....on a recruitment visit to Limberg POW camp in Germany in 1915 , Roger Casement rejected the application from Waterford man , Harry Timothy Quinlisk who , as a captured member of the British Army, was being held in the camp as a prisoner ; Casement did not trust Quinlisk, describing him as "a rogue" ......
In November 1918 , Harry Timothy Quinlisk was released and returned to Ireland , and began mixing in Irish Republican circles . The Tan War started in January 1919 and Michael Collins found himself with a price of £10,000 on his head - the British would pay that amount of money to the person who gave them information leading to the capture of Collins ,the then IRA's Director of Intelligence . Quinlisk decided that the money was his ....
Harry Timothy Quinlisk used the fact that he was a 'known face' with Irish Republicans to seek a meeting with Michael Collins , which was eventually arranged : he offered his services to Collins as a training officer for the IRA but, wary of his eagerness and his repeated persistance, Collins turned him down. Quinlisk then contacted the British Under-Secretary for Ireland and asked for a meeting with him , claiming that he had information on Collins and the IRA....... (MORE LATER)>
" I fought a monster today and once more I defeated the monster's army. Although I did not escape , I survived to fight another day . It was hard : harder today than ever before , and it gets worse every day. You see I am trapped and all I can do is resist. I know some day I will defeat this monster , but I weary at times. I think and feel that it may kill me first .
The monster is shrewd . It plays with me, it humiliates me, and tortures me . I'm like a mouse in comparison to this giant , but when I repel the torture it inflicts upon me I feel ten feet tall for I know I am right. I know that I am what I am , no matter what may be inflicted upon me , and it will never change that fact " .
----- Bobby Sands , article entitled "I fought a monster today" , first published 7th October , 1978. (MORE LATER)>
OLD HANDS AT 'DIRTY TRICKS' ......
.... as any country that has been blighted by the Brits will confirm !
And they have done it in their own country too :
On 23rd May , 1945, SS Chief Heinrich Himmler "committed suicide" in British custody , according to the British themselves .
But they never said why they carried out two post-mortems on the body (1945 and 1946) , and won't explain why Himmler's file in the British Public Record Office is sealed until the year 2045 !
Himmler's identity card was in the name of Heinrick Hitzinger. No fingerprints or dental records were taken from the corpse because the British buried him with such haste ....
Himmler was born in October, 1900 - at 103 years of age , is it possible he is still in a 'safe house' in Britain , perhaps working as a toy-boy in Buck palace ..... ?
Friday, June 13, 2003
During the 'Tan War' , British Intelligence Officers , spies and other agents were executed by the IRA , as were almost sixty informers .....
A Waterford man , Harry Timothy Quinlisk , joined the British Army in August 1914, rose to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant and fought in France with the 'Royal Irish Regiment' . He was captured that same year by the Germans and imprisoned in a camp in Limberg . In January 1915, Roger Casement visited the same camp in an attempt to recruit an Irish Brigade to fight against the British in Ireland ; Quinlisk put his name on the list but was rejected by Casement, who described him as " a rogue " ..... (MORE LATER)>
"..... they all glare at me , and then begin to shout at me : " I am a Sir" , " I am a Sir " , "You will conform" , "Conform" , "Conform" . They all grab me and start to beat and kick me while screaming : " You will conform " , " You will conform in H-Block 5 " . I awake , shouting and rolling on a filthy mattress on the floor . " Where am I ? ". "Are you alright?" , asks my cell-mate . "Where am I?" . " You are in your cell , you must've been having a nightmare," he says .
Our cell door opens and a black uniformed figure stands there , " Food", he says . "What was that, Mister?" I ask . "You call me Sir. You're in the H-Blocks now! You're in H-Block 5. Don't forget it, 1066 !" .
----- Bobby Sands , article entitled ' I am Sir, you are 1066' - first published 1st July, 1978.
Is 'Freddie' Scapatticci 'Stakeknife' ?
Is 'Stakeknife' a scapegoat ... ? A question asked , but, in all the 'answers' ...
...no-one asked about...
...the word 'scapegoat' :
The term is believed to have been coined by a famous translator of the Bible, named William Tyndale ; in LEVITICUS 16, there is a reference to two goats, one of which has the sins of the people symbolically laid upon it and is then allowed to escape into the wilderness . Tyndale called this goat the "scapegoat" , from 'escape' and 'goat' . LEVITICUS forms part of the Pentateuch, which Tyndale finished translating in 1530 ; he became a 'scapegoat' himself in the so-called ' Heresy Trials' which were raging at the time - in 1535, he was arrested for heresy and, in 1536, he was strangled and burnt at the stake !
(That's burnt AT the stake, not BY ..... oh forget it ...).
A Waterford man , Harry Timothy Quinlisk , joined the British Army in August 1914, rose to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant and fought in France with the 'Royal Irish Regiment' . He was captured that same year by the Germans and imprisoned in a camp in Limberg . In January 1915, Roger Casement visited the same camp in an attempt to recruit an Irish Brigade to fight against the British in Ireland ; Quinlisk put his name on the list but was rejected by Casement, who described him as " a rogue " ..... (MORE LATER)>
"..... they all glare at me , and then begin to shout at me : " I am a Sir" , " I am a Sir " , "You will conform" , "Conform" , "Conform" . They all grab me and start to beat and kick me while screaming : " You will conform " , " You will conform in H-Block 5 " . I awake , shouting and rolling on a filthy mattress on the floor . " Where am I ? ". "Are you alright?" , asks my cell-mate . "Where am I?" . " You are in your cell , you must've been having a nightmare," he says .
Our cell door opens and a black uniformed figure stands there , " Food", he says . "What was that, Mister?" I ask . "You call me Sir. You're in the H-Blocks now! You're in H-Block 5. Don't forget it, 1066 !" .
----- Bobby Sands , article entitled ' I am Sir, you are 1066' - first published 1st July, 1978.
Is 'Freddie' Scapatticci 'Stakeknife' ?
Is 'Stakeknife' a scapegoat ... ? A question asked , but, in all the 'answers' ...
...no-one asked about...
...the word 'scapegoat' :
The term is believed to have been coined by a famous translator of the Bible, named William Tyndale ; in LEVITICUS 16, there is a reference to two goats, one of which has the sins of the people symbolically laid upon it and is then allowed to escape into the wilderness . Tyndale called this goat the "scapegoat" , from 'escape' and 'goat' . LEVITICUS forms part of the Pentateuch, which Tyndale finished translating in 1530 ; he became a 'scapegoat' himself in the so-called ' Heresy Trials' which were raging at the time - in 1535, he was arrested for heresy and, in 1536, he was strangled and burnt at the stake !
(That's burnt AT the stake, not BY ..... oh forget it ...).
Thursday, June 12, 2003
.....because of the circumstances of his birth , John Kells Ingram (author of the Irish ballad ' The Memory Of The Dead') felt that he could not publicly voice support for those trying to break the connection with England ....
T.F.O'Sullivan , an authority on Irish ballads and poetry of that period, wrote that, when published ,'The Memory Of The Dead' -
" Immediately attracted widespread attention , and there was a good deal of speculation as to the author . It was generally felt that a great lyric worthy of a great theme had been written " .
Ingram's ballad was translated into Latin by Robert Yelverton Tyrrell in 1870 and into Irish by Douglas Hyde in 1896 . John Kells Ingram died on 1st May , 1907 , at 84 years of age ; he went to his grave proud of his ballad 'The Memory Of The Dead' , which he wrote to perpetuate the memory of the men and women who , in 1798, fought and died for their country .
"..... several naked figures appear at the windows. The building is thirty yards away . I can see that all the figures are bearded , they all seem to be fairly young , but all their faces are pale and haggard . They are young men , but have old men's faces . Am I gazing at death ? These figures keep staring out at nothing , or pacing to and fro . Footsteps again !
I turn, apprehension again gripping me, to await my door being opened again . My new-found curiosity having diminished , I fall deeper into the depths of depression and despair .The thought of what lies on the other side of that door tortures me . The door swings open , and several black uniformed figures stand there , surrounding a very small , fat , evil-looking person who evidently is their leader .
They all glare at me , and then begin to shout at me : ...... (MORE LATER)<
THE SPINNING SUN.....
In April 2002, 'The Sun' 'paper carried a Page One headline - ' MARRY ! TIME FOR CHARLES TO WED CAMILLA ' , adding "Charles and Camilla are a perfect match.So why does'nt Charles marry her ? Marry her , Charles, the people would warm to you if you did so " .
Two telephone numbers , a 'YES, MARRY' and 'NO,DON'T MARRY' were published, and 'SUN' readers were asked to vote on the ssue . The next day , the 'paper published the results - 59,852 readers in total voted , of which only 16,934 voted 'YES,MARRY' .
However ,the 'SUN' put a spin on the result to suit its own agenda : it stated - "POLL BOOST FOR CAMILLA ; public opposition is falling, a SUN poll reveals today.The number backing a wedding is up fifty per-cent on six years ago " !!
...SUPER SOARAWAY FACTS AND FIGURES.....
T.F.O'Sullivan , an authority on Irish ballads and poetry of that period, wrote that, when published ,'The Memory Of The Dead' -
" Immediately attracted widespread attention , and there was a good deal of speculation as to the author . It was generally felt that a great lyric worthy of a great theme had been written " .
Ingram's ballad was translated into Latin by Robert Yelverton Tyrrell in 1870 and into Irish by Douglas Hyde in 1896 . John Kells Ingram died on 1st May , 1907 , at 84 years of age ; he went to his grave proud of his ballad 'The Memory Of The Dead' , which he wrote to perpetuate the memory of the men and women who , in 1798, fought and died for their country .
"..... several naked figures appear at the windows. The building is thirty yards away . I can see that all the figures are bearded , they all seem to be fairly young , but all their faces are pale and haggard . They are young men , but have old men's faces . Am I gazing at death ? These figures keep staring out at nothing , or pacing to and fro . Footsteps again !
I turn, apprehension again gripping me, to await my door being opened again . My new-found curiosity having diminished , I fall deeper into the depths of depression and despair .The thought of what lies on the other side of that door tortures me . The door swings open , and several black uniformed figures stand there , surrounding a very small , fat , evil-looking person who evidently is their leader .
They all glare at me , and then begin to shout at me : ...... (MORE LATER)<
THE SPINNING SUN.....
In April 2002, 'The Sun' 'paper carried a Page One headline - ' MARRY ! TIME FOR CHARLES TO WED CAMILLA ' , adding "Charles and Camilla are a perfect match.So why does'nt Charles marry her ? Marry her , Charles, the people would warm to you if you did so " .
