The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......Formed in November 1920 , the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' (the 'GROWL') was doing well , financially , for the IRA campaign in Ireland ; but - in December 1921 , the 'Treaty of Surrender' was to change that .......
The remnants of Clan na Gael (now dis-owned by the Republican Movement in Ireland), led by John Devoy , supported the pro-Treaty side (ie the Free Staters). But the Clan , already weak compared with what it used to be , was weakened further by this acceptance of the 1921 Treaty - a section of it left and called itself the 'Clan na Gael Reorganised' (or 'Clan na Gael and the IRA' , as it was perhaps better known ).
This 'Reorganised Clan' was led by Joseph McGarrity and Luke Dillon - the 1921 Treaty of Surrender was apparently the 'straw that broke the camels back '; McGarrity and John Devoy were said to be 'chalk and cheese' anyway , and did not get on well together . And , actually , Joseph McGarrity had at first promoted and supported the 1921 Treaty of Surrender ! In a statement at the time , McGarrity claimed that " Ireland's sovereign Independence is acknowledged by the British Cabinet and their action is approved by Britain's King . This much is certain ." (!)
Again , at that particular time , McGarrity was fulsome in his praise of that Treaty .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We gathered up the spoils of the ambush - guns , equipment and their bicycles . We left the British soldiers in as comfortable a position as we could ......."
" The British Officer , Lieutenant Sharman , had been killed outright . Four of his soldiers had been wounded , not badly . We were about to cycle home along the road to Clondrohid , as far as Drohidin Clia , then turn south for kilnamartyra , when our scouts reported lorries from that direction . We had to take the bicycles on our shoulders up the steep side of Cnoc an Uir .
We got away in that direction . John Harrington of Coolavokig was our first rest - he invited us in to tea , which we gladly accepted as we had not eaten since 7.30 am . We left John's house soon after tea , for it was a likely place for an early raid . We descended the sloping fields of Coolavokig , to cross the main Macroom-Ballyvourney Road at Yankee Lyons's gate . As we neared our crossing point we were in a slight hollow and for a minute or two lost sight of the road .
In that short time two British Army lorries from Macroom had turned the corner at Geata Ban , unknown to us at the time ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(6 of 12).
It came out in court that RUC member John Robinson was part of an elite SAS-trained RUC squad ; E4A . That squad were trained in "firepower , speed and aggression ." And members of the same squad had been involved in all six killings .
The following year (ie 1985) Sergeant William Montgomery , RUC 'Constables' David Brannigan and Frederick Robinson appeared before British 'Lord Justice' Gibson on a charge of killing Eugene Toman ; again , they were not charged with killing Sean Burns and Gervaise McKerr as they were found in the car , whereas Eugene Toman had made it as far as the ground . 'Lord Justice' Gibson acquitted all three Brit operatives .
Gibson actually commended the three RUC men for their " courage and determination in bringing the three deceased men to justice , in this case , the final court of justice ." It came out then that the three dead men had been 'tailed' for days , and that two of them were wanted on a murder charge . But no explanation was forthcoming as to why they were not arrested , rather than killed , if such was the case .
(MORE LATER).
Monday, April 12, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
....... November 1920 ; under direction from the leadership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland , the Clan na Gael organisation was disbanded . The 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group also suffered because of that directive . A new organisation was established - the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' - 'AARIR' (or 'GROWL' , because of its acronym).......
Eamon de Valera was back in Ireland by December that year (ie 1920), but had left his mark in America ; the publicity generated by the fall-out between the Clan na Gael and Friends Of Irish Freedom organisations , and the establishment of the new 'AARIR' group had put the Irish situation back on 'Page One' - it was a hot topic again .
The Brits were , of course, watching every move - they realised that the millions of Irish people in America , with their sympathy , support and money for an armed campaign in Ireland , plus good support amongst the Irish population in England itself for an armed campaign , was perhaps more than they could successfully counter in the short-term ; they were losing the propaganda war . A willingness to hold truce talks with the Irish Rebels was signalled , which led to the 'Treaty Of Surrender' in December 1921 .
Thirteen months after it was formed (ie November 1920 - December 1921) , the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' was thrown into disarray because of the 'Treaty of Surrender' ; splits and divisions loomed - " divide and conquer ......."
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......The ambush was over ; the British Army Officer in charge of the patrol was dead . His men had surrendered to us , and we were rounding them up and taking what weapon's they had . I stood over a Brit soldier I had shot at - his rifle was still beside him . His face was to the ground ......."
" I caught him by the shoulder and called out " Hallo ! " ; no reply . I thought him dead . My left hand grasping his right shoulder , I rolled him over . A fresh smiling face looked up at me out of humorous eyes : " I thought you were dead " , I said . "No" , he replied lazily . " You are wounded , then , or ought to be . " " I don't think so , " was his reply .
I opened his tunic , button by button . Not a scratch on him . " I am very glad indeed , " I said . " Thanks " , he said , smiling . The two bullets fired at him had torn deeply into the road under him as he lay . He had been lucky to escape the worst kind of wound . I caught another British soldier by the shoulder as he lay face down on the grass of the northern dyke . He rolled over and put up his hands , saying - " Paddy , don't shoot ! " " We won't harm you now , " I replied . He unbuckled his equipment and handed it to me . I picked up his rifle and replaced it on his bicycle , with his steel cap and trench equipment . I saw Mick the Soldier do the same .
We had already settled on cycling home ; a wounded British soldier asked me for a cigarette . I had not a single one . I assured him I would get one for him . I tried all our own lads - no cigarettes . Neither had any British soldier got one ; I could do nothing but tell him how sorry I was . "
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(5 of 12).
The killing of Seamus Grew and Roddy Carroll brought to more than one-hundred-and-sixty the number of unarmed civilians who had been killed by the UDR , RUC and British Army in circumstances which suggested they were murdered . In that twelve-year period (ie 1970 - 1982) no-one had been charged with murder . But there were such grave irregularities in the RUC files on these six killings that it was difficult to ignore them . Inquests could not be held until criminal proceedings were completed .
The Chief Constable of the RUC had complete confidence in his men . The criticism of his force from Catholic priests and community leaders was starting to build up . In January 1984 , more than a year after the six killings , he said - " Of course there is anti-police feeling in the province (sic) , inevitable when there are the political affiliations that we have here . We are responsibly reported in the media , with the only sniping coming from fringe elements that don't cause us any concern and which the community as a whole sees to be superficial . There are not many fools in Northern Ireland (sic) . The RUC are quite extraordinary men , doing quite an extraordinary job . "
In April 1984 , RUC man John Robinson was charged with the murder of Seamus Grew . He was acquitted by Mr. 'Justice' McDermott , who considered that he had used reasonable force in the circumstances . The reason he had been charged with the killing of Seamus Grew only , and not of both Grew and Roddy Carroll , was that Seamus Grew was found outside the car , which meant that he had lived and was shot on the ground . Those circumstances were " the general wartime situation in Northern Ireland " (sic) , said the good 'Justice' .
RUC man Robinson was commended for his sharpshooting by 'Justice' McDermott ! But other rocks were turned over in court also.......
(MORE LATER).
....... November 1920 ; under direction from the leadership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland , the Clan na Gael organisation was disbanded . The 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group also suffered because of that directive . A new organisation was established - the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' - 'AARIR' (or 'GROWL' , because of its acronym).......
