item - one of the many Republican items sold at the 'Testimonial Shop' on the night.

CABHAIR Mirror , sold at the event.....

....as were these two bodhráns -

Also , details were released regarding two up-coming Republican events - Bodenstown Sunday (12th June next) and the Bundoran Hunger-Strike Commemoration (Saturday 27th August next) , and posters for same were distributed :

Wolfe Tone Commemoration ('Bodenstown Sunday') 12th June 2011.

Bundoran Commemoration , Saturday 27th August 2011.

Finally , please note that a few words and some pics re the cleansing operation today at the Garden of Remembrance can be viewed on our 'Sister' site , here : thanks for reading !
Sharon.

Wednesday, May 25, 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.

Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne had yet to be appointed to the top job in An Garda Siochana when , in November 1995 , the Garda hired a trawler at Castletownbere , County Cork, and travelled 300 miles off the south-west coast to rendezvous with an oil-supply vessel to bring in what was , and remains, the largest consignment of cannabis ever landed in Ireland.

Pat Byrne was then Deputy Commissioner in charge of all Garda anti-drugs measures and Kevin Carty was in charge of the unit on a day-to-day basis. Chief Superintendent Dermot Dwyer , who headed the drug squad in Cork, is also expected to be called as a witness in the forthcoming trial.

About 20 Filipinos , armed and wearing balaclavas , were on board the oil vessel : Gardai , who later described the operation as "...like something out of 'Apocalypse Now'...." , loaded the 13 tonnes of cannabis on to the trawler and headed back to Castletownbere. Customs , who are responsible for the 'frontline' defence against drugs , were kept in the dark about the operation until local officers began investigating the suspicious activities of the Castletownbere trawler , which had its name and registration number painted over.......
(MORE LATER).

The CABHAIR organisation will be holding its annual Testimonial Dinner and Republican Reunion function this coming Saturday , 28th May 2011 , in the Academy Plaza Hotel in Dublin : the Honorees this year are Walter O'Dunphy (Leinster) , John Murphy (Munster) , Neil Chambers (Connacht) , Joe O'Neill (Ulster) and Maggie Trainor (USA).
As it happens , one or more of us that put this blog together have , at one time or another over the years , worked alongside each of the Honorees and can vouch without fear of contradiction on behalf of their commitment to the Cause of Irish Freedom - we are delighted that the internal Irish Republican 'powers-that-be' in Ireland , England and America have decided to honour these five stalwarts in a public ceremony and we are looking forward to the occasion !

BRITISH PRESENCE TO BE CLEANSED.....

Republican Sinn Féin will be holding a cleansing ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin on Sunday 29th May at 12 Noon.
The purpose of the ceremony is to cleanse the Garden of Remembrance of any residue of British Imperialism as a result of the recent visit there by an English 'queen'.
This is a timely initiative , and one which should be supported , physically and/or morally , by all Irish Republicans : there can be no doubt that the Garden of Remembrance is now unclean and tarnished by the recent visit of that person and - in the opinion of this blog - by the presence , also , of the pro-British spittle left behind by the Free State political 'elite' , one of whom - Enda Kenny ,
Fine Gael leader and present 'Chief Lemming' of this corrupt State , courtesy of his pay-masters in the IMF - has queried the Irishness of those who protested against the visit here of the English 'queen' !
Considering that Fine Gael has advocated a 'United Ireland' within the British 'Commonwealth' , his 'query' does not surprise us : the man is politically and morally demented and is simply 'serving time' in Leinster House until his owners in the IMF/EU can create a 'job' for him , as was done for one of his predecessors , a Mr Bruton.
It would be a betrayal by Irish Republicanism if the aura left behind in the Garden of Remembrance by the above-mentioned elements was not to be expunged : those with a knowledge of their history and a sense of their cultural background will assemble at the Garden of Remembrance next Sunday , 29th May 2011 at 12 Noon , to restore the honour which anti-Republican and/or pro-British 'Commonwealth' political morons besmirched by their presence and actions on that particular day.
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

STATE DUMPS ITS OWN FLAG IN BIN LORRY TO APPEASE AN ENGLISH QUEEN....

The above photograph was taken in Dublin during the recent visit to this State by an English 'queen' : it clearly shows members of the State 'police' dumping their own flag in a bin lorry. The Irish National Flags in the photograph had been forcibly removed from the hands of people who were attending peaceful protests in opposition to the presence of that 'queen' , the Commander-In-Chief of the British Army. Apologists for that action tried to claim that it was the flag- poles that were being 'confiscated' but Tricolours that were been carried with no poles attached were also removed from their owners : it is obvious that the State ordered its compliant employees to trash any sign of 'Irishness' so as not to 'embarrass' the English 'queen' - a new low , surely , even for such toadies. And a disgusting low , but only to be expected.....

Wednesday, May 18, 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.

Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne and Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty are likely to be subpoenaed as witnesses in a libel trial that threatens to display publicly for the first time the dirty linen between the two state agencies designated to fight the battle against drugs in Ireland.

The case , involving six customs officers from Bantry in County Cork and 'The Sunday Business Post' newspaper, is a left-over from the Urlingford debacle , which saw conflict between the Garda and Customs result in the failure of one of the biggest drugs operations seen in this country.

The case is listed for hearing during the next court term - " If it goes to trial, " says one legal source, " half the top brass of the guards will be brought in to give evidence....."

(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.

" Compare that with Col. Hefferon's at Para 11167 - " I am not clear specifically on the date - it could be November - Mr. Gibbons asked me to see him and told me that the Taoiseach had had a report from Mr. Berry and Captain Kelly had attended a meeting at Baileboro.......at which there were IRA people present , that he had there waved a wad of notes around , promising money to them ".

No person with a scrap of intelligence could doubt that the Taoiseach was made aware by me on 17th October - the date of my medical tests is verifiable in the hospital records - of information of a most serious kind in relation to a plot to import arms and that he avoided making any more than a cursory enquiry. Indeed , I formed the impression from time to time that he was consulting me to find out how much I did not know and that he was not thankful to me for bringing awkward facts to his notice.

My communication to the Taoiseach in this instance was in pursuance of the directive from Government of 14th August 1969 , as interpreted by my Minister , Mr O Morain ; and Mr Kevin Boland , as a member of government at the meeting on that date , should have been aware of the directive....... "
(MORE LATER).

A Free State political seoiníní , similar to the gaimbín that have , once again , come to the fore in their fawning and genuflecting over , and in the presence of , members of the British 'royal family'.

In a unified display of shameful and putrid verbal diarrhea , the media and the political 'establishment' in this morally and financially bankrupt and corrupt State have been attempting to out-do themselves in broadcast/print curtsey to the English 'queen' who is presently on a State visit here : television , radio , print and on-line journalists have repeatedly told their viewers/listeners/readers just how "privileged" they are to be sharing this "rich in significance" occasion , as they see how "the great and the illustrious carry themselves in the company of Her Majesty..."

This blog would like to apologise to the honest and respectable people reading this post and point-out to those who , like us, are offended and embarrassed by the grovelling of the political and media 'establishment' here in relation to the visit of these 'royal' people, that we Irish are not all oafs : various Irish Republican organisations , to their credit , protested often and loud at each and every venue where the parasites - both Irish and British - ventured , escorted by militarly muscle (including snipers located on rooftops throughout Dublin) but the Republicans done their best , in the face of an unruly and armed 'police' force and a hostile media, to get their message out that not all of us are prepared to roll over and have our bellies tickled by the 'royal family' and their hangers-on.

Even though the 'Butchers Apron' flew over Dublin , the UDA were 'officially' in Dublin and saluted it as did the Orange Order - invited by Mary McAleese , and not for the first time - and Dublin and other cities were effectively placed under martial law , Irish Republicans publicly opposed the 'visit' (takeover) and voiced their objection on the streets .
Congratulations to all those organisations and their supporters , and shame on those who invited - bowing and scraping - the British 'royal family' to this country : the struggle for full Irish Freedom continues , and will continue , until the British political and military presence is removed from Ireland !
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

THE FIANNA FÁIL STORY.......

The Rise And Decline Of Fianna Fáil , by Kevin Boland - Mercier Press.

Seán Lemass And The Making Of Modern Ireland , by Paul Bew and Henry Patterson - Gill and Macmillan.
By Roy Johnston.
From 'Gralton' magazine, Aug/Sept 1983.

On the whole , this is an unsatisfactory analysis of the period , unlikely to fuel the necessary synthesis of the national-democratic and socialist forces. It should , however, be bought and read for the partial insights it gives as it might stimulate a response from some marxist academic who understands what imperialism is all about and has some feel for the complexities of the Irish national question - if there be any such who has managed to survive with integrity the academic brain-washing machine.

[END of 'THE FIANNA FÁIL STORY'.]
(NEXT : 'LAW IN DISORDER' , from 2002.)

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.

" I did not have a 100% recollection of my conversation with the Taoiseach as I was a bit muzzy and bloody from the medical tests but I am quite certain that I told him of Captain Kelly's prominent part in the Baileboro meeting with known members of the IRA , of his possession of a wad of money , of his standing drinks and of the sum of money - £50,000 - that would be made available for the purchase of arms.

I remember a conjecture of the Taoiseach as to where could they possibly get it and my suggestion that perhaps 'Mr Y' or 'Mr Z' , two millionaires of the TACA Group, might put up the money and the Taoiseach's observation that those boys didn't give it up easily.