Two telephone numbers , a 'YES, MARRY' and 'NO,DON'T MARRY' were published, and 'SUN' readers were asked to vote on the ssue . The next day , the 'paper published the results - 59,852 readers in total voted , of which only 16,934 voted 'YES,MARRY' .
However ,the 'SUN' put a spin on the result to suit its own agenda : it stated - "POLL BOOST FOR CAMILLA ; public opposition is falling, a SUN poll reveals today.The number backing a wedding is up fifty per-cent on six years ago " !!
...SUPER SOARAWAY FACTS AND FIGURES.....
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
.....John Kells Ingram , author of the ballad "Who Fears To Speak Of '98 " , was not a supporter of the Irish Republican struggle....
He was a student , in Trinity, of political economy and sociology and those in the College with him often discussed the effects of the 1798 Rising ; it is believed that John Kells Ingram wrote the song 'The Memory of The Dead' in one night in March 1843 , following a long discussion with fellow students about the Rising . He then , anonymously, dropped it in the letter-box of 'The Nation' newspaper , which published it on 1st April , 1843.
Although Irish-born , Ingram considered himself a Unionist but was drawn to the scholarly and impassioned reasoning of Thomas Davis and his colleagues in their quest to end what he himself also considered to be British mis-rule in his native land.He was not anti-Irish , as others in his circle were , and was not a staunch supporter of English rule in Ireland ;however , because of his circumstances, he felt he could not articulate publicly his position .... (MORE LATER)>
" A breeze: I feel a breeze coming from the wall behind me . Feeling about , I touch a piece of cloth . I tug it and it falls . A light of great intensity hits my eyes , temporarily blinding me . My tomb becomes illuminated with light , revealing a window divided with concrete bars . Stepping closer , thousands of lights of every size and colour appear in my view . These lights are perched upon mountains of barbed wire that glitter and sparkle on the ink-black horizon .
Another step forward , and still looking straight ahead , a small building looms up in front of me , displaying a dozen or so windows all of which are brightly lit up . Several naked figures appear at the windows ..... "
----- Bobby Sands , 1st July , 1978 : more later ... >
OOOPS ! Did I say that .....
"Partition is unravelling before our eyes "
--- Provisional Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle member Ann Speed , speaking at that organisations 1995 Ard Fheis .(See 'AP/RN', 2nd March 1995 , page 5).
" He has engaged and listened " .
---- Gerry Adams describing Tony Blair ! (See 'AP/RN', 18th December , 1997, page 3).
" The whole thing is a con-job " .
---- Me , 1998 and now !
He was a student , in Trinity, of political economy and sociology and those in the College with him often discussed the effects of the 1798 Rising ; it is believed that John Kells Ingram wrote the song 'The Memory of The Dead' in one night in March 1843 , following a long discussion with fellow students about the Rising . He then , anonymously, dropped it in the letter-box of 'The Nation' newspaper , which published it on 1st April , 1843.
Although Irish-born , Ingram considered himself a Unionist but was drawn to the scholarly and impassioned reasoning of Thomas Davis and his colleagues in their quest to end what he himself also considered to be British mis-rule in his native land.He was not anti-Irish , as others in his circle were , and was not a staunch supporter of English rule in Ireland ;however , because of his circumstances, he felt he could not articulate publicly his position .... (MORE LATER)>
" A breeze: I feel a breeze coming from the wall behind me . Feeling about , I touch a piece of cloth . I tug it and it falls . A light of great intensity hits my eyes , temporarily blinding me . My tomb becomes illuminated with light , revealing a window divided with concrete bars . Stepping closer , thousands of lights of every size and colour appear in my view . These lights are perched upon mountains of barbed wire that glitter and sparkle on the ink-black horizon .
Another step forward , and still looking straight ahead , a small building looms up in front of me , displaying a dozen or so windows all of which are brightly lit up . Several naked figures appear at the windows ..... "
----- Bobby Sands , 1st July , 1978 : more later ... >
OOOPS ! Did I say that .....
"Partition is unravelling before our eyes "
--- Provisional Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle member Ann Speed , speaking at that organisations 1995 Ard Fheis .(See 'AP/RN', 2nd March 1995 , page 5).
" He has engaged and listened " .
---- Gerry Adams describing Tony Blair ! (See 'AP/RN', 18th December , 1997, page 3).
" The whole thing is a con-job " .
---- Me , 1998 and now !
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
On 1st April , 1843, 'The Nation' newspaper (published by the 'Young Ireland' group) published a ballad entitled 'The Memory of The Dead' ; the song commemorated the 1798 Rising and is perhaps better known by its opening line - " Who fears to speak of '98 " ..... "
The author of the song wanted to remain anonymous and , in his own mind, had reason to......
John Kells Ingram had no sympathy for the Irish Republican cause - he was born the son of a Protestant clergyman , at Templecarne Rectory, near Pettigo in County Donegal , in July 1823. He was educated in Newry and later studied at Trinity College in Dublin and , although he admired the integrity of the Irish rebels and their cause, he was not a supporter . (MORE LATER)>
"It's watching me. Once more the door opens. The dim light gives off a little illumination , revealing the black uniformed figure at the doorway . "I am Sir", it says , "here is your food, 1066". A bowl is thrust into my hands as the door slams. Before the light dies I catch a glimpse of the floor. It is covered in filth and rubbish . There are several maggots clinging to my legs. The walls are covered with a mass of fat bloated flies. Once again I am terror-stricken . I pace the floor, aghast at my surroundings. The bowl in my hand is cold , it contains some sort of porridge or gruel . The smell from it revolts me. I set it down on the floor.
Pacing the floor in total darkness , I become engulfed with depression and despair . I wish I was dead . "But I am dead" , I say aloud. I can't even kill myself , I think " .
----' The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 - first published in 'Republican News', 1st July 1978 . (MORE LATER)>
On Thursday , 29th May last , the 'Adams Family' loudly protested that the British would not allow elections to be held to the British parliament at Stormont ; in 'AP/RN' on 9th September , 1999, page 10, Gerry Adams described the Stormont Treaty ('Good Friday Agreement') as "British Government policy" and said to Tony Blair's administration that "it must implement British Government policy " in Ireland.
A so-called Irish 'Republican' leader calling on the British to implement its policy in Ireland ?
..... I can't be the only one to be confused...
The author of the song wanted to remain anonymous and , in his own mind, had reason to......
John Kells Ingram had no sympathy for the Irish Republican cause - he was born the son of a Protestant clergyman , at Templecarne Rectory, near Pettigo in County Donegal , in July 1823. He was educated in Newry and later studied at Trinity College in Dublin and , although he admired the integrity of the Irish rebels and their cause, he was not a supporter . (MORE LATER)>
"It's watching me. Once more the door opens. The dim light gives off a little illumination , revealing the black uniformed figure at the doorway . "I am Sir", it says , "here is your food, 1066". A bowl is thrust into my hands as the door slams. Before the light dies I catch a glimpse of the floor. It is covered in filth and rubbish . There are several maggots clinging to my legs. The walls are covered with a mass of fat bloated flies. Once again I am terror-stricken . I pace the floor, aghast at my surroundings. The bowl in my hand is cold , it contains some sort of porridge or gruel . The smell from it revolts me. I set it down on the floor.
Pacing the floor in total darkness , I become engulfed with depression and despair . I wish I was dead . "But I am dead" , I say aloud. I can't even kill myself , I think " .
----' The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 - first published in 'Republican News', 1st July 1978 . (MORE LATER)>
On Thursday , 29th May last , the 'Adams Family' loudly protested that the British would not allow elections to be held to the British parliament at Stormont ; in 'AP/RN' on 9th September , 1999, page 10, Gerry Adams described the Stormont Treaty ('Good Friday Agreement') as "British Government policy" and said to Tony Blair's administration that "it must implement British Government policy " in Ireland.
A so-called Irish 'Republican' leader calling on the British to implement its policy in Ireland ?
..... I can't be the only one to be confused...
Monday, June 09, 2003
.....for six decades , Brian O'Higgins explained Irish Republicanism to generations of young people , and was hounded by the British and Free Staters for doing so .....
On 10th March , 1963 , at 80 years of age , Brian O'Higgins died in Dublin. Again, like so many men and women mentioned in these columns, he deserves to be remembered as much outside the Movement , as he is within it. People like that are the backbone of the Movement - their efforts and the sacrifices they make are second-nature to them ; they don't seek, or expect, financial gain ; they don't make plans to sit at the so-called 'top table' with the same people who have worked for years to 'tame' them .
Men and women like Brian O'Higgins are not for turning - the Brits and Free Staters are aware of that , label them as 'dissidents and terrorists', purchase half of them and turn them on the other half . And unfortunately, that 'divide and conquer' trick still 'fools' those that are willing to be fooled .....
".....maybe it's better they don't know. They won't break my spirit. I won't let them do that. They can do what they will with me , but I won't concede my spirit . Yes , that's it. Calm down , fight back, show them your spirit , settle down, and get ready for them... There's a bible in the corner- flick through it and stop thinking about it. Six hours ! Take heart ... The prophet Sirach : 'Blessed is he whose heart does not condemn him, and who does not give up hope' .
Remember that . Remember those words . I'm alright. I won't give up hope . No , I won't give up hope " .
-----'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , from an article entitled 'Alone and Condemned' , first published on 13th January , 1979 .
Democratic decisions by the Irish people were made in every general election from the introduction of the secret ballot in 1872 . In each election from then until 1918 , the wish of the Irish people to govern themselves was expressed through the ballot box . In eleven general elections in succession through almost half a century , Irish voters used the ballot to show their will . Sixty per-cent of those elected by the county and borough constituencies in Ireland in 1874 were Home Rulers .
As more people qualified to vote , this demand grew accordingly . Over eighty per-cent of Irish representatives from 1885 onwards were elected to win self-government for the Country . Britain failed to accept the ballot results and , in 1920, when Britain partioned Ireland, they again ignored the votes of the people whom they insisted in keeping under the Butchers Apron ('Union Jack'). Constituencies which in every election for years had voted for Irish self-government were kept within the Unionist state established at that time.
And now we have the stomach-turning sight of so-called 'Irish Republicans' protesting because the British will not hold elections to a British Parliament (Stormont) !
.....they would crawl over a spinning grave to get a British pension .....
Disgusting.