Eamon de Valera was back in Ireland by December that year (ie 1920), but had left his mark in America ; the publicity generated by the fall-out between the Clan na Gael and Friends Of Irish Freedom organisations , and the establishment of the new 'AARIR' group had put the Irish situation back on 'Page One' - it was a hot topic again .
The Brits were , of course, watching every move - they realised that the millions of Irish people in America , with their sympathy , support and money for an armed campaign in Ireland , plus good support amongst the Irish population in England itself for an armed campaign , was perhaps more than they could successfully counter in the short-term ; they were losing the propaganda war . A willingness to hold truce talks with the Irish Rebels was signalled , which led to the 'Treaty Of Surrender' in December 1921 .
Thirteen months after it was formed (ie November 1920 - December 1921) , the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' was thrown into disarray because of the 'Treaty of Surrender' ; splits and divisions loomed - " divide and conquer ......."
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......The ambush was over ; the British Army Officer in charge of the patrol was dead . His men had surrendered to us , and we were rounding them up and taking what weapon's they had . I stood over a Brit soldier I had shot at - his rifle was still beside him . His face was to the ground ......."
" I caught him by the shoulder and called out " Hallo ! " ; no reply . I thought him dead . My left hand grasping his right shoulder , I rolled him over . A fresh smiling face looked up at me out of humorous eyes : " I thought you were dead " , I said . "No" , he replied lazily . " You are wounded , then , or ought to be . " " I don't think so , " was his reply .
I opened his tunic , button by button . Not a scratch on him . " I am very glad indeed , " I said . " Thanks " , he said , smiling . The two bullets fired at him had torn deeply into the road under him as he lay . He had been lucky to escape the worst kind of wound . I caught another British soldier by the shoulder as he lay face down on the grass of the northern dyke . He rolled over and put up his hands , saying - " Paddy , don't shoot ! " " We won't harm you now , " I replied . He unbuckled his equipment and handed it to me . I picked up his rifle and replaced it on his bicycle , with his steel cap and trench equipment . I saw Mick the Soldier do the same .
We had already settled on cycling home ; a wounded British soldier asked me for a cigarette . I had not a single one . I assured him I would get one for him . I tried all our own lads - no cigarettes . Neither had any British soldier got one ; I could do nothing but tell him how sorry I was . "
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(5 of 12).
The killing of Seamus Grew and Roddy Carroll brought to more than one-hundred-and-sixty the number of unarmed civilians who had been killed by the UDR , RUC and British Army in circumstances which suggested they were murdered . In that twelve-year period (ie 1970 - 1982) no-one had been charged with murder . But there were such grave irregularities in the RUC files on these six killings that it was difficult to ignore them . Inquests could not be held until criminal proceedings were completed .
The Chief Constable of the RUC had complete confidence in his men . The criticism of his force from Catholic priests and community leaders was starting to build up . In January 1984 , more than a year after the six killings , he said - " Of course there is anti-police feeling in the province (sic) , inevitable when there are the political affiliations that we have here . We are responsibly reported in the media , with the only sniping coming from fringe elements that don't cause us any concern and which the community as a whole sees to be superficial . There are not many fools in Northern Ireland (sic) . The RUC are quite extraordinary men , doing quite an extraordinary job . "
In April 1984 , RUC man John Robinson was charged with the murder of Seamus Grew . He was acquitted by Mr. 'Justice' McDermott , who considered that he had used reasonable force in the circumstances . The reason he had been charged with the killing of Seamus Grew only , and not of both Grew and Roddy Carroll , was that Seamus Grew was found outside the car , which meant that he had lived and was shot on the ground . Those circumstances were " the general wartime situation in Northern Ireland " (sic) , said the good 'Justice' .
RUC man Robinson was commended for his sharpshooting by 'Justice' McDermott ! But other rocks were turned over in court also.......
(MORE LATER).
Sunday, April 11, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......The dispute between the Clan na Gael organisation and the Friends Of Irish Freedom group was now over , with the FOIF resolution (ie 'gentle prodding') winning out in the end . But the dispute had been noticed by the Irish Republican Brotherhood leadership in Ireland .......
As stated here previously , the American Clan na Gael organisation recognised the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood as the Government of the (all-Ireland) Irish Republic so , when , within weeks of the Clan / FOIF dispute , an order came from the leadership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland directing the Clan na Gael group "to stand down" , it obeyed - but under protest .
Without the support of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland , both the Clan and the FOIF were severely weakened and could not now claim to be linked to the Republican Movement in Ireland .
In November 1920 , Eamon de Valera (and other leadership figures in Ireland) set-up a new organisation - the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' ; known as 'GROWL' , because of the sound of its acronym , 'AARIR' . With the backing and promotion of the IRB leadership , and the support in America of figures such as Joseph McGarrity , the 'AARIR' was successful , and raised thousands of dollars for the then IRA in Ireland.
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
"....... The British patrol were now within thirty yards of us . We watched as Paddy Donncha Eoin got to his feet , with a revolver in his hand ......."
" Paddy called on them to surrender ; the British Army Officer looked back over his left shoulder . He said nothing , but stood-up on his push-bike pedals and threw his weight down on them , put his head down and rode forward . All his men did likewise . There was no doubt about their intention - it was to break through our ranks . A revolver barked and a volley rang our - the Brit Officer fell but his men cycled on ; I jumped to my feet - we had been lying against the sloping face of the hillock . As I rose , a rifle exploded close to my left ear , almost knocking me down again . It was 'Mick the Soldier' , who had risen before me and had fired across my back at some of the British soldiers who were almost abreast of us . We stepped out on the road .
There was another burst of rifle fire ; we saw a British soldier lying in the dust , half way down the road . He lay quite flat , his heels turned inwards , and he was engaged in releasing rapid fire upwards at the top of the Slippery Rock . We fired simultaneously at him - both bullets struck a foot apart under his body and raised a column of dust , which gave me the impression that we had cut his body in two ; he let his rifle drop . Then there came silence ...
Our lads were coming out on the road . I walked past Jamie , Con Sean Jer and Ned Micky Sweeney as they disarmed a group of British soldiers . One of the Brits struggled with Ned Sweeney to retain his rifle , but Ned wrenched it from him . I came to the man whom we had last fired at - he lay in exactly the same position , with his left hand stretched in the firing posture and his right hand down on the road near the small of the rifle-butt . The rifle lay with a cartridge half thrust forward into the breech .
His face was to the ground ....."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(4 of 12).
The third incident was eighteen days later . It was just about 8.30pm on 12th December 1982 when 'Irish National Liberation Army' (INLA) member Seamus Grew drove his Allegro car up towards his home at Mullacreevie Park in Armagh City . He had just been into the Free State for a funeral . Roddy Carroll , another INLA man , was sitting in the passenger seat . Driving along , Seamus Grew recognised a neighbour , Joseph Graham , and he waved to him . Another car suddenly came up very fast behind Grew's car and pulled up in front of it . There were at least two men in it .
Then the shooting started ; it was like a "cracking noise" , according to Joseph Graham . It stopped , and then it started again . On either side of the road , the RUC were patrolling the fields , and there was an RUC car blocking off the bottom of the hill . It was a closed-off area . The RUC decided to lie once more ...