In the aftermath of that discussion the Minister for Defence , Mr Gibbons , sent for Col. Hefferon , the Director of Military Intelligence , and questioned him about the Baileboro meeting and Captain Kelly's part in it. Col. Hefferon's versions are given extensively in his evidence before the CPA in Booklets No. 7, 8, 15 , 16 , 19 and 33 , while Mr Gibbon's evidence which is contradictory is given in Booklet 24 , Paragraph 11150 : " I am absolutely certain that I was never informed of the Baileboro meeting and that the reference to it in the Four Courts is the first reference I can recall..." and at Paragraph 11168 : "There was no question of a complaint from the Taoiseach that I can recall . Absolutely none..." "
(MORE LATER).

AN ENGLISH QUEEN IN IRELAND.....

The 'Cairo Gang' , dispatched to Dublin by Westminster in 1920 in an attempt to militarily secure 'the Union' : the modern-day equivalent of that bunch of British marauders are in Dublin now , in an attempt to militarily secure another Westminster objective - that of securing safe passage for their (Commander-In-) Chief Paymaster. One wishes them the best of luck.....

......and speaking of (pro-) British gangs of marauders , we were unfortunate enough to be bumped into by this shower of armed thugs on Saturday , 7th May last , in O'Connell Street in Dublin , at the RSF-organised Hunger Strike Commemoration -

- and they will no doubt be part of the 'queens own guard' whilst she is amongst us , but you won't recognise them ; they'll be washed , shaved and suited (in more ways than one) for that particular job.

Assembly points for protests at visit of British Queen :

Republican Sinn Féin will be holding a series of protests during the visit of the Queen of England to Dublin on May 17th/18th 2011 and in Kildare on May 19th -

On May 17th Republican Sinn Féin will assemble at the Black Church, St Mary’s Place (facing Granby Row and the Maldron Hotel) in Upper Dorset St at 12 noon.

On Wednesday May 18th we will assemble at the junction of Summerhill Parade and Portland Row at 12 noon and, that same evening, we will assemble at the junction of New St and Nicholas St near St Patrick’s Cathedral at 5pm.

On Thursday May 19th in Kildare Town at 10am in the Market Square.

Some venues may be subject to change ; for up to date information contact Republican Sinn Féin Ard Oifig at: 01 8729747 / 087 9374277.

New York protest re English 'queen' in Ireland...

Great to see that an event of this nature has been organised -

"Ireland’s exiled children in America will gather at the Great Hunger Memorial to help put the English Queen’s state visit in proper perspective. Brief vignettes of famine stories will be read to provide historical context. Instead of bouquets of flowers, she will be presented with a list of her crimes against Irish humanity. A piper will lead her to be judged by a jury of starving and exiled Irish men and women.
All over Ireland, protests are planned for Queen Elizabeth’s visit on May 17th 2011. Irish Americans who wish to show solidarity should join Radio Free Eireann at the Great Hunger Memorial at 290 Vesey Street and North End Avenue in Battery Park City at 1:00 p.m."

And , staying on a U.S.-based theme , we want to remind our many readers in the States that the printed 'Voice of The Republican Movement' , the monthly newspaper 'SAOIRSE', is available in America for $30 a year subscription (12 issues) by writing to the following address :
Saoirse
PO BOX 1396
Laurence Harbor NJ 08879.

And finally.....

RSF banner in Rome , Italy , May 2011.

....a wee mention for our friends in Italy who recently held an anti-'royal' visit protest in Rome - WELL DONE ! It's heartening to see events of this nature being held by Irish Republicans and their supporters as it helps to remind a 'new audience' that , despite what some would have you believe , the so-called 'Irish Question' has not yet been fully 'answered' !

Thanks,
Sharon.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

THE NATIVES PUT ON A LITTLE SHOW....

"What an honour it is to be asked to sing in front of The Queen. I am so excited, and a little nervous to be honest. This is a dream come true, to be able to perform for somebody I have respected and admired for so long. I am thrilled....."
- Mary Byrne (more here.).

How truly sickening. Is this woman so desperate to escape from , and so ashamed off , her working-class roots that she will verbally prostitute herself in front of morally useless burdens on society like the British 'royal' family ?
Has she no 'bottom line' ? Must everything be 'fair game' in her rush to join those she judges to be the 'elite' ? Is there nothing she won't 'sell' in order to 'escape' ? Has she no level-headed friends to advise her of where not to thread , of how far not to go ?
And it's just as sickening to realise that there are more of her type out there , willing to sell their spirit and their very soul to please the 'elite' , in the hope that they , too , will be lifted into a 'better Class' , an easier lifestyle , regardless of the fact that they must disown their own culture to do so -

Jedward - 'Poppy Lipstick...'