On 10th March , 1963 , at 80 years of age , Brian O'Higgins died in Dublin. Again, like so many men and women mentioned in these columns, he deserves to be remembered as much outside the Movement , as he is within it. People like that are the backbone of the Movement - their efforts and the sacrifices they make are second-nature to them ; they don't seek, or expect, financial gain ; they don't make plans to sit at the so-called 'top table' with the same people who have worked for years to 'tame' them .
Men and women like Brian O'Higgins are not for turning - the Brits and Free Staters are aware of that , label them as 'dissidents and terrorists', purchase half of them and turn them on the other half . And unfortunately, that 'divide and conquer' trick still 'fools' those that are willing to be fooled .....
".....maybe it's better they don't know. They won't break my spirit. I won't let them do that. They can do what they will with me , but I won't concede my spirit . Yes , that's it. Calm down , fight back, show them your spirit , settle down, and get ready for them... There's a bible in the corner- flick through it and stop thinking about it. Six hours ! Take heart ... The prophet Sirach : 'Blessed is he whose heart does not condemn him, and who does not give up hope' .
Remember that . Remember those words . I'm alright. I won't give up hope . No , I won't give up hope " .
-----'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , from an article entitled 'Alone and Condemned' , first published on 13th January , 1979 .
Democratic decisions by the Irish people were made in every general election from the introduction of the secret ballot in 1872 . In each election from then until 1918 , the wish of the Irish people to govern themselves was expressed through the ballot box . In eleven general elections in succession through almost half a century , Irish voters used the ballot to show their will . Sixty per-cent of those elected by the county and borough constituencies in Ireland in 1874 were Home Rulers .
As more people qualified to vote , this demand grew accordingly . Over eighty per-cent of Irish representatives from 1885 onwards were elected to win self-government for the Country . Britain failed to accept the ballot results and , in 1920, when Britain partioned Ireland, they again ignored the votes of the people whom they insisted in keeping under the Butchers Apron ('Union Jack'). Constituencies which in every election for years had voted for Irish self-government were kept within the Unionist state established at that time.
And now we have the stomach-turning sight of so-called 'Irish Republicans' protesting because the British will not hold elections to a British Parliament (Stormont) !
.....they would crawl over a spinning grave to get a British pension .....
Disgusting.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
.....during the round-up of Irish Republicans in May 1918 (the so-called 'German Plot' arrests) , Brian O'Higgins(36) was lifted and imprisoned in Birmingham, England - while in prison , he was elected to represent West Clare in the First Dail Eireann......
In the Spring of 1919 , Brian O'Higgins was released and went to West Clare, where he became a Justice in the Dail Courts . He took the Republican side in the Civil War , having opposed the Treaty, and was arrested in February 1923 - this time he ended up in the Curragh. On his release , he reported back to the Republican Movement and , in 1932, he published the first 'Wolfe Tone Annual ' , which he continued to produce until 1962.
With Joe Clarke's help, Brian O'Higgins published a newspaper, 'The Wolfe Tone Weekly' , which was first published in September 1937 but was quickly suppressed by the Fianna Fail administration. Brian O'Higgins published dozens of articles, books and pamphlets during the 1940's and 1950's on Irish history , songs and poems , under his own name and a pen-name, 'Brian na Bamban' ; for six decades, he explained Irish Republicanism to generations of young people, and was hounded by the British and Free Staters for doing so ..... (MORE LATER)>
"....I'm so scared , I can't even think right. I wish I was at home.I wonder what the family are doing now ? Sitting around the fire in a nice warm room having tea . Jesus , it's getting colder . My feet are blue. I wonder what they are thinking ? What would they think if they knew what is to happen to me ? It would only make it worse , they would suffer, they would worry so much, but maybe they have secretly been expecting this , and never said so. Maybe it's better they don't know ..... " .
---- Bobby Sands, first published on 13th January, 1979. (MORE LATER)>
In 1921 , British General Sir Hubert Gough stated-
" Law and order (in Ireland) have given place to a bloody and brutal anarchy in which the armed agents of the Crown violate every law in aimless and vindictive and insolent savagery . England has departed further from her own standards, and further from the standards even of any nation in the world , not excepting the Turk and Zulu, than has ever been known in history before " .
--- and that from a Brit 'insider' ! At least Gough spoke his mind- the shameless 21st Century-version would deny everything and then go running for his/her 'spin-doctor' and then their lawyer....
In the Spring of 1919 , Brian O'Higgins was released and went to West Clare, where he became a Justice in the Dail Courts . He took the Republican side in the Civil War , having opposed the Treaty, and was arrested in February 1923 - this time he ended up in the Curragh. On his release , he reported back to the Republican Movement and , in 1932, he published the first 'Wolfe Tone Annual ' , which he continued to produce until 1962.
With Joe Clarke's help, Brian O'Higgins published a newspaper, 'The Wolfe Tone Weekly' , which was first published in September 1937 but was quickly suppressed by the Fianna Fail administration. Brian O'Higgins published dozens of articles, books and pamphlets during the 1940's and 1950's on Irish history , songs and poems , under his own name and a pen-name, 'Brian na Bamban' ; for six decades, he explained Irish Republicanism to generations of young people, and was hounded by the British and Free Staters for doing so ..... (MORE LATER)>
"....I'm so scared , I can't even think right. I wish I was at home.I wonder what the family are doing now ? Sitting around the fire in a nice warm room having tea . Jesus , it's getting colder . My feet are blue. I wonder what they are thinking ? What would they think if they knew what is to happen to me ? It would only make it worse , they would suffer, they would worry so much, but maybe they have secretly been expecting this , and never said so. Maybe it's better they don't know ..... " .
---- Bobby Sands, first published on 13th January, 1979. (MORE LATER)>
In 1921 , British General Sir Hubert Gough stated-
" Law and order (in Ireland) have given place to a bloody and brutal anarchy in which the armed agents of the Crown violate every law in aimless and vindictive and insolent savagery . England has departed further from her own standards, and further from the standards even of any nation in the world , not excepting the Turk and Zulu, than has ever been known in history before " .
--- and that from a Brit 'insider' ! At least Gough spoke his mind- the shameless 21st Century-version would deny everything and then go running for his/her 'spin-doctor' and then their lawyer....
.....during the round-up of Irish Republicans in May 1918 (the so-called 'German Plot' arrests) , Brian O'Higgins(36) was lifted and imprisoned in Birmingham, England - while in prison , he was elected to represent West Clare in the First Dail Eireann......
In the Spring of 1919 , Brian O'Higgins was released and went to West Clare, where he became a Justice in the Dail Courts . He took the Republican side in the Civil War , having opposed the Treaty, and was arrested in February 1923 - this time he ended up in the Curragh. On his release , he reported back to the Republican Movement and , in 1932, he published the first 'Wolfe Tone Annual ' , which he continued to produce until 1962.
With Joe Clarke's help, Brian O'Higgins published a newspaper, 'The Wolfe Tone Weekly' , which was first published in September 1937 but was quickly suppressed by the Fianna Fail administration. Brian O'Higgins published dozens of articles, books and pamphlets during the 1940's and 1950's on Irish history , songs and poems , under his own name and a pen-name, 'Brian na Bamban' ; for six decades, he explained Irish Republicanism to generations of young people, and was hounded by the British and Free Staters for doing so ..... (MORE LATER)>
"....I'm so scared , I can't even think right. I wish I was at home.I wonder what the family are doing now ? Sitting around the fire in a nice warm room having tea . Jesus , it's getting colder . My feet are blue. I wonder what they are thinking ? What would they think if they knew what is to happen to me ? It would only make it worse , they would suffer, they would worry so much, but maybe they have secretly been expecting this , and never said so. Maybe it's better they don't know ..... " .
---- Bobby Sands, first published on 13th January, 1979. (MORE LATER)>
In 1921 , British General Sir Hubert Gough stated-
" Law and order (in Ireland) have given place to a bloody and brutal anarchy in which the armed agents of the Crown violate every law in aimless and vindictive and insolent savagery . England has departed further from her own standards, and further from the standards even of any nation in the world , not excepting the Turk and Zulu, than has ever been known in history before " .
--- and that from a Brit 'insider' ! At least Gough spoke his mind- the shameless 21st Century-version would deny everything and then go running for his/her 'spin-doctor' and then their lawyer....
In the Spring of 1919 , Brian O'Higgins was released and went to West Clare, where he became a Justice in the Dail Courts . He took the Republican side in the Civil War , having opposed the Treaty, and was arrested in February 1923 - this time he ended up in the Curragh. On his release , he reported back to the Republican Movement and , in 1932, he published the first 'Wolfe Tone Annual ' , which he continued to produce until 1962.
With Joe Clarke's help, Brian O'Higgins published a newspaper, 'The Wolfe Tone Weekly' , which was first published in September 1937 but was quickly suppressed by the Fianna Fail administration. Brian O'Higgins published dozens of articles, books and pamphlets during the 1940's and 1950's on Irish history , songs and poems , under his own name and a pen-name, 'Brian na Bamban' ; for six decades, he explained Irish Republicanism to generations of young people, and was hounded by the British and Free Staters for doing so ..... (MORE LATER)>
"....I'm so scared , I can't even think right. I wish I was at home.I wonder what the family are doing now ? Sitting around the fire in a nice warm room having tea . Jesus , it's getting colder . My feet are blue. I wonder what they are thinking ? What would they think if they knew what is to happen to me ? It would only make it worse , they would suffer, they would worry so much, but maybe they have secretly been expecting this , and never said so. Maybe it's better they don't know ..... " .
---- Bobby Sands, first published on 13th January, 1979. (MORE LATER)>
In 1921 , British General Sir Hubert Gough stated-
" Law and order (in Ireland) have given place to a bloody and brutal anarchy in which the armed agents of the Crown violate every law in aimless and vindictive and insolent savagery . England has departed further from her own standards, and further from the standards even of any nation in the world , not excepting the Turk and Zulu, than has ever been known in history before " .
--- and that from a Brit 'insider' ! At least Gough spoke his mind- the shameless 21st Century-version would deny everything and then go running for his/her 'spin-doctor' and then their lawyer....
Saturday, June 07, 2003
...... at 22 years young,Brian O'Higgins left Dublin and went home to Glen na Mona in County Meath - he earned his living by writing for local newspapers .....
By the time he was 30 years of age , Brian O'Higgins was challenging , in writing, the British presence in his country and the native apologists for same. His articles were published in like-minded newspapers such as 'Sinn Fein' , 'Irish Freedom' and 'Nationality' and, in those and other newspapers , he wrote against conscription and recruitment into the British Army .