They put out the story that Seamus Grew had driven through a road-block , injuring an RUC man , and that they were then forced to fire on the car . They changed that story later . What had actually happened was that the RUC had followed Grew into the Free State , but he had somehow managed to avoid a road-block on his way back up to the North . Further up the road , an undercover British Army car and an undercover RUC car were involved in an accident and , in the ensuing mess , Seamus Grew drove through undetected . The RUC man following Grew saw the accident , picked up RUC man John Robinson , passed the Allegro and halted it .
RUC man Robinson then got out of his car , fired fifteen times at Roddy Carroll , walked around the car , re-loaded his gun , and shot Seamus Grew four times . Robinson was driven from the scene immediately by an RUC Special Branch Inspector ....
(MORE LATER).
.......The dispute between the Clan na Gael organisation and the Friends Of Irish Freedom group was now over , with the FOIF resolution (ie 'gentle prodding') winning out in the end . But the dispute had been noticed by the Irish Republican Brotherhood leadership in Ireland .......
As stated here previously , the American Clan na Gael organisation recognised the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood as the Government of the (all-Ireland) Irish Republic so , when , within weeks of the Clan / FOIF dispute , an order came from the leadership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland directing the Clan na Gael group "to stand down" , it obeyed - but under protest .
Without the support of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland , both the Clan and the FOIF were severely weakened and could not now claim to be linked to the Republican Movement in Ireland .
In November 1920 , Eamon de Valera (and other leadership figures in Ireland) set-up a new organisation - the 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic' ; known as 'GROWL' , because of the sound of its acronym , 'AARIR' . With the backing and promotion of the IRB leadership , and the support in America of figures such as Joseph McGarrity , the 'AARIR' was successful , and raised thousands of dollars for the then IRA in Ireland.
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
"....... The British patrol were now within thirty yards of us . We watched as Paddy Donncha Eoin got to his feet , with a revolver in his hand ......."
" Paddy called on them to surrender ; the British Army Officer looked back over his left shoulder . He said nothing , but stood-up on his push-bike pedals and threw his weight down on them , put his head down and rode forward . All his men did likewise . There was no doubt about their intention - it was to break through our ranks . A revolver barked and a volley rang our - the Brit Officer fell but his men cycled on ; I jumped to my feet - we had been lying against the sloping face of the hillock . As I rose , a rifle exploded close to my left ear , almost knocking me down again . It was 'Mick the Soldier' , who had risen before me and had fired across my back at some of the British soldiers who were almost abreast of us . We stepped out on the road .
There was another burst of rifle fire ; we saw a British soldier lying in the dust , half way down the road . He lay quite flat , his heels turned inwards , and he was engaged in releasing rapid fire upwards at the top of the Slippery Rock . We fired simultaneously at him - both bullets struck a foot apart under his body and raised a column of dust , which gave me the impression that we had cut his body in two ; he let his rifle drop . Then there came silence ...
Our lads were coming out on the road . I walked past Jamie , Con Sean Jer and Ned Micky Sweeney as they disarmed a group of British soldiers . One of the Brits struggled with Ned Sweeney to retain his rifle , but Ned wrenched it from him . I came to the man whom we had last fired at - he lay in exactly the same position , with his left hand stretched in the firing posture and his right hand down on the road near the small of the rifle-butt . The rifle lay with a cartridge half thrust forward into the breech .
His face was to the ground ....."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(4 of 12).
The third incident was eighteen days later . It was just about 8.30pm on 12th December 1982 when 'Irish National Liberation Army' (INLA) member Seamus Grew drove his Allegro car up towards his home at Mullacreevie Park in Armagh City . He had just been into the Free State for a funeral . Roddy Carroll , another INLA man , was sitting in the passenger seat . Driving along , Seamus Grew recognised a neighbour , Joseph Graham , and he waved to him . Another car suddenly came up very fast behind Grew's car and pulled up in front of it . There were at least two men in it .
Then the shooting started ; it was like a "cracking noise" , according to Joseph Graham . It stopped , and then it started again . On either side of the road , the RUC were patrolling the fields , and there was an RUC car blocking off the bottom of the hill . It was a closed-off area . The RUC decided to lie once more ...
They put out the story that Seamus Grew had driven through a road-block , injuring an RUC man , and that they were then forced to fire on the car . They changed that story later . What had actually happened was that the RUC had followed Grew into the Free State , but he had somehow managed to avoid a road-block on his way back up to the North . Further up the road , an undercover British Army car and an undercover RUC car were involved in an accident and , in the ensuing mess , Seamus Grew drove through undetected . The RUC man following Grew saw the accident , picked up RUC man John Robinson , passed the Allegro and halted it .
RUC man Robinson then got out of his car , fired fifteen times at Roddy Carroll , walked around the car , re-loaded his gun , and shot Seamus Grew four times . Robinson was driven from the scene immediately by an RUC Special Branch Inspector ....
(MORE LATER).
Saturday, April 10, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......Members of both the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' and the 'Clan na Gael' organisations dis-agreed on the amount of pressure which should be applied to those running in the U.S. Presidential elections in relation to Ireland ; plus , there was 'bad blood' between U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the 'Clan' leadership .......
At the National Convention of the U.S. Republican Party , the delegates were being canvassed by Judge Daniel Cohalan (a U.S. Democrat) and his people when Eamon de Valera arrived with his team to canvass the same crowd - Judge Cohalan had previously requested that de Valera and his team stay away , and a verbal row between both camps ensued , in full view of those they were trying to canvass !
By June 1920 , however , both the (U.S.) Republican and Democratic candidates had accepted the 'gentle prodding' approach towards the situation in Ireland , as recommended by John Devoy , Judge Cohalan and others in the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' - the other resolution (ie 'put-it-in-writing-or loose-the-Irish-vote'), which was supported by Eamon de Valera , Harry Boland and Clan na Gael , was rejected by both U.S. camps .
However - the dispute between the Clan and the FOIF had been closely monitored by the Irish Republican Brotherhood leadership in Ireland ; they were not at all pleased with either group.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We were dug-in on the Slippery Rock , where children usually played ; Paddy Donncha Eoin and three men with shotguns would be the nearest to the British soldiers when the action started ......."
" Paddy had often slid down the Slippery Rock on his way home from school , and knew the lay-out of the area well . The road straightened out again for one hundred yards ; along its southern side there was no fence at that time . Along the northern side was a low fence and a few low little rocks . Behind these were disposed the remainder of the shotgun men and two with revolvers . At the extreme western end , and on the southern side , was a little hillock facing the approach road ; behind it were stationed Mick the Soldier and myself , with our two rifles .
We had plenty of men besides , but had no guns for them . 'Free' Kelleher put his eye on my Smith-and-Wesson revolver - I gave it to him . Then we settled down to another period of waiting . Sometime about four p.m. , the scout on the hill above us signalled the approach of the patrol . We watched the bend at the Slippery Rock for any movement ...
Riding their push-bikes at a steady pace they came , one by one, their British Army Officer in the lead . They were like beads on a string set apart at the same intervals , and they fitted exactly into the trap laid for them : as their last man rounded the bend , their Officer was within thirty yards of us . Then we saw Paddy Donncha Eoin standing upright , his revolver in his hand ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(3 of 12).
The RUC said they had seen a man with a gun go into the shed ; that they had heard a rifle mechanism and muffled voices ; that an RUC Sergeant had shouted - "Police , throw out your weapons " ; that the warning was repeated ; that through a space in the door they saw Martin McCauley pointing a rifle at them ; that two RUC men opened fire ; that they saw Michael Tighe point a rifle at them ; that they fired at him ; that McCauley re-appeared and they fired again .