- like the 'Jedward' twins who, like 'Queen Mary' , are more than willing to sell everything in their quest to 'make it'. Have those Irish people no shame ? To sell out is bad enough , but to do so with such gusto - and to the British 'establishment'- embarrasses all of us in the eyes of decent , respectable people everywhere. They should be ashamed of themselves for bringing such disrepute on the Irish. As Oscar Wilde put it - "The development of the race depends on the development of the individual , and where self-culture has ceased to be the ideal , the intellectual standard is instantly lowered , and, often , ultimately lost."

I hope all three - and those like them - make a financial fortune and move , permanently , out of Ireland. It would be the one good thing to come out of their betrayal......
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Saturday 7th May 2011 , Dublin : Hunger-Strikers Rally and Commemorative Function/ Sunday 8th May 2011 : 650-ticket raffle.

The RSF-organised Hunger-Strikers Rally at the GPO in Dublin on Saturday 7th May 2011 was held , as advertised , despite a very heavy State Garda and Special Branch presence : Republican Sinn Féin members , supporters and a Colour Party formed-up on the traffic isle facing the GPO in Dublin's O'Connell Street where , after the 'warm-up' speaker had concluded - having delivered a detailed history on an Irish Republican POW , Joe Malone, who was force-fed whilst on hunger-strike - a musician on a Bagpipe played an Irish Republican Lament , following which the Chairperson , Andy Connolly , got proceedings under way. Andy named all 22 Irish Hunger-Strikers , giving a brief history of each man, and highlighted the seriousness of the situation being faced today by Irish POW's , as they are now victims of a system which gives them no option but to constantly protest for proper conditions.
That view was echoed by other speakers , including RSF Vice-President Fergal Moore (pictured, above) , who also voiced opposition to the impending visit to Ireland by an English 'queen'.
The Chairperson brought the Rally to an end by thanking all present , including the RNU organisation , which was holding a 'No Royal Visit'-protest at the GPO and , following a rendition of our National Anthem on the Bagpipes , the RSF Rally ended.
A few photographs of same are published with this post, with a more detailed report to be published in the June 2011 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday 8th June next.

'Political Status' Banner.

The Piper plays a Republican Lament.

"We are here today , in O'Connell Street in Dublin , to remember all 22 Irish Hunger-Strikers......"

Andy Connolly , Chairperson.

A section of the crowd.

RNU at the GPO.

HUNGER-STRIKERS COMMEMORATIVE FUNCTION , SATURDAY 7th MAY 2011 :

'The Druids' (pictured above) played to a full house , as expected , in the 79'r Pub in Ballyfermot to a very receptive audience , who cheered , clapped and sang-along with every rebel ballad during the almost three-hour session.
The group received loud applause after they issued a verbal statement from the stage in which they condemned recent 'advice offered to them' in relation to which organisations they should or should not take bookings from and stated , as Irish Republicans, they will not be intimidated , morally , financially or any other way, into ignoring the on-going political struggle in this country , regardless of the wishes of those that have attempted to issue 'stay-away advice' to them.
Before the ballad session began , an RSF spokesperson on stage welcomed the full house and highlighted the brutal treatment endured by all 22 Irish Hunger-Strikers , making particular reference to the conditions now being forced on Irish POW's , asking if the 'establishment' will ever learn , in this regard , from the mistakes they have made in the past in attempting to criminalise Irish Republican prisoners and the on-going Struggle itself.
'The Druids' played to their usual high standards , the crowd knew all the words and sang along , and the two car loads of Special Branch failed in their efforts to prevent people from entering the venue - a good night (and early morning!) all round !

Some of the nine raffle prizes won on the night - and a special 'Go raibh maith agat' to Cathy , for her generous contribution to same : really appreciated , and much sought after on the night !

A section of the crowd at the ballad session.

The Hunger-Strike Commemorative Candle , donated by Cathy - and claimed by everyone in the audience !

More of the crowd at the ballad session.

Monthly 650-ticket raffle , Sunday 8th May 2011 :

Due to the fact that extra monthly raffle tickets were sold at the above-mentioned rally and ballad session , the 'Raffle Crew' were only left with 12 tickets to sell in a venue in which they normally sell between 30 and 50 - the regulars in the hotel were disappointed but were promised a 'freebie' next month , such was the desire of the 'Crew' to get out of there alive.... !
Anyway ; all tickets were sold , €440 was won in prize money and these are the lucky eight winners-
1st.............Kate................068.................Robbie.
2nd............Jack and Mick......271...............Gavin.
3rd............Teddy................485.................'Carristown'.
4th...........Óisin..................214...................Mullingar.
5th..........Cíaron................506....................PE.
6th.........Jem ..................011.....................RN.
7th.........Francis.............255.......................Gav.
8th.........Joe Ralph..........064......................'Tim Young'.

It was a very busy weekend in Dublin for the Republican Sinn Féin organisation , but one which they managed , professionally , in their stride : well done to all involved - you are a credit to Irish Republicanism!
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.