At 34 years young, Brian O'Higgins fought in the GPO during Easter Week 1916 ; following the surrender , he was imprisoned in Stafford Jail in England and Frongoch Internment Camp in Wales - he was released in February 1917. However , during the round-up of republicans in May 1918 (the 'German Plot' arrests), he was lifted and imprisoned in Birmingham , England - while in prison he was elected to represent West Clare in the First Dail Eireann . (MORE LATER)>
".....eight hours, that's all I've left .It will hurt. I know it will hurt. Everyone says it hurts. Oh God, it's not happening to me. It's not happening . I'm trapped . Entombed! No escape ! Nowhere to hide . And nowhere to run . I'm condemned to face what awaits me in eight hours . I can't appeal , I can't plead , they won't even listen , they just laugh, they're glad , they revel in it . That's why they give me a warning of eight hours , to watch me sweat and worry . They have it well planned .
They're watching me now. They're watching me through that little slit in the cell door . They won't give me peace , but what peace can I find ? I'm so scared , I can't even think right . I wish I was at home ..... " .
---- 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' ,April 1981 . (MORE LATER)>
From my lengthy and ever-increasing 'Do-As-I-Say-And-Not-As-I-Do' file ; this one from the 'Private Eye' report entitled 'Rock Bottom', February 1989 , page 3 -
Thames Television proposed to show, in late April 1988, a programme on the Rock of Gibraltar shootings ('Shoot-to-kill' policy) ; the British Tories condemned the TV station and lashed them for propagating "trial by television" . However ,following the Aberfan disaster in South Wales in 1966, a Labour British Attorney-General set up a full-scale public inquiry under a High Court judge. When the judge quietly suggested that press comment on Aberfan might be restricted until the public inquiry , he was subjected to a volley of abuse by the Tories and their friends in the media , who argued that any restriction on comment was "a gross violation of free speech" .
In 1988 , the same politicians and newspapers demanded the restrictions on comment which they had decried in 1966 !
------- it's only "a violation of free speech " if we say it is ....
By the time he was 30 years of age , Brian O'Higgins was challenging , in writing, the British presence in his country and the native apologists for same. His articles were published in like-minded newspapers such as 'Sinn Fein' , 'Irish Freedom' and 'Nationality' and, in those and other newspapers , he wrote against conscription and recruitment into the British Army .
At 34 years young, Brian O'Higgins fought in the GPO during Easter Week 1916 ; following the surrender , he was imprisoned in Stafford Jail in England and Frongoch Internment Camp in Wales - he was released in February 1917. However , during the round-up of republicans in May 1918 (the 'German Plot' arrests), he was lifted and imprisoned in Birmingham , England - while in prison he was elected to represent West Clare in the First Dail Eireann . (MORE LATER)>
".....eight hours, that's all I've left .It will hurt. I know it will hurt. Everyone says it hurts. Oh God, it's not happening to me. It's not happening . I'm trapped . Entombed! No escape ! Nowhere to hide . And nowhere to run . I'm condemned to face what awaits me in eight hours . I can't appeal , I can't plead , they won't even listen , they just laugh, they're glad , they revel in it . That's why they give me a warning of eight hours , to watch me sweat and worry . They have it well planned .
They're watching me now. They're watching me through that little slit in the cell door . They won't give me peace , but what peace can I find ? I'm so scared , I can't even think right . I wish I was at home ..... " .
---- 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' ,April 1981 . (MORE LATER)>
From my lengthy and ever-increasing 'Do-As-I-Say-And-Not-As-I-Do' file ; this one from the 'Private Eye' report entitled 'Rock Bottom', February 1989 , page 3 -
Thames Television proposed to show, in late April 1988, a programme on the Rock of Gibraltar shootings ('Shoot-to-kill' policy) ; the British Tories condemned the TV station and lashed them for propagating "trial by television" . However ,following the Aberfan disaster in South Wales in 1966, a Labour British Attorney-General set up a full-scale public inquiry under a High Court judge. When the judge quietly suggested that press comment on Aberfan might be restricted until the public inquiry , he was subjected to a volley of abuse by the Tories and their friends in the media , who argued that any restriction on comment was "a gross violation of free speech" .
In 1988 , the same politicians and newspapers demanded the restrictions on comment which they had decried in 1966 !
------- it's only "a violation of free speech " if we say it is ....
Friday, June 06, 2003
In Glen na Mona,Kells, County Meath , in July 1882, a child was born who , even to this day, is remembered among Irish Republicans as a soldier,journalist , author and poet .....
Brian O'Higgins was educated at kilskyre National School , but left to work in a relatives shop in Clonmellon on the Meath/Westmeath border in 1896 , at fourteen years of age . It was around that time that he got to know Tom Daly , who was the Editor of the 'Meath Chronicle' newspaper ; Daly saw in the young Brian O'Higgins a flair for the written word , and encouraged him in that regard .
At 19 years young (in 1901) , O'Higgins was being taught Irish by Michael Cusack (GAA founder) in the Gaelic League ; he had moved to Dublin that year and joined the O'Growney branch of same there. In 1904 , he went back home to Glen na Mona and made a living by writing for 'The Meath Chronicle' , the 'Leinster Leader' and 'The Peasant' . (MORE LATER)>
"The heavy steel door of the punishment cell slammed shut behind me. In a bewildered daze I vaguely heard the jingle of keys and the steady footsteps fading away in the wake of its thunderous echo. An ungodly silence fell, leaving only the sound of my sharp rasping breaths .My eyes flashed at the bareness of my humble surroundings . A wooden board for a bed,a concrete block for a stool , a concrete slab as a table . A bright light burned high above me, reflecting off the chalk-white walls , and the severe cold bored through my body and numbed my bare feet .
Naked , alone and condemned, I began to pace the small freezing cold cell ; my thoughts in an entangled mess , riddled with panic, worry and fear. Condemned ! 'We'll be back in eight hours' , that's what they said . Jesus, what time is it now ? Eight hours , that's all I've left ..... "
------- From 'The writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 - first published in 'Republican News' , 13th January 1979 . (MORE LATER)>
For twelve years , a Mr. Davison Budhoo worked for the 'International Monetary Fund' (IMF) as an economist , but resigned in early 1988 over the attempt by the IMF to "crucify" the economy of Trinidad and Tobago , in the Caribbean -- "The IMF was never designed to help the 'Third World' or end poverty . It was established by the Bretton Woods conference of 1944 to restore economic and financial order to the western world . There was no element of compassion for humanity in its formulation . The Funds aim is first and foremost to secure the interests of developed countries " .
Yes, Yes- perhaps ; but that was back in 1988 !
Today , in this 21st Century, the initials 'IMF' (bless 'em) stand for 'Idyllic and Magnificent Faculty' .
Don't they ......?
Brian O'Higgins was educated at kilskyre National School , but left to work in a relatives shop in Clonmellon on the Meath/Westmeath border in 1896 , at fourteen years of age . It was around that time that he got to know Tom Daly , who was the Editor of the 'Meath Chronicle' newspaper ; Daly saw in the young Brian O'Higgins a flair for the written word , and encouraged him in that regard .
At 19 years young (in 1901) , O'Higgins was being taught Irish by Michael Cusack (GAA founder) in the Gaelic League ; he had moved to Dublin that year and joined the O'Growney branch of same there. In 1904 , he went back home to Glen na Mona and made a living by writing for 'The Meath Chronicle' , the 'Leinster Leader' and 'The Peasant' . (MORE LATER)>
"The heavy steel door of the punishment cell slammed shut behind me. In a bewildered daze I vaguely heard the jingle of keys and the steady footsteps fading away in the wake of its thunderous echo. An ungodly silence fell, leaving only the sound of my sharp rasping breaths .My eyes flashed at the bareness of my humble surroundings . A wooden board for a bed,a concrete block for a stool , a concrete slab as a table . A bright light burned high above me, reflecting off the chalk-white walls , and the severe cold bored through my body and numbed my bare feet .
Naked , alone and condemned, I began to pace the small freezing cold cell ; my thoughts in an entangled mess , riddled with panic, worry and fear. Condemned ! 'We'll be back in eight hours' , that's what they said . Jesus, what time is it now ? Eight hours , that's all I've left ..... "
------- From 'The writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 - first published in 'Republican News' , 13th January 1979 . (MORE LATER)>
For twelve years , a Mr. Davison Budhoo worked for the 'International Monetary Fund' (IMF) as an economist , but resigned in early 1988 over the attempt by the IMF to "crucify" the economy of Trinidad and Tobago , in the Caribbean -- "The IMF was never designed to help the 'Third World' or end poverty . It was established by the Bretton Woods conference of 1944 to restore economic and financial order to the western world . There was no element of compassion for humanity in its formulation . The Funds aim is first and foremost to secure the interests of developed countries " .
Yes, Yes- perhaps ; but that was back in 1988 !
Today , in this 21st Century, the initials 'IMF' (bless 'em) stand for 'Idyllic and Magnificent Faculty' .
Don't they ......?
Thursday, June 05, 2003
.....in November 1922 , while an appeal against his death sentence was pending in the Free State High Court, Robert Erskine Childers was removed from his cell and shot dead by a Free State firing squad in Portobello Barracks, Dublin .....
His Irish Republican credentials are usually ignored by the 'establishment' , who praise his literary prowess - 'The Riddle of The Sands'(1903) ; 'War and the Arme Blanche'(1910) ; 'The Framework of Home Rule'(1911) ; 'Military Rule in Ireland'(1920) ; and 'The Constructive Works of Dail Eireann'(1921).
Robert Erskine Childers was shot dead by order of his former comrades on 24th November, 1922 , at 52 years of age ; those that pulled the trigger were following instructions from traitors.
FOOTNOTE - Robert Barton signed the Treaty of Surrender but later came to reject it;the Free Staters held a grudge for Childers over that issue :
The 'Court' that passed the death sentence on Childers (on 17th November 1922) came into operation on 15th October that same year and,as well as Childers,passed death sentences on seventy-seven Irish Republicans.
"....or throw scalding water around his naked body. It is also inconceivable for me to describe, let alone for you to imagine,our state of mind just sitting waiting for this to happen. I can say that this physical and psychological torture in the H-Blocks has brought many men to the verge of insanity.We are in a very, very bad state now. What will we be like at the end of the day , or in the years to come ? My mind is scarred deep. It is as equally a worrying thought that we may end up unable to even think at all ! With that in 'your' mind, I will leave off. Think about it, but just don't leave it at that " .
----Bobby Sands, from an article entitled 'The Battle for Survival' , first published in the old AP/RN , 27th January, 1979.