They found no ammunition in the shed . The electronic bug had picked up everything that had happened . There was a tape , and it was when John Stalker got close to this tape in his investigation of the killings that he was removed . The tape could have proved that the RUC were lying . Martin McCauley was charged with possession of a firearm , found guilty , and given a two-year suspended sentence . The RUC admitted they had lied about a man with a gun near the scene . They admitted they had been staking the place out .
Michael Tighe had no connections with any paramilitary organisations . He was seventeen years old . Of this shooting , John Stalker had the following to say --
-- " As an individual I also passionately believe that if a police force of the United Kingdom could , in cold blood ,kill a seventeen-year-old youth with no terrorist or criminal convictions , and then plot to hide the evidence from a senior policeman deputed to investigate it , then the shame belonged to us all . This is the act of a Central American assassination squad - truly of a police force out of control " .
(MORE LATER).
.......Members of both the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' and the 'Clan na Gael' organisations dis-agreed on the amount of pressure which should be applied to those running in the U.S. Presidential elections in relation to Ireland ; plus , there was 'bad blood' between U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the 'Clan' leadership .......
At the National Convention of the U.S. Republican Party , the delegates were being canvassed by Judge Daniel Cohalan (a U.S. Democrat) and his people when Eamon de Valera arrived with his team to canvass the same crowd - Judge Cohalan had previously requested that de Valera and his team stay away , and a verbal row between both camps ensued , in full view of those they were trying to canvass !
By June 1920 , however , both the (U.S.) Republican and Democratic candidates had accepted the 'gentle prodding' approach towards the situation in Ireland , as recommended by John Devoy , Judge Cohalan and others in the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' - the other resolution (ie 'put-it-in-writing-or loose-the-Irish-vote'), which was supported by Eamon de Valera , Harry Boland and Clan na Gael , was rejected by both U.S. camps .
However - the dispute between the Clan and the FOIF had been closely monitored by the Irish Republican Brotherhood leadership in Ireland ; they were not at all pleased with either group.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We were dug-in on the Slippery Rock , where children usually played ; Paddy Donncha Eoin and three men with shotguns would be the nearest to the British soldiers when the action started ......."
" Paddy had often slid down the Slippery Rock on his way home from school , and knew the lay-out of the area well . The road straightened out again for one hundred yards ; along its southern side there was no fence at that time . Along the northern side was a low fence and a few low little rocks . Behind these were disposed the remainder of the shotgun men and two with revolvers . At the extreme western end , and on the southern side , was a little hillock facing the approach road ; behind it were stationed Mick the Soldier and myself , with our two rifles .
We had plenty of men besides , but had no guns for them . 'Free' Kelleher put his eye on my Smith-and-Wesson revolver - I gave it to him . Then we settled down to another period of waiting . Sometime about four p.m. , the scout on the hill above us signalled the approach of the patrol . We watched the bend at the Slippery Rock for any movement ...
Riding their push-bikes at a steady pace they came , one by one, their British Army Officer in the lead . They were like beads on a string set apart at the same intervals , and they fitted exactly into the trap laid for them : as their last man rounded the bend , their Officer was within thirty yards of us . Then we saw Paddy Donncha Eoin standing upright , his revolver in his hand ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(3 of 12).
The RUC said they had seen a man with a gun go into the shed ; that they had heard a rifle mechanism and muffled voices ; that an RUC Sergeant had shouted - "Police , throw out your weapons " ; that the warning was repeated ; that through a space in the door they saw Martin McCauley pointing a rifle at them ; that two RUC men opened fire ; that they saw Michael Tighe point a rifle at them ; that they fired at him ; that McCauley re-appeared and they fired again .
They found no ammunition in the shed . The electronic bug had picked up everything that had happened . There was a tape , and it was when John Stalker got close to this tape in his investigation of the killings that he was removed . The tape could have proved that the RUC were lying . Martin McCauley was charged with possession of a firearm , found guilty , and given a two-year suspended sentence . The RUC admitted they had lied about a man with a gun near the scene . They admitted they had been staking the place out .
Michael Tighe had no connections with any paramilitary organisations . He was seventeen years old . Of this shooting , John Stalker had the following to say --
-- " As an individual I also passionately believe that if a police force of the United Kingdom could , in cold blood ,kill a seventeen-year-old youth with no terrorist or criminal convictions , and then plot to hide the evidence from a senior policeman deputed to investigate it , then the shame belonged to us all . This is the act of a Central American assassination squad - truly of a police force out of control " .
(MORE LATER).
Friday, April 09, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
....... U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the leader of Clan na Gael , Judge Daniel Cohalan , were old enemies - they had 'fallen-out' with each other over the 'League of Nations' , which Judge Cohalan was set against .......
Also , while U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was travelling America on a speaking tour during the last few months of 1919 , he was closely shadowed by Clan na Gael operatives and , in every town and city that Wilson spoke in (and indeed towns and cities neighbouring same !) , full-page advertisements were placed in newspapers attacking him for not taking a stronger stand against the British . Wilson was aware that Cohalan and the Clan were responsible for same .
Judge Daniel Cohalan was known to be serious about his involvement with the Irish Rebel cause but , occasionally , he would put domestic issues first - he was known to be of the opinion that the 'League of Nations' was a ploy by the British to integrate themselves into American society . Irish supporters were being pulled in many different directions ...
However - I digress (again ; another tangent , I know ....!) : within both the 'Clan na Gael' and 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' groups there were those who supported the 'FOIF' 'gentle prodding' approach and those who supported the 'Clan' option of 'put-it-in-your-manifesto-or-loose-the-Irish-vote' position - indeed , (another tangent....)
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We were now in position to carry-out the ambush ; the waiting was the worse - knowing that we would soon have to inflict suffering on other men ......."
" But we knew , in our case , it was an effort to counter a long established terror . Every other means had been tried . But still the tragedy persisted . The ordinary British soldier , whom we would meet that day , was but the unwilling tool of the war-monger . There was nothing left for us to do but fight the tools , since we could not meet the masters . We would fight them as fairly as possible , but they would not have the advantage of the morning , their firearms versus our sticks .
The British lorries passed by at two p.m. on their return journey to Macroom . With regret we let them go . With the garrison only a mile and a half away to the west , and the patrol the same distance east of us , and with our poor armament , we could not do otherwise . We descended to the road and each group took the place allotted to them . The road from Clondrohid , hardly the width of two cars , bent sharply around the Slippery Rock which sloped upwards from its southern side . It was called 'The Slippery Rock' by children coming home from school , who , seating themselves on flat stones , used to slide down its sloping face .
It was now occupied by Paddy Donncha Eoin and three men with shotguns ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(2 of 12).
The next killing was thirteen days later and was related to a previous incident . MI5 bugged a hayshed belonging to the widow of a Republican at Ballyneery Road , outside Lurgan . The hayshed was constructed of breeze blocks and corrugated iron , and the electronic bug was placed in the rafters . The IRA moved explosives into the building and the British Army and RUC monitored all of this . The entire area around there and Kinnego was on high alert . This was 27th October 1982 .
The RUC had been instructed not to enter the area ; RUC Sergeant Sean Quinn and Constables Paul Hamilton and Alan McCloy asked for permission to go into the area . Checks were carried out and they were given permission to proceed . They were also told that the explosives were still in the shed . They were'nt ....
The IRA had managed to take them out despite the surveillance . The three RUC men were killed in an explosion of those same explosives . An informer allegedly came forward and gave the names of four men who were involved . On 11th November 1982 , three of those named were killed in the above-mentioned ambush (see '1 of 12') . But the RUC and the British Army still had the shed under surveillance , and by now the RUC had also planted three sixty-year-old rifles in the shed .
The owner of the shed was away , and Martin McCauley had been asked to look after it . With his friend Michael Tighe , he noticed that the window of the shed was open - both entered and spotted the weapons ; as they moved closer to them , two shots rang out and Michael Tighe disappeared . Then there was a shout - " Right , come on out " , followed by a burst of gunfire . Martin McCauley was hit and could'nt move . He was dragged from the shed and an RUC man threatened to finish him off , and put a gun to his head .
The RUC story was much different.......
(MORE LATER).
....... U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the leader of Clan na Gael , Judge Daniel Cohalan , were old enemies - they had 'fallen-out' with each other over the 'League of Nations' , which Judge Cohalan was set against .......
Also , while U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was travelling America on a speaking tour during the last few months of 1919 , he was closely shadowed by Clan na Gael operatives and , in every town and city that Wilson spoke in (and indeed towns and cities neighbouring same !) , full-page advertisements were placed in newspapers attacking him for not taking a stronger stand against the British . Wilson was aware that Cohalan and the Clan were responsible for same .
Judge Daniel Cohalan was known to be serious about his involvement with the Irish Rebel cause but , occasionally , he would put domestic issues first - he was known to be of the opinion that the 'League of Nations' was a ploy by the British to integrate themselves into American society . Irish supporters were being pulled in many different directions ...
However - I digress (again ; another tangent , I know ....!) : within both the 'Clan na Gael' and 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' groups there were those who supported the 'FOIF' 'gentle prodding' approach and those who supported the 'Clan' option of 'put-it-in-your-manifesto-or-loose-the-Irish-vote' position - indeed , (another tangent....)
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We were now in position to carry-out the ambush ; the waiting was the worse - knowing that we would soon have to inflict suffering on other men ......."
" But we knew , in our case , it was an effort to counter a long established terror . Every other means had been tried . But still the tragedy persisted . The ordinary British soldier , whom we would meet that day , was but the unwilling tool of the war-monger . There was nothing left for us to do but fight the tools , since we could not meet the masters . We would fight them as fairly as possible , but they would not have the advantage of the morning , their firearms versus our sticks .
The British lorries passed by at two p.m. on their return journey to Macroom . With regret we let them go . With the garrison only a mile and a half away to the west , and the patrol the same distance east of us , and with our poor armament , we could not do otherwise . We descended to the road and each group took the place allotted to them . The road from Clondrohid , hardly the width of two cars , bent sharply around the Slippery Rock which sloped upwards from its southern side . It was called 'The Slippery Rock' by children coming home from school , who , seating themselves on flat stones , used to slide down its sloping face .
It was now occupied by Paddy Donncha Eoin and three men with shotguns ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(2 of 12).
The next killing was thirteen days later and was related to a previous incident . MI5 bugged a hayshed belonging to the widow of a Republican at Ballyneery Road , outside Lurgan . The hayshed was constructed of breeze blocks and corrugated iron , and the electronic bug was placed in the rafters . The IRA moved explosives into the building and the British Army and RUC monitored all of this . The entire area around there and Kinnego was on high alert . This was 27th October 1982 .
The RUC had been instructed not to enter the area ; RUC Sergeant Sean Quinn and Constables Paul Hamilton and Alan McCloy asked for permission to go into the area . Checks were carried out and they were given permission to proceed . They were also told that the explosives were still in the shed . They were'nt ....
The IRA had managed to take them out despite the surveillance . The three RUC men were killed in an explosion of those same explosives . An informer allegedly came forward and gave the names of four men who were involved . On 11th November 1982 , three of those named were killed in the above-mentioned ambush (see '1 of 12') . But the RUC and the British Army still had the shed under surveillance , and by now the RUC had also planted three sixty-year-old rifles in the shed .
The owner of the shed was away , and Martin McCauley had been asked to look after it . With his friend Michael Tighe , he noticed that the window of the shed was open - both entered and spotted the weapons ; as they moved closer to them , two shots rang out and Michael Tighe disappeared . Then there was a shout - " Right , come on out " , followed by a burst of gunfire . Martin McCauley was hit and could'nt move . He was dragged from the shed and an RUC man threatened to finish him off , and put a gun to his head .
The RUC story was much different.......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, April 08, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......dis-agreement in the Irish camp ; some wanted to gently persuade the U.S. Presidential candidates to remember the Irish situation , others wanted a more forceful approach - circumstances , grudges and in-fighting were by now joining the fray .......
A few years previously (ie around 1916), the Clan na Gael group (as powerful then as it was now in 1920) had brought pressure to bear on U.S. President Wilson to demand from the British that they get out of Ireland . Wilson was not overtly concerned about the Irish situation , but was damned if he was going to support any proposals /requests /demands from a man he dis-liked ; U.S. Democrat (and Irish Fenian) Judge Daniel Cohalan !
It was Cohalan and the Clan organisation that financed the opposition to U.S. President Wilson's ' League of Nations ' proposal - indeed , of the estimated $900,000 dollar 'war fund' that the Clan had , only $115,000 dollars was spent in Ireland ; the other $785,000 dollars was spent in attacking the 'League of Nations ' , or "Britains League" , as Judge Daniel Cohalan and John Devoy called it .
The 'Big Guns' of the day - Henry Cabot Lodge and William Borah , for instance - addressed huge rallies against Wilson's /'Britains' League organised and financed by Clan na Geal .....
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......On our way to ambush a British Army patrol on the Clondrohid Road , we walked across Paddy Beag's field ; there was about twenty of us , including Paddy's son , Jer ......."
" We told Paddy that it was a shame to be working on that fine day . Were it not that we had so much to do we would now make up the hay for him . Did he not know that we were all coming back in the near future , perhaps that very evening , to give him a hand ? It would be advisable for him , therefore , to sit down and take things easy until we returned . This provoked his ironic laughter , and the last I heard of his satire as we streamed over the hill was something about " idle cadays ".
From the northern slope of Cnoc an Uir we looked down on the Clondrohid Road . The Vice-Commandant of our Battalion , Paddy O'Sullivan (Paddy Donncha Eoin), was with us , and the IRA Company Area Captain , Patsy Lynch . They held a council of war to which we were all admitted - no IRA Volunteer was debarred from making a suggestion . That was one of the ways in which we differed from a regular army . From our height , we looked down on the positions we were to occupy . Each man , or group , was directed where to go .
In the meantime , we would have to wait until the two British Army military lorries which had gone on to Ballyvourney returned . While we would be hidden from the British patrol coming from the east , we could not remain unseen by anyone coming from the west . We had to wait a long time for the return of the lorries . Waiting was always a strain . The thought inevitably recurred to the mind of the normal man of the tragedy of lying across the path of his fellow man , to cut short his life , or more or less maim him and cause him suffering . It did not require much intelligence to visualise that .
The mind then asked why such a savage procedure was necessary ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(1 of 12).