.....a paper produced by senior British civil servants in 1948, as the Free State was about to leave the 'Commonwealth' , concluded - " Now that Eire (sic) will shortly cease to owe any allegiance to the Crown, it has become a matter of first-class strategic importance to this country that the North should continue to form part of His Majestys dominions . So far as can be foreseen , it will never be to Great Britains advantage that 'Northern Ireland' (sic) should form part of a territory outside His Majesty's jurisdiction . Indeed , it seems unlikely that Great Britain would ever be able to agree to this even if the people of 'Northern Ireland' (sic) desired it " .
------Well, that's news to me :I always considered the Brits as a neutral , peacekeeping force.....
His Irish Republican credentials are usually ignored by the 'establishment' , who praise his literary prowess - 'The Riddle of The Sands'(1903) ; 'War and the Arme Blanche'(1910) ; 'The Framework of Home Rule'(1911) ; 'Military Rule in Ireland'(1920) ; and 'The Constructive Works of Dail Eireann'(1921).
Robert Erskine Childers was shot dead by order of his former comrades on 24th November, 1922 , at 52 years of age ; those that pulled the trigger were following instructions from traitors.
FOOTNOTE - Robert Barton signed the Treaty of Surrender but later came to reject it;the Free Staters held a grudge for Childers over that issue :
The 'Court' that passed the death sentence on Childers (on 17th November 1922) came into operation on 15th October that same year and,as well as Childers,passed death sentences on seventy-seven Irish Republicans.
"....or throw scalding water around his naked body. It is also inconceivable for me to describe, let alone for you to imagine,our state of mind just sitting waiting for this to happen. I can say that this physical and psychological torture in the H-Blocks has brought many men to the verge of insanity.We are in a very, very bad state now. What will we be like at the end of the day , or in the years to come ? My mind is scarred deep. It is as equally a worrying thought that we may end up unable to even think at all ! With that in 'your' mind, I will leave off. Think about it, but just don't leave it at that " .
----Bobby Sands, from an article entitled 'The Battle for Survival' , first published in the old AP/RN , 27th January, 1979.
.....a paper produced by senior British civil servants in 1948, as the Free State was about to leave the 'Commonwealth' , concluded - " Now that Eire (sic) will shortly cease to owe any allegiance to the Crown, it has become a matter of first-class strategic importance to this country that the North should continue to form part of His Majestys dominions . So far as can be foreseen , it will never be to Great Britains advantage that 'Northern Ireland' (sic) should form part of a territory outside His Majesty's jurisdiction . Indeed , it seems unlikely that Great Britain would ever be able to agree to this even if the people of 'Northern Ireland' (sic) desired it " .
------Well, that's news to me :I always considered the Brits as a neutral , peacekeeping force.....
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
......Robert Erskine Childers was one of the principal secretaries to the Irish delegation in London during the Treaty negotiations from October to December 1921 - he strongly opposed that Treaty of Surrender .....
When the split took place, Erskine Childers supported the Republican side during the Civil War and was appointed IRA Director of Publicity and Editor of the Republican newspaper 'The Republic of Ireland' ('Poblacht na hEireann'). In November 1922 , Childers was imprisoned in Wicklow Jail , having been arrested by Free State troops while visiting his cousin, Robert Barton, at Annamoe, in County Wicklow, ; he was quickly transferred to Portobello Barracks in Dublin where he was viciously tortured and , on 17th November 1922, was court-martialled on a charge of possession of a revolver (which had been given to him by his former comrade, Michael Collins). He was sentenced to death.
The death sentence was appealed and, whilst same was pending in the Free State High Court , Childers was removed from his cell and shot dead by a Free State firing squad in Portobello Barracks, Dublin. (MORE LATER)>
"....but you know they never forget . They don't come. The next day is the same, and the next, and the next.You become more and more depressed . For days your thoughts have been the same , a mass of fear, fearing what lies ahead. Consider being in that frame of mind every day ! Knowing in your mind that you're to be beaten nearly senseless, forcibly bathed, or held down to have your back passage examined or probed. These things are common facts of everyday H-Block life.
It is inconceivable to try to imagine what an eighteen-year old naked lad goes through when a dozen or so screws slaughter him with batons,boots and punches, while dragging him by the hair along a corridor, or when they squeeze his privates until he collapses, or throw scalding water around his naked body ..... ".
From 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981. (MORE TOMORROW)>
A 1984 report commissioned by the Institute for European Defence and Strategic Studies recognised that Ireland has been of fundamental strategic importance to Britain since Tudor times , both as a potential foothold for the conquest of Britain and from the point of view of safe-guarding the approaches to Britains western ports. A paper produced by senior British civil servants in 1948 , as the Free State was about to leave the 'Commonwealth' , concluded ---" Now that Eire (sic) will shortly...... " (MORE LATER)>
When the split took place, Erskine Childers supported the Republican side during the Civil War and was appointed IRA Director of Publicity and Editor of the Republican newspaper 'The Republic of Ireland' ('Poblacht na hEireann'). In November 1922 , Childers was imprisoned in Wicklow Jail , having been arrested by Free State troops while visiting his cousin, Robert Barton, at Annamoe, in County Wicklow, ; he was quickly transferred to Portobello Barracks in Dublin where he was viciously tortured and , on 17th November 1922, was court-martialled on a charge of possession of a revolver (which had been given to him by his former comrade, Michael Collins). He was sentenced to death.
The death sentence was appealed and, whilst same was pending in the Free State High Court , Childers was removed from his cell and shot dead by a Free State firing squad in Portobello Barracks, Dublin. (MORE LATER)>
"....but you know they never forget . They don't come. The next day is the same, and the next, and the next.You become more and more depressed . For days your thoughts have been the same , a mass of fear, fearing what lies ahead. Consider being in that frame of mind every day ! Knowing in your mind that you're to be beaten nearly senseless, forcibly bathed, or held down to have your back passage examined or probed. These things are common facts of everyday H-Block life.
It is inconceivable to try to imagine what an eighteen-year old naked lad goes through when a dozen or so screws slaughter him with batons,boots and punches, while dragging him by the hair along a corridor, or when they squeeze his privates until he collapses, or throw scalding water around his naked body ..... ".
From 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981. (MORE TOMORROW)>
A 1984 report commissioned by the Institute for European Defence and Strategic Studies recognised that Ireland has been of fundamental strategic importance to Britain since Tudor times , both as a potential foothold for the conquest of Britain and from the point of view of safe-guarding the approaches to Britains western ports. A paper produced by senior British civil servants in 1948 , as the Free State was about to leave the 'Commonwealth' , concluded ---" Now that Eire (sic) will shortly...... " (MORE LATER)>
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
....the Irish Republican , propagandist and world-famous author Robert Erskine Childers married Boston woman Mary Ellen Osgood in 1904 and , six years later, left his job in the British House of Commons to work full-time in politics .....
On 26th July, 1914, Erskine Childers sailed his yacht 'The Asgard' into Howth harbour in Dublin - he was carrying 900 rifles and 14,000 rounds of ammunition for the Irish Volunteers (the material had been purchased in Germany, by Darrell Figgis). At the time of the 'First World War' , when he served in the British Navy, Erskine Childers was, politically, a 'Home Ruler' but , after demobilisation , he embraced Irish Republicanism and vowed to accept nothing less than a British withdrawal from Ireland. In March 1919 , he moved to Dublin and joined Sinn Fein ; he worked with George Gavan Duffy and Sean T.O'Kelly in preparing material to present to the 'Peace Conference' in Paris (see '1169...' archives). He helped in founding a Republican newspaper , ' The Irish Bulletin' , in November 1919 and was appointed Editor of same in March 1921, following the arrest of Desmond Fitzgerald .
Also , in early 1921, he was elected as TD for County Wicklow in the 32-County Dail Eireann , where he distinguished himself as Minister for Publicity . He was one of the principal secretaries to the Irish delegation in London during the Treaty negotiations from October to December 1921, - he strongly opposed the Treaty of Surrender ..... (MORE LATER)>
".....in short, imagine being entombed, naked and alone, for a whole day . What would it be like for twenty torturous months! Now again , with this in mind, try and imagine just what it is like to be in this situation in surroundings that resemble a pigsty, and you are crouched naked upon the floor on a corner, freezing cold, amid the lingering stench of putrifying rubbish, with crawling, wriggling white maggots all around you, fat bloated flies pestering your naked body, the silence is nerve-wrecking, your mind is in turmoil . You are sitting waiting on the screws coming to your cell to drag you out to be forcibly bathed. You have heard and seen the horrible results of this from many of your comrades at Mass. You know only too well what it means : the skin scrubbed from your body with heavy brushes . The screws have told you that you are next. You wait all day, just thinking. Your mind is wrecked.Maybe they've forgotten, you kid yourself ; but you know they never forget.... " .
------- Bobby Sands .
From'The Evening Press' , 30th November 1988 , page 6 --
Imelda Marcos, wife of the (then) deposed Philippiners leader Ferdinand Marcos,accused Nancy Reagan of betraying them by blocking a 'Presidential Pardon' for her and her husband.
----- " When I could do for them, I had friends. Now I don't know anymore who my friends are. I only know from certain people what is happening in Washington and it is that Nancy Reagan is against a pardon. It was Mrs. Reagan who said to me 'Come to your friends in the U S .You will be safe here' . We were promised asylum. This is not asylum. This is a betrayal. "
Imelda went on to say that Nancy was opposed to granting a pardon because she "has been told that granting these pardons will be very detrimental for Reagans historical position " !
....but, Nancy, honey ; that was screwed-up anyway !
On 26th July, 1914, Erskine Childers sailed his yacht 'The Asgard' into Howth harbour in Dublin - he was carrying 900 rifles and 14,000 rounds of ammunition for the Irish Volunteers (the material had been purchased in Germany, by Darrell Figgis). At the time of the 'First World War' , when he served in the British Navy, Erskine Childers was, politically, a 'Home Ruler' but , after demobilisation , he embraced Irish Republicanism and vowed to accept nothing less than a British withdrawal from Ireland. In March 1919 , he moved to Dublin and joined Sinn Fein ; he worked with George Gavan Duffy and Sean T.O'Kelly in preparing material to present to the 'Peace Conference' in Paris (see '1169...' archives). He helped in founding a Republican newspaper , ' The Irish Bulletin' , in November 1919 and was appointed Editor of same in March 1921, following the arrest of Desmond Fitzgerald .