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) shot dead six men in three separate incidents around Armagh towards the end of 1982 . Here's how they did it --
-- It was shortly before 7pm on 11th November , 1982 . Eugene Toman and Sean Burns returned to Lurgan , having just returned to active service with the IRA . Burns had been identified on an IRA operation and had been advised to leave Lurgan . He refused . And so , on this Thursday evening , both men slipped quietly back into the town .
The night was dark as they drove towards Gervaise McKerr's house . They were going to wait there for another car to take them to a safe-house for the night . Eugene Toman ate tea and toast and Sean Burns had cornflakes . Both men were cracking jokes with a girl in the house . Gervaise McKerr left the house in his green Ford Escort (reg UPF 77S). By 9.30pm he had returned and he drove both men away .
At Tullygally Road East , the RUC were waiting . McKerr's car was well known and they had the men under surveillance . Three RUC men ambushed the car , fired 108 bullets into it from a Sterling sub-machinegun , Rurer rifles and a handgun . All of the men in the car , unarmed, died instantly . The killing area extended to five hundred yards . The RUC told lies about what happened . They said there was a roadblock ; that McKerr had driven through , injuring one of their men .
They said they believed they were being fired on , that they returned fire and the Escort left the road . The RUC claimed that when they got to the car all three men were dead . All the RUC men were instructed to leave the scene at once and they took their cars and guns . They were de-briefed by Special Branch men . About twenty empty cartridges were removed deliberately from the scene .
McKerr's house was raided by the RUC after the killings , but his wife was never told that he was dead ; a Catholic Priest told her more than six hours later . None of the relatives of the three dead men was ever contacted by the RUC officers investigating the killings .......
(MORE LATER).
.......dis-agreement in the Irish camp ; some wanted to gently persuade the U.S. Presidential candidates to remember the Irish situation , others wanted a more forceful approach - circumstances , grudges and in-fighting were by now joining the fray .......
A few years previously (ie around 1916), the Clan na Gael group (as powerful then as it was now in 1920) had brought pressure to bear on U.S. President Wilson to demand from the British that they get out of Ireland . Wilson was not overtly concerned about the Irish situation , but was damned if he was going to support any proposals /requests /demands from a man he dis-liked ; U.S. Democrat (and Irish Fenian) Judge Daniel Cohalan !
It was Cohalan and the Clan organisation that financed the opposition to U.S. President Wilson's ' League of Nations ' proposal - indeed , of the estimated $900,000 dollar 'war fund' that the Clan had , only $115,000 dollars was spent in Ireland ; the other $785,000 dollars was spent in attacking the 'League of Nations ' , or "Britains League" , as Judge Daniel Cohalan and John Devoy called it .
The 'Big Guns' of the day - Henry Cabot Lodge and William Borah , for instance - addressed huge rallies against Wilson's /'Britains' League organised and financed by Clan na Geal .....
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......On our way to ambush a British Army patrol on the Clondrohid Road , we walked across Paddy Beag's field ; there was about twenty of us , including Paddy's son , Jer ......."
" We told Paddy that it was a shame to be working on that fine day . Were it not that we had so much to do we would now make up the hay for him . Did he not know that we were all coming back in the near future , perhaps that very evening , to give him a hand ? It would be advisable for him , therefore , to sit down and take things easy until we returned . This provoked his ironic laughter , and the last I heard of his satire as we streamed over the hill was something about " idle cadays ".
From the northern slope of Cnoc an Uir we looked down on the Clondrohid Road . The Vice-Commandant of our Battalion , Paddy O'Sullivan (Paddy Donncha Eoin), was with us , and the IRA Company Area Captain , Patsy Lynch . They held a council of war to which we were all admitted - no IRA Volunteer was debarred from making a suggestion . That was one of the ways in which we differed from a regular army . From our height , we looked down on the positions we were to occupy . Each man , or group , was directed where to go .
In the meantime , we would have to wait until the two British Army military lorries which had gone on to Ballyvourney returned . While we would be hidden from the British patrol coming from the east , we could not remain unseen by anyone coming from the west . We had to wait a long time for the return of the lorries . Waiting was always a strain . The thought inevitably recurred to the mind of the normal man of the tragedy of lying across the path of his fellow man , to cut short his life , or more or less maim him and cause him suffering . It did not require much intelligence to visualise that .
The mind then asked why such a savage procedure was necessary ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE STALKING OF JOHN STALKER ;
Derek Dunne (journalist) traces the background to the 'STALKER AFFAIR' and details the weekend that JOHN STALKER flew to IRELAND as a hero .
(This article was first published in the 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , on 18th February 1988 , pages 14 , 15 and 16 ; we reproduce it here in 12 parts ....)
(1 of 12).
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) shot dead six men in three separate incidents around Armagh towards the end of 1982 . Here's how they did it --
-- It was shortly before 7pm on 11th November , 1982 . Eugene Toman and Sean Burns returned to Lurgan , having just returned to active service with the IRA . Burns had been identified on an IRA operation and had been advised to leave Lurgan . He refused . And so , on this Thursday evening , both men slipped quietly back into the town .
The night was dark as they drove towards Gervaise McKerr's house . They were going to wait there for another car to take them to a safe-house for the night . Eugene Toman ate tea and toast and Sean Burns had cornflakes . Both men were cracking jokes with a girl in the house . Gervaise McKerr left the house in his green Ford Escort (reg UPF 77S). By 9.30pm he had returned and he drove both men away .
At Tullygally Road East , the RUC were waiting . McKerr's car was well known and they had the men under surveillance . Three RUC men ambushed the car , fired 108 bullets into it from a Sterling sub-machinegun , Rurer rifles and a handgun . All of the men in the car , unarmed, died instantly . The killing area extended to five hundred yards . The RUC told lies about what happened . They said there was a roadblock ; that McKerr had driven through , injuring one of their men .
They said they believed they were being fired on , that they returned fire and the Escort left the road . The RUC claimed that when they got to the car all three men were dead . All the RUC men were instructed to leave the scene at once and they took their cars and guns . They were de-briefed by Special Branch men . About twenty empty cartridges were removed deliberately from the scene .
McKerr's house was raided by the RUC after the killings , but his wife was never told that he was dead ; a Catholic Priest told her more than six hours later . None of the relatives of the three dead men was ever contacted by the RUC officers investigating the killings .......
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......The Irish-American support group , the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' , was 'gently-prodding' the candidates in the November 1920 U. S. Presidential Election not to forget the Irish situation - the candidates were gently , but firmly , reminded that the Irish vote could be of assistance to them in their bid to be elected .......
However , others in the Irish camp did not agree that 'gentle-prodding' was the way to go ; de Valera had support in the Clan na Gael organisation (and some support in the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' organisation as well) for his opinion that , using the huge Irish vote as leverage , both U.S. Presidential candidates could and should be convinced to take a stronger line re the Irish (ie British) problem -
- that is , that if they wanted the Irish vote , then both candidates would have to have it included in their manifesto's that the Irish situation would be a priority for them (ie a 'Brits Out' policy). However , some members of the Clan na Gael were more , or also , supportive of the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' 'gentle-prodding' route ....confusion reigned .
Circumstances , grudges and in-fighting were by now joining the fray .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......Myself and 'Mick the Soldier' were to be the first to make a move against the British Army patrol - we were to disarm the Brit Officer while the rest of the IRA Unit took-on the Brit soldiers . One of our scouts arrived and told us the enemy was on its way ......."
" The scout cycled back towards Ballyvourney village and again returned with the news that they had left the main road and were now travelling on the road to Clondrohid , roughly parallel to ours and behind our backs . The scout remarked that we must wait for another day ; we did not think so at all , as we knew that a mile or less across country would bring us to the Clondrohid Road , where we could intercept them on their way back to Ballyvourney . The ' patrons of the cudgel' claimed that the proposed ground was unsuitable for the use of their weapon , due to open spaces along the road . Here , some wag remarked that the day was not suitable either , that we should wait until next Fair-Day ! Eventually , it was decided to send for seven or eight shotguns , and to man the nearest suitable stretch of road .
On our way over the hill we passed through Paddy Beag's meadow ; Paddy and another old man were at the hay . We must have numbered about twenty , between armed and un-armed men . It was a strange sight , in the middle of a fine harvest day , to see this body of young men pass through the field where two old men worked hard . Paddy thought so too , and told us so emphatically in Irish and English . His son Jer was with us . Under the lee of a group of us , Jer passed by his father , unseen , while we replied cheerfully to Paddy's commentary . The fine day and the waste of labour seemed to be his principal trouble ......."
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Four).
Yitzhak Shamir , a man of few words who served for a decade as 'Chief of Operations' for the Mossad , Israel's Central Intelligence Agency , has been reticent to respond publicly to questions about his Irgun and Lehi activities .
Lehi gunmen assassinated Lord Moyne , the British Minister of State for the Middle East , in Cairo in 1944 because he favoured halting further Jewish immigration to Palestine in the face of increasing violent Arab opposition .
Shamir was also suspected , in the 1940's , of plotting to launch a letter-bomb campaign against officials in London to sap Britain's determination to remain in Palestine . In Lehi's most egregious act of 'terrorism' , its gunmen assassinated Count Bernadotte , who had been trying to mediate the future of Jerusalem .
Bernadotte was killed on 16th September , 1948 - five months AFTER Israel's independence !
[END of - 'EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER.....'].
(Tomorrow - Armagh , Ireland , 1982 ; six men shot dead by the RUC - in May 1984 , a British Chief Constable , JOHN STALKER , was appointed to 'investigate' the killings : 'THE STALKER AFFAIR').
.......The Irish-American support group , the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' , was 'gently-prodding' the candidates in the November 1920 U. S. Presidential Election not to forget the Irish situation - the candidates were gently , but firmly , reminded that the Irish vote could be of assistance to them in their bid to be elected .......
However , others in the Irish camp did not agree that 'gentle-prodding' was the way to go ; de Valera had support in the Clan na Gael organisation (and some support in the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' organisation as well) for his opinion that , using the huge Irish vote as leverage , both U.S. Presidential candidates could and should be convinced to take a stronger line re the Irish (ie British) problem -
- that is , that if they wanted the Irish vote , then both candidates would have to have it included in their manifesto's that the Irish situation would be a priority for them (ie a 'Brits Out' policy). However , some members of the Clan na Gael were more , or also , supportive of the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' 'gentle-prodding' route ....confusion reigned .
Circumstances , grudges and in-fighting were by now joining the fray .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......Myself and 'Mick the Soldier' were to be the first to make a move against the British Army patrol - we were to disarm the Brit Officer while the rest of the IRA Unit took-on the Brit soldiers . One of our scouts arrived and told us the enemy was on its way ......."
" The scout cycled back towards Ballyvourney village and again returned with the news that they had left the main road and were now travelling on the road to Clondrohid , roughly parallel to ours and behind our backs . The scout remarked that we must wait for another day ; we did not think so at all , as we knew that a mile or less across country would bring us to the Clondrohid Road , where we could intercept them on their way back to Ballyvourney . The ' patrons of the cudgel' claimed that the proposed ground was unsuitable for the use of their weapon , due to open spaces along the road . Here , some wag remarked that the day was not suitable either , that we should wait until next Fair-Day ! Eventually , it was decided to send for seven or eight shotguns , and to man the nearest suitable stretch of road .
On our way over the hill we passed through Paddy Beag's meadow ; Paddy and another old man were at the hay . We must have numbered about twenty , between armed and un-armed men . It was a strange sight , in the middle of a fine harvest day , to see this body of young men pass through the field where two old men worked hard . Paddy thought so too , and told us so emphatically in Irish and English . His son Jer was with us . Under the lee of a group of us , Jer passed by his father , unseen , while we replied cheerfully to Paddy's commentary . The fine day and the waste of labour seemed to be his principal trouble ......."
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Four).
Yitzhak Shamir , a man of few words who served for a decade as 'Chief of Operations' for the Mossad , Israel's Central Intelligence Agency , has been reticent to respond publicly to questions about his Irgun and Lehi activities .
Lehi gunmen assassinated Lord Moyne , the British Minister of State for the Middle East , in Cairo in 1944 because he favoured halting further Jewish immigration to Palestine in the face of increasing violent Arab opposition .
Shamir was also suspected , in the 1940's , of plotting to launch a letter-bomb campaign against officials in London to sap Britain's determination to remain in Palestine . In Lehi's most egregious act of 'terrorism' , its gunmen assassinated Count Bernadotte , who had been trying to mediate the future of Jerusalem .
Bernadotte was killed on 16th September , 1948 - five months AFTER Israel's independence !
[END of - 'EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER.....'].
(Tomorrow - Armagh , Ireland , 1982 ; six men shot dead by the RUC - in May 1984 , a British Chief Constable , JOHN STALKER , was appointed to 'investigate' the killings : 'THE STALKER AFFAIR').
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......Both Irish-American support groups in the United States , 'Clan na Gael' and the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' , were well-organised and played their part well .......
In the months following the 1916 Rising , the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group (then only a few weeks in existence) raised $350,000 dollars for the dependents of Irish Republican prisoners . As well as fund-raising in America in 1920 , Eamon de Valera was there to lobby both of the main political parties which were contesting the U S Presidential Election due to be held in November that year (1920).
The 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group were gently , but firmly , talking to both the (American) Republican and Democratic candidates , telling them that it would be appreciated by the 'FOIF' (and , by extension , the Irish voters in the election campaign) if both politicians could see their way to voice sympathy for Ireland's position (ie re the British presence) and perhaps express goodwill towards a (hopefully) soon-to-be (re)established United Ireland . Leading members of the 'FOIF' , such as John Devoy and Judge Daniel Cohalan , (a U S Democratic) considered such 'gentle-prodding' to be the best way forward .
Others did not agree .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
"....... the IRA Unit in Ballyvourney had set-up an ambush-point at the eastern end of their village , but had to disperse when a crowd of old Rebel ladies objected , loudly , to someone else having a go at the Brits from their patch ......."
" Paddy Donncha Eoin ordered an immediate retreat . Most of the IRA Unit favoured that decision , but a few maintained that he should have stood his ground . But they were 'highbrows' in the language movement . The old ladies' technique was , they declared , obsolete . Besides , they spoke only English and Irish . That limited their fire power . They , the 'highbrows' , had studied American and other foreign languages , thus vastly increasing their effective volume ! Nevertheless , they were prepared to admit that the 'Old Guard' had done very well .
Now we appeared on the scene . I must say we got a very mixed reception . Excepting my soldier comrade , few of us had as yet much experience of war . I noticed that it was those with the least experience who were the most vociferous - they were also the most parochial minded . They asserted that they were quite capable of dealing with any situation without any help foreign to the parish . We mildly replied that we were born three miles away on that hill to the south , which not so long ago was part of their parish . They gave us the assurance , many times reiterated , that no British soldier was to be shot that day ...