Also , in early 1921, he was elected as TD for County Wicklow in the 32-County Dail Eireann , where he distinguished himself as Minister for Publicity . He was one of the principal secretaries to the Irish delegation in London during the Treaty negotiations from October to December 1921, - he strongly opposed the Treaty of Surrender ..... (MORE LATER)>
".....in short, imagine being entombed, naked and alone, for a whole day . What would it be like for twenty torturous months! Now again , with this in mind, try and imagine just what it is like to be in this situation in surroundings that resemble a pigsty, and you are crouched naked upon the floor on a corner, freezing cold, amid the lingering stench of putrifying rubbish, with crawling, wriggling white maggots all around you, fat bloated flies pestering your naked body, the silence is nerve-wrecking, your mind is in turmoil . You are sitting waiting on the screws coming to your cell to drag you out to be forcibly bathed. You have heard and seen the horrible results of this from many of your comrades at Mass. You know only too well what it means : the skin scrubbed from your body with heavy brushes . The screws have told you that you are next. You wait all day, just thinking. Your mind is wrecked.Maybe they've forgotten, you kid yourself ; but you know they never forget.... " .
------- Bobby Sands .
From'The Evening Press' , 30th November 1988 , page 6 --
Imelda Marcos, wife of the (then) deposed Philippiners leader Ferdinand Marcos,accused Nancy Reagan of betraying them by blocking a 'Presidential Pardon' for her and her husband.
----- " When I could do for them, I had friends. Now I don't know anymore who my friends are. I only know from certain people what is happening in Washington and it is that Nancy Reagan is against a pardon. It was Mrs. Reagan who said to me 'Come to your friends in the U S .You will be safe here' . We were promised asylum. This is not asylum. This is a betrayal. "
Imelda went on to say that Nancy was opposed to granting a pardon because she "has been told that granting these pardons will be very detrimental for Reagans historical position " !
....but, Nancy, honey ; that was screwed-up anyway !
Monday, June 02, 2003
In June, 1870, a child born in London, who was reared at Glendalough House, Annamoe, in County Wicklow (at the home of his cousin, Robert Barton), grew up to be an Irish Republican, a first-class propagandist and a world-famous author .....
Robert Erskine Childers was educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Cambridge; at 24 years young, in 1894, he was working as a committee clerk in the British House of Commons , and was already a skilled yachtsman . At 33 years of age (in 1903) he published 'The Riddle of The Sands' , a fictional account of German preparations to invade England , based on his experiences on sailing holidays in the Baltic. He married Mary Ellen Osgood , from Boston,in 1904 and, six years later, left his job in the British House of Commons to devote himself to political work. (MORE LATER)>
" For someone who is contented, or unconcerned with any great worry, living what is termed an everyday life, you may find my psychological circumstances hard to comprehend. For two reasons : firstly, my inability to describe the psychological struggle of myself and of my three hundred and fifty comrades ; secondly, it is terribly hard, if not inconceivable, to conjure up in one's imagination the pain and stress of psychological torture or to know its many forms or to understand its various effects.
Imagine how it would feel to be locked-up naked in solitary confinement , twenty-four hours a day, and subjected to total deprivation of not only common, everyday things, but of basic human necessities, such as clothes, fresh air and exercise, the company of other human beings ".
------ 'The Writings of Bobby Sands', April 1981 ; continued later ....
More on Maggie ...
In November 1988, Maggie Thatcher was on a 'tour' of Poland ;
She claimed to believe passionately in free trade unions - this was three days after the sacking of workers at the British Government Communications Centre in Cheltenham for refusing to resign their trade union membership ! The woman then associated herself with workers at Gdansk protesting against the closure "on economic grounds" of the Lenin Shipyard - this within one week of having forced through the closure of the Sunderland Shipyard for ... "economic reasons" ! The grocers daughter verbally lashed the then Premier, Miecazyslaw Rakowski, for rejecting "dialogue" with alienated sections of Polish society- not long after she herself dumped from her own cabinet those she considered "wets" ie Ministers who dared suggest dialogue as a means of resolving social conflict in Britain !
"She was only a grocers daughter ,
who could'nt admit, when she oughta,
....... NO, NO - STOP ......!
My stomach can't handle it :
...the hotel room is starting to spin .....
Robert Erskine Childers was educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Cambridge; at 24 years young, in 1894, he was working as a committee clerk in the British House of Commons , and was already a skilled yachtsman . At 33 years of age (in 1903) he published 'The Riddle of The Sands' , a fictional account of German preparations to invade England , based on his experiences on sailing holidays in the Baltic. He married Mary Ellen Osgood , from Boston,in 1904 and, six years later, left his job in the British House of Commons to devote himself to political work. (MORE LATER)>
" For someone who is contented, or unconcerned with any great worry, living what is termed an everyday life, you may find my psychological circumstances hard to comprehend. For two reasons : firstly, my inability to describe the psychological struggle of myself and of my three hundred and fifty comrades ; secondly, it is terribly hard, if not inconceivable, to conjure up in one's imagination the pain and stress of psychological torture or to know its many forms or to understand its various effects.
Imagine how it would feel to be locked-up naked in solitary confinement , twenty-four hours a day, and subjected to total deprivation of not only common, everyday things, but of basic human necessities, such as clothes, fresh air and exercise, the company of other human beings ".
------ 'The Writings of Bobby Sands', April 1981 ; continued later ....
More on Maggie ...
In November 1988, Maggie Thatcher was on a 'tour' of Poland ;
She claimed to believe passionately in free trade unions - this was three days after the sacking of workers at the British Government Communications Centre in Cheltenham for refusing to resign their trade union membership ! The woman then associated herself with workers at Gdansk protesting against the closure "on economic grounds" of the Lenin Shipyard - this within one week of having forced through the closure of the Sunderland Shipyard for ... "economic reasons" ! The grocers daughter verbally lashed the then Premier, Miecazyslaw Rakowski, for rejecting "dialogue" with alienated sections of Polish society- not long after she herself dumped from her own cabinet those she considered "wets" ie Ministers who dared suggest dialogue as a means of resolving social conflict in Britain !
"She was only a grocers daughter ,
who could'nt admit, when she oughta,
....... NO, NO - STOP ......!
My stomach can't handle it :
...the hotel room is starting to spin .....
Sunday, June 01, 2003
....the 2nd election results were announced on 12th March, 1875 (the day after the election);.....
The Conservative candidate , Stephen Moore, received 746 votes- John Mitchel won with 3,114 votes total, and was 're-elected' as MP for Tipperary. In a statement he released after the count, Mitchel wrote- "Your county has used her franchise in the best manner possible;that is, in making a desperate protest against the whole system of pretended parliamentary government in Ireland " (NOTE- shades of the present situation with Stormont : "pretended parliamentary government"). However, once again, the British House of Commons showed its contempt for democracy in Ireland, and disqualified John Mitchel as an "undischarged felon" - the Brits awarded the seat to Moore! But , by the time the British could put their man in the seat that belonged to John Mitchel , the winning candidate lay dead in his old home in Newry , County Down ; he died in March 1875, the same month in which he was elected,for the second time that year, as MP for Tipperary .
Once again,thanks this time to John Mitchel, the British had their arrogance exposed to the world .
"The sky began to grey as the dawn threatened , and the birds awoke to proclaim the existence of life and nature . In the outer corridor of silence a key jingled and footsteps approached from afar . Depression slipped away unnoticed , as tension attacked my nerves and fear fell with the dawn . Three hundred and fifty naked bodies stirred , a million thoughts and dreams fled , and a nightmare descended as the sun shone clear . Another day began . The footsteps grew louder and louder, and a voice said : "Get up, you bastards". I braced myself and thought- 'Oh for the darkness of a stormy night' " .
----- 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 ; first published in the old 'Republican News' , 6th January 1979 .
From 'The New Nation' magazine, November 1988, page 11 --
The Irish people are aware of the damage that Maggie Thatcher inflicted on us during her terms in Office , but perhaps less well known is the damage she caused in her own country :
Britain under Thatcher witnessed bank interest rates rise to what was then described as "NASA-style curves" ie up four times in one two-month period , a mortgage rate at a crippling 13 per cent , house prices actually falling in London , a balance of payments deficit piling up to £11 billion (at the end of 1988) which was more than 3 times the British Chancellors estimate , a fall of 25 per cent in the price of North Sea oil and inflation climbing to 6 per cent and beyond !
And here is my tribute to that special lady --
" She was only a grocers daughter
who propositioned the Tories
and they bought her,
she lead them all, smiling, to the slaughter
'cept the Irish Republicans, who fought her " !
I really need a room in a hotel after that .....
The Conservative candidate , Stephen Moore, received 746 votes- John Mitchel won with 3,114 votes total, and was 're-elected' as MP for Tipperary. In a statement he released after the count, Mitchel wrote- "Your county has used her franchise in the best manner possible;that is, in making a desperate protest against the whole system of pretended parliamentary government in Ireland " (NOTE- shades of the present situation with Stormont : "pretended parliamentary government"). However, once again, the British House of Commons showed its contempt for democracy in Ireland, and disqualified John Mitchel as an "undischarged felon" - the Brits awarded the seat to Moore! But , by the time the British could put their man in the seat that belonged to John Mitchel , the winning candidate lay dead in his old home in Newry , County Down ; he died in March 1875, the same month in which he was elected,for the second time that year, as MP for Tipperary .
Once again,thanks this time to John Mitchel, the British had their arrogance exposed to the world .
"The sky began to grey as the dawn threatened , and the birds awoke to proclaim the existence of life and nature . In the outer corridor of silence a key jingled and footsteps approached from afar . Depression slipped away unnoticed , as tension attacked my nerves and fear fell with the dawn . Three hundred and fifty naked bodies stirred , a million thoughts and dreams fled , and a nightmare descended as the sun shone clear . Another day began . The footsteps grew louder and louder, and a voice said : "Get up, you bastards". I braced myself and thought- 'Oh for the darkness of a stormy night' " .
----- 'The Writings of Bobby Sands' , April 1981 ; first published in the old 'Republican News' , 6th January 1979 .
From 'The New Nation' magazine, November 1988, page 11 --
The Irish people are aware of the damage that Maggie Thatcher inflicted on us during her terms in Office , but perhaps less well known is the damage she caused in her own country :
Britain under Thatcher witnessed bank interest rates rise to what was then described as "NASA-style curves" ie up four times in one two-month period , a mortgage rate at a crippling 13 per cent , house prices actually falling in London , a balance of payments deficit piling up to £11 billion (at the end of 1988) which was more than 3 times the British Chancellors estimate , a fall of 25 per cent in the price of North Sea oil and inflation climbing to 6 per cent and beyond !
And here is my tribute to that special lady --
" She was only a grocers daughter
who propositioned the Tories
and they bought her,
she lead them all, smiling, to the slaughter
'cept the Irish Republicans, who fought her " !
I really need a room in a hotel after that .....
Saturday, May 31, 2003
.....on 16th February 1875,the Irish rebel John Mitchel won a seat in the British parliament , representing Tipperary - however , the British House of Commons had other ideas on Mitchel's victory ......
The British declared that Mitchel's election was void as he was a felon,and stated that a new election to fill the Tipperary seat would be held on 11th March , 1875 . John Mitchel , not being in the best of health, canvassed locally and, as the 'ex-MP' , drew huge crowds, while his election team covered the neighbouring counties ; at the Theatre Royal in Cork , for instance,the following statement was read to a packed house on his behalf - "The first and greatest good which I see in that election is , that it was a magnificent pronouncement in favour of the national right of Ireland , and against the usurpation of the British parliament. The people of Tipperary elected me as the most implacable enemy of British tyranny " .
The (2nd) election results were announced on 12th March, 1875 (the day after the election) ; ...... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
Six days he fought
midst dying piles of gory mutilated heroes,
And the English cannon roared
Upon the ghosts of Celtic bones,
a nation's blood was poured.
Thousands fell in screaming bloody terror
whilst the informer hid cowering close by,
But there were none left amongst that bloody fray
to hear the woman cry.
------- Bobby Sands.
From 'The Evening Press', 14th November 1986 (a Friday, I think...) , page 3 --
On 13th November, 1986 (possibly a Thursday) Ronald Reagan confirmed he undertook eighteen months of secret diplomacy with Iran and sent over "small amounts" of weapons in order "to improve relations" ie for Iran to exert pressure to ensure that U S citizens were not kidnapped and held hostage in the Lebanon ! And the U S agents that delivered the "small amounts" of weapons travelled on passports issued by the Free State administration in Dublin .....
..... so we had U S agents (probably CIA) delivering weapons to Iran with the aid of Free State passports in an apparent attempt to bribe the authorities in Iran to put pressure on a militia in Lebanon not to kidnap U S citizens !
See - we play on the world stage with the big boys ; no wonder Bertie is the Statesman he so obviously is !
The British declared that Mitchel's election was void as he was a felon,and stated that a new election to fill the Tipperary seat would be held on 11th March , 1875 . John Mitchel , not being in the best of health, canvassed locally and, as the 'ex-MP' , drew huge crowds, while his election team covered the neighbouring counties ; at the Theatre Royal in Cork , for instance,the following statement was read to a packed house on his behalf - "The first and greatest good which I see in that election is , that it was a magnificent pronouncement in favour of the national right of Ireland , and against the usurpation of the British parliament. The people of Tipperary elected me as the most implacable enemy of British tyranny " .
The (2nd) election results were announced on 12th March, 1875 (the day after the election) ; ...... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
Six days he fought
midst dying piles of gory mutilated heroes,
And the English cannon roared
Upon the ghosts of Celtic bones,
a nation's blood was poured.
Thousands fell in screaming bloody terror
whilst the informer hid cowering close by,
But there were none left amongst that bloody fray
to hear the woman cry.
------- Bobby Sands.
From 'The Evening Press', 14th November 1986 (a Friday, I think...) , page 3 --
On 13th November, 1986 (possibly a Thursday) Ronald Reagan confirmed he undertook eighteen months of secret diplomacy with Iran and sent over "small amounts" of weapons in order "to improve relations" ie for Iran to exert pressure to ensure that U S citizens were not kidnapped and held hostage in the Lebanon ! And the U S agents that delivered the "small amounts" of weapons travelled on passports issued by the Free State administration in Dublin .....
..... so we had U S agents (probably CIA) delivering weapons to Iran with the aid of Free State passports in an apparent attempt to bribe the authorities in Iran to put pressure on a militia in Lebanon not to kidnap U S citizens !
See - we play on the world stage with the big boys ; no wonder Bertie is the Statesman he so obviously is !
Friday, May 30, 2003
.....in July 1874 , John Mitchel returned to Ireland after an enforced absence (by the British) of twenty-six years and stated that he would stand for election to the British Parliament if a vacancy arose , but on one condition - that he would not take his seat , if elected ; he then returned to America .....
Shortly afterwards, a vacancy occurred in Tipperary , and his name was put forward as a candidate - his friend, John Martin, went to print with John Mitchel's election address , which he had left in Ireland for just such an occasion , and which finished with the declaration ; "I am in favour of Home Rule- that is, the sovereign independence of Ireland" (which was not what the British understood by the term!). Because he had been nominated to contest the election (due to take place on 16th February 1875) , John Mitchel again left America for Ireland and landed in Cork ; on his arrival , he was greeted by friends and supporters and was told that the election was over and he had been successful - he was now MP for Tipperary . The English House of Commons, however, had other ideas on Mitchel's victory ..... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
Cold black water lashed and splashed
and played around a tattered reed,
By dying embers, to God a woman prayed
that the Gael might but succeed.
The silver nails of a rugged boot
scarred a lonely lifeless stone,
'Cross rambling hill he marched afoot,
to fight along with Tone.
----- by Bobby Sands; final two verses tomorrow.
In October 1986 , Fine Gael's Garret Fitzgerald gave an interview to the 'Belfast Telegraph' , in which he said - "The fact is that, over the past year, Northern Nationalists have seen the judicial system operating in a manner .... that is equitable and fair.They have seen the security forces being even-handed in the way they have handled very difficult problems with great courage and dedication. They have seen progress in the willingness on the part of the British Government to tackle more effectively the problems of discrimination which remain " . Asked about the Dublin administration's 'meddlesome interference in the affairs of another country' (or some such similar 'Telegraph'-loaded question) , the Fine Gael man answered- " We have no desire to be involved in the process of Northern Ireland(sic) any more than is necessary to tackle the problem of the IRA and eliminate it " ! .... NOW, NOW , folks- don't be too harsh on Fitzer; he was only speaking his mind(and that of those in Leinster House.....)
Shortly afterwards, a vacancy occurred in Tipperary , and his name was put forward as a candidate - his friend, John Martin, went to print with John Mitchel's election address , which he had left in Ireland for just such an occasion , and which finished with the declaration ; "I am in favour of Home Rule- that is, the sovereign independence of Ireland" (which was not what the British understood by the term!). Because he had been nominated to contest the election (due to take place on 16th February 1875) , John Mitchel again left America for Ireland and landed in Cork ; on his arrival , he was greeted by friends and supporters and was told that the election was over and he had been successful - he was now MP for Tipperary . The English House of Commons, however, had other ideas on Mitchel's victory ..... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
Cold black water lashed and splashed
and played around a tattered reed,
By dying embers, to God a woman prayed
that the Gael might but succeed.
The silver nails of a rugged boot
scarred a lonely lifeless stone,
'Cross rambling hill he marched afoot,
to fight along with Tone.
----- by Bobby Sands; final two verses tomorrow.
In October 1986 , Fine Gael's Garret Fitzgerald gave an interview to the 'Belfast Telegraph' , in which he said - "The fact is that, over the past year, Northern Nationalists have seen the judicial system operating in a manner .... that is equitable and fair.They have seen the security forces being even-handed in the way they have handled very difficult problems with great courage and dedication. They have seen progress in the willingness on the part of the British Government to tackle more effectively the problems of discrimination which remain " . Asked about the Dublin administration's 'meddlesome interference in the affairs of another country' (or some such similar 'Telegraph'-loaded question) , the Fine Gael man answered- " We have no desire to be involved in the process of Northern Ireland(sic) any more than is necessary to tackle the problem of the IRA and eliminate it " ! .... NOW, NOW , folks- don't be too harsh on Fitzer; he was only speaking his mind(and that of those in Leinster House.....)
Thursday, May 29, 2003
In 1875 , when the results of an election held in Ireland did'nt suit the British Government , they did what they do best - they 'waived the rules' .... and then , within weeks, they done it again ....
In that year , 1875, the 'Young Ireland' leader , John Mitchel, was twice returned as MP for Tipperary - and was twice disenfranchised by the Brits !
When his newspaper 'The United Irishman' was suppressed by the British in May 1848, John Mitchel was arrested and charged with treason felony - he was sentenced to transportation to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) for 14 years but escaped to America in 1853 (see archives). Still viewed by the British as a 'convicted felon' and liable to arrest, he landed in Ireland in July 1874 , after an enforced absence of twenty-six years ! He stated that he would stand for parliament if a vacancy arose , but on one condition - that the electorate be made aware that he would not take his seat in the House of Commons if elected ; he then returned to America . Shortly afterwards , a vacancy occured in Tipperary ...... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
From humble home in dead of night
a flitting shadow fled,
The yellow moon caught sharpened pike
where the night shades danced and played.
A bramble clawed at trembling hand
and a night owl watched unseen,
Through bog and glen a United man
marched out to win a dream.
(.... a six-stanza poem by Bobby Sands, published in 1981 : more later).
From 'The Sunday Tribune', 2nd November 1986, page 21 -
After U S Marines invaded Grenada in 1983 , Duane Clarridge, the CIA Organiser of the Contras, drove around Grenada with a car-bumper sticker saying - "Nicaragua Next" ! Clarridge was questioned by a U S Congressional Committee in relation to what he knew about the then situation in Nicaragua , and eventually admitted that - "civilians and Sandinista Officials in the provinces, as well as heads of co-operatives , nurses, doctors and judges " had been killed by the (U S-backed) Contras .
State-sponsored terrorism ; the Brits do it in Ireland , and .......
In that year , 1875, the 'Young Ireland' leader , John Mitchel, was twice returned as MP for Tipperary - and was twice disenfranchised by the Brits !
When his newspaper 'The United Irishman' was suppressed by the British in May 1848, John Mitchel was arrested and charged with treason felony - he was sentenced to transportation to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) for 14 years but escaped to America in 1853 (see archives). Still viewed by the British as a 'convicted felon' and liable to arrest, he landed in Ireland in July 1874 , after an enforced absence of twenty-six years ! He stated that he would stand for parliament if a vacancy arose , but on one condition - that the electorate be made aware that he would not take his seat in the House of Commons if elected ; he then returned to America . Shortly afterwards , a vacancy occured in Tipperary ...... (MORE LATER)>
THE WOMAN CRIED
From humble home in dead of night
a flitting shadow fled,
The yellow moon caught sharpened pike
where the night shades danced and played.
A bramble clawed at trembling hand
and a night owl watched unseen,
Through bog and glen a United man
marched out to win a dream.
(.... a six-stanza poem by Bobby Sands, published in 1981 : more later).