They were to take the rifles from them without bloodshed ; now my comrade was , alas , a 'hard man' , and I cannot therefore record his comments on this pronouncement ! They further intimated that no firearms were to be used in the action - making no reply , we leaned our rifles against a convenient rock and , unbuckling our revolvers and ammunition slings , laid them down . We picked up two cudgels instead and , making ourselves comfortable on improvised seats inside the fence of the road , we waited....
Presently , a Ballyvourney IRA Officer arrived and asked us to recover our revolvers and go to the extreme end of the ambush site , to halt and disarm the British Army Officer leading the Brit patrol . We took up these positions . Soon , an IRA scout on a bicycle arrived with the news that the British Army patrol was on its way ....... "
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Three).
Retaliating for Arab attacks on Jewish civilians , both the Irgun and Lehi groups machine-gunned passing Arab busses and bombed restaurants and open-air markets , killing more than 300 civilians between 1937 and 1939 .
Pressuring London to surrender its United Nations mandate over Palestine , they assassinated more than 300 British policemen and soldiers and one Government Minister in the 1940's , 'terrorism expert' Maurius Schattner said .
According to Schattner - " They used blind terrorism against Arabs and personal terrorism against the British , " said the French-Jewish author , who is writing a book on the ideological history of the Irgun and Lehi .
(MORE LATER).
.......Both Irish-American support groups in the United States , 'Clan na Gael' and the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' , were well-organised and played their part well .......
In the months following the 1916 Rising , the 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group (then only a few weeks in existence) raised $350,000 dollars for the dependents of Irish Republican prisoners . As well as fund-raising in America in 1920 , Eamon de Valera was there to lobby both of the main political parties which were contesting the U S Presidential Election due to be held in November that year (1920).
The 'Friends Of Irish Freedom' group were gently , but firmly , talking to both the (American) Republican and Democratic candidates , telling them that it would be appreciated by the 'FOIF' (and , by extension , the Irish voters in the election campaign) if both politicians could see their way to voice sympathy for Ireland's position (ie re the British presence) and perhaps express goodwill towards a (hopefully) soon-to-be (re)established United Ireland . Leading members of the 'FOIF' , such as John Devoy and Judge Daniel Cohalan , (a U S Democratic) considered such 'gentle-prodding' to be the best way forward .
Others did not agree .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
"....... the IRA Unit in Ballyvourney had set-up an ambush-point at the eastern end of their village , but had to disperse when a crowd of old Rebel ladies objected , loudly , to someone else having a go at the Brits from their patch ......."
" Paddy Donncha Eoin ordered an immediate retreat . Most of the IRA Unit favoured that decision , but a few maintained that he should have stood his ground . But they were 'highbrows' in the language movement . The old ladies' technique was , they declared , obsolete . Besides , they spoke only English and Irish . That limited their fire power . They , the 'highbrows' , had studied American and other foreign languages , thus vastly increasing their effective volume ! Nevertheless , they were prepared to admit that the 'Old Guard' had done very well .
Now we appeared on the scene . I must say we got a very mixed reception . Excepting my soldier comrade , few of us had as yet much experience of war . I noticed that it was those with the least experience who were the most vociferous - they were also the most parochial minded . They asserted that they were quite capable of dealing with any situation without any help foreign to the parish . We mildly replied that we were born three miles away on that hill to the south , which not so long ago was part of their parish . They gave us the assurance , many times reiterated , that no British soldier was to be shot that day ...
They were to take the rifles from them without bloodshed ; now my comrade was , alas , a 'hard man' , and I cannot therefore record his comments on this pronouncement ! They further intimated that no firearms were to be used in the action - making no reply , we leaned our rifles against a convenient rock and , unbuckling our revolvers and ammunition slings , laid them down . We picked up two cudgels instead and , making ourselves comfortable on improvised seats inside the fence of the road , we waited....
Presently , a Ballyvourney IRA Officer arrived and asked us to recover our revolvers and go to the extreme end of the ambush site , to halt and disarm the British Army Officer leading the Brit patrol . We took up these positions . Soon , an IRA scout on a bicycle arrived with the news that the British Army patrol was on its way ....... "
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Three).
Retaliating for Arab attacks on Jewish civilians , both the Irgun and Lehi groups machine-gunned passing Arab busses and bombed restaurants and open-air markets , killing more than 300 civilians between 1937 and 1939 .
Pressuring London to surrender its United Nations mandate over Palestine , they assassinated more than 300 British policemen and soldiers and one Government Minister in the 1940's , 'terrorism expert' Maurius Schattner said .
According to Schattner - " They used blind terrorism against Arabs and personal terrorism against the British , " said the French-Jewish author , who is writing a book on the ideological history of the Irgun and Lehi .
(MORE LATER).
Monday, April 05, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......The Irish were well-organised in America and assisted Eamon de Valera in raising approximately five-and-a-half million dollars for the Irish struggle ; there were two main Irish-American support groups ; 'Clan na Gael' and the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' group (FOIF) , which was itself controlled by 'Clan na Gael'...... .
Members of the 'Clan' were militant , and openly supported the physical force element in the struggle for Irish Freedom - they supported the Irish Republican Brotherhood and recognised the Brotherhood " as the Government of the Irish Republic virtually established . " They had no second-thoughts about the use of force in removing the British presence from Ireland .
On the other hand , the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' group (although guided by the 'Clan') stated that its aim was "to encourage and assist any movement that will tend to bring about the National Independence of Ireland ." Both groups , while perhaps not seeing eye-to-eye on every issue , played their parts well .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We discussed the proposed ambush on the Brits , and myself and 'Mick the Soldier decided to help out on the operation . We walked the four miles to Ballyvourney ......."
" As we approached Poul na Bro Bridge , we noticed some activity along the far side of the main road . Men appeared to be lining a stretch of it . We wondered at this , as Seainin had told us that the village , nearly a mile to the west , would be the scene of the venture . We sent Seainin ahead to investigate ; in a short time he returned with the news - as he approached we could tell that something amusing had happened . So it had ...
The lads had , as they thought , unobtrusively occupied the eastern half of the village . Certainly , from the military point of view , it appears that they did it well - there were small disused houses , sheds , laneways and corners that could fairly be described as no-man's land . These they had quietly garrisoned , but they reckoned without another enemy worse than the foreign one ; a number of active old ladies also occupied that zone at that particular period of history . If there was a war to be waged in their terrority , they were well able to cope with their own end of it .
Already , the old Rebel ladies had , on many occasions and from time immemorial , triumphed over enemies , both foreign and domestic . They now appeared , in battle array , before Paddy Donncha Eoin and his men . Simultaneously with their ultimatum for the instant evacution of all occupied buildings and terrain , they demonstrated the morale-shaking effect of vocal warfare ......."
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Two).
Yitzhak Shamir's 'IRGUN' organisation , and the activities of the 'LEHI' group , have been recounted in several books and articles . But as he began his third term as Prime Minister last month (ie December 1988) , Shamir's past was raised again by Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials anxious to neutralise their own image as 'terrorists' .
" Americans deny Yasser Arafat a visa because he's a 'terrorist' but make Shamir their best friend . Is that justice ? " asked Bassam Abu Sharif , a top aide to the PLO chairman , in an interview in Geneva .
There is no doubt that many of the attacks that Irgun and Lehi