From 'The Sunday Tribune', 2nd November 1986, page 21 -
After U S Marines invaded Grenada in 1983 , Duane Clarridge, the CIA Organiser of the Contras, drove around Grenada with a car-bumper sticker saying - "Nicaragua Next" ! Clarridge was questioned by a U S Congressional Committee in relation to what he knew about the then situation in Nicaragua , and eventually admitted that - "civilians and Sandinista Officials in the provinces, as well as heads of co-operatives , nurses, doctors and judges " had been killed by the (U S-backed) Contras .
State-sponsored terrorism ; the Brits do it in Ireland , and .......
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
....by 1645 , Owen Roe O'Neill had a professional Irish Army of five-thousand men armed , trained and prepared for battle .....
The English Army General , Munroe, issued orders in June 1646 that the three Anglo-Scottish armies in the North of Ireland were to converge - his plan was to march south to invade Leinster ; O'Neill had his own plan .....
He moved his men from Cavan to Benburb in County Tyrone , on the River Blackwater, and positioned his army on a hill , with his flank protected by a bog on one side and the rivers Blackwater and Oona on the other side . When O'Neill heard that Munroe was marching on his position , he sent word for Brian O'Neill and Owen O'Doherty , with their men, to follow Munroe and his Army . On 5th June , 1646, Munroe and his men were facing O'Neills forces and by now must have realised that the other O'Neill and O'Doherty were behind them - they were trapped.
Owen Roe O'Neill gave the order to charge and Munroe's army panicked ; the two groups behind Munroe attacked at the same time and the English forces scattered- some tried to cross the Blackwater , others ran for the River Oona ,but most perished in the marshes nearby .The Irish rebels surged into the remainder of the invaders (from two directions) and won the day - Munroe lost more than three-thousand soldiers while the Irish suffered around seventy dead. 'The Battle of Benburb' was a total triumph for the Irish ; however, the victory was only enjoyed for three short years - in August 1649 , Oliver Cromwell got the revenge that the English craved.
"The concrete floor was so cold that to pace the floor would be impossible in one's bare feet. Three small flimsy blankets and lying upon a damp mattress would not provide enough warmth for escape through sleep. This night will be another night, huddled up in the corner, fighting the intense cold amidst despairing thoughts when pain and depression become almost overwhelming . The wind is rising and growing angry ; it will carry the blankets of falling snow in through the paneless windows. I am very, very cold now. I can stand here and freeze at the window gazing upon this barbed-wire jungle of colour and whiteness , or I can retreat to my little den in the corner of my tomb ...... " (continued tomorrow..) .
----'The Writings of Bobby Sands', April 1981 (first published in 'Republican News', 20th January 1979).
....'loyal' shipyard workers from Harland and Wolff physically prevented a rally for Labour candidates in the May 1921 elections from taking place in the 'Ulster Hall' , terming them "Bolsheviks" . At Stormont , Prime Minister Craig (later Lord Craigavon) moved an amendment saying- " The employment of disloyalists (meaning Catholics, in H+W) is prejudicial to the state and takes jobs away from loyalists" .Between January 1975 and December 1979, British governments paid out £103 million in grants and loans to H+W . The Thatcher administration came to power in 1979 , supposedly committed to strict 'no lame-ducks' criteria and to cuts in public spending - however, H+W went on to receive a total of £291 million from public funds !
In 1980 , a £42.5 million hand-out was partly paid for by a temporary suspension of housing repair work and an extra cut-back in welfare services , hitting the North's unemployed the hardest .
...." a cold house " indeed .
The English Army General , Munroe, issued orders in June 1646 that the three Anglo-Scottish armies in the North of Ireland were to converge - his plan was to march south to invade Leinster ; O'Neill had his own plan .....
He moved his men from Cavan to Benburb in County Tyrone , on the River Blackwater, and positioned his army on a hill , with his flank protected by a bog on one side and the rivers Blackwater and Oona on the other side . When O'Neill heard that Munroe was marching on his position , he sent word for Brian O'Neill and Owen O'Doherty , with their men, to follow Munroe and his Army . On 5th June , 1646, Munroe and his men were facing O'Neills forces and by now must have realised that the other O'Neill and O'Doherty were behind them - they were trapped.
Owen Roe O'Neill gave the order to charge and Munroe's army panicked ; the two groups behind Munroe attacked at the same time and the English forces scattered- some tried to cross the Blackwater , others ran for the River Oona ,but most perished in the marshes nearby .The Irish rebels surged into the remainder of the invaders (from two directions) and won the day - Munroe lost more than three-thousand soldiers while the Irish suffered around seventy dead. 'The Battle of Benburb' was a total triumph for the Irish ; however, the victory was only enjoyed for three short years - in August 1649 , Oliver Cromwell got the revenge that the English craved.
"The concrete floor was so cold that to pace the floor would be impossible in one's bare feet. Three small flimsy blankets and lying upon a damp mattress would not provide enough warmth for escape through sleep. This night will be another night, huddled up in the corner, fighting the intense cold amidst despairing thoughts when pain and depression become almost overwhelming . The wind is rising and growing angry ; it will carry the blankets of falling snow in through the paneless windows. I am very, very cold now. I can stand here and freeze at the window gazing upon this barbed-wire jungle of colour and whiteness , or I can retreat to my little den in the corner of my tomb ...... " (continued tomorrow..) .
----'The Writings of Bobby Sands', April 1981 (first published in 'Republican News', 20th January 1979).
....'loyal' shipyard workers from Harland and Wolff physically prevented a rally for Labour candidates in the May 1921 elections from taking place in the 'Ulster Hall' , terming them "Bolsheviks" . At Stormont , Prime Minister Craig (later Lord Craigavon) moved an amendment saying- " The employment of disloyalists (meaning Catholics, in H+W) is prejudicial to the state and takes jobs away from loyalists" .Between January 1975 and December 1979, British governments paid out £103 million in grants and loans to H+W . The Thatcher administration came to power in 1979 , supposedly committed to strict 'no lame-ducks' criteria and to cuts in public spending - however, H+W went on to receive a total of £291 million from public funds !
In 1980 , a £42.5 million hand-out was partly paid for by a temporary suspension of housing repair work and an extra cut-back in welfare services , hitting the North's unemployed the hardest .
...." a cold house " indeed .
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
' The Battle of Benburb ' was fought in County Tyrone, in Ireland, on 5th June, 1646 ; the English lost more than three thousand soldiers- the Irish lost around seventy ......
Two Irish Chiefs, Rory O'More and Phelim O'Neill, recognised an opportunity to strike-out for Irish freedom in 1641 ; in the winter of that year, civil war was imminent in England between King Charles and the English Parliament . O'Neill and his army took control of Ulster , joined up with Rory O'More and his army and marched south into Louth and Meath ; their success was noted and within months uprisings took place in Munster and Connaught .
Owen Roe O'Neill (an Irish Chief) and his men had been exiled by the English , and had served with distinction in the Spanish Army ; in July 1642 , he returned to Ireland with his troops to join in the fight against English domination : he organised the Irish forces in a professional manner and , by the winter of 1645, had established a base of some five thousand trained soldiers in County Cavan ...... (MORE LATER)>
MODERN TIMES
As the bureaucrats, speculators and presidents alike
pin on their dirty, stinking,happy smiles tonight,
The lonely prisoner will cry out from within his tomb,
and tomorrow's wretch will leave its mother's womb !
----- Bobby Sands , 1979 .
(NOTE- there are still Irish Republican prisoners in jails today while so-called republicans meet with the "bureaucrats , speculators and presidents ",in their quest to build a career for themselves).
The Belfast shipyard 'Harland and Wolff' has made the headlines many times since the British partitioned this country (indeed, they not only partitioned the country, but also partitioned Ulster ie from nine counties to six); but the shipyard's 'protestant state for a protestant people'-ethics pre-dates partition :
In 1864 , approximately six-hundred shipyard workers armed with muskets , pistols, axes and other weapons attacked Catholic 'navvies' who were excavating new docks . Neal Fagan, a Catholic, was axed to death. In a similar attack in June 1886, Seamus Curran was murdered. In 1911 , out of a total of 6,809 shipyard workers, only 518 were Catholics , and expulsions were organised to get rid of the Catholics ; in 1912, 1920 , 1935, 1939 , 1969 and 1970 , they were forced to leave . In the May 1921 elections , a massed crowd of "loyal shipyard workers" physically prevented a rally for Labour-party candidates from taking place in the Ulster Hall, terming them "bolsheviks" ....... (MORE LATER)>
Two Irish Chiefs, Rory O'More and Phelim O'Neill, recognised an opportunity to strike-out for Irish freedom in 1641 ; in the winter of that year, civil war was imminent in England between King Charles and the English Parliament . O'Neill and his army took control of Ulster , joined up with Rory O'More and his army and marched south into Louth and Meath ; their success was noted and within months uprisings took place in Munster and Connaught .
Owen Roe O'Neill (an Irish Chief) and his men had been exiled by the English , and had served with distinction in the Spanish Army ; in July 1642 , he returned to Ireland with his troops to join in the fight against English domination : he organised the Irish forces in a professional manner and , by the winter of 1645, had established a base of some five thousand trained soldiers in County Cavan ...... (MORE LATER)>
MODERN TIMES
As the bureaucrats, speculators and presidents alike
pin on their dirty, stinking,happy smiles tonight,
The lonely prisoner will cry out from within his tomb,
and tomorrow's wretch will leave its mother's womb !
----- Bobby Sands , 1979 .
(NOTE- there are still Irish Republican prisoners in jails today while so-called republicans meet with the "bureaucrats , speculators and presidents ",in their quest to build a career for themselves).
The Belfast shipyard 'Harland and Wolff' has made the headlines many times since the British partitioned this country (indeed, they not only partitioned the country, but also partitioned Ulster ie from nine counties to six); but the shipyard's 'protestant state for a protestant people'-ethics pre-dates partition :
In 1864 , approximately six-hundred shipyard workers armed with muskets , pistols, axes and other weapons attacked Catholic 'navvies' who were excavating new docks . Neal Fagan, a Catholic, was axed to death. In a similar attack in June 1886, Seamus Curran was murdered. In 1911 , out of a total of 6,809 shipyard workers, only 518 were Catholics , and expulsions were organised to get rid of the Catholics ; in 1912, 1920 , 1935, 1939 , 1969 and 1970 , they were forced to leave . In the May 1921 elections , a massed crowd of "loyal shipyard workers" physically prevented a rally for Labour-party candidates from taking place in the Ulster Hall, terming them "bolsheviks" ....... (MORE LATER)>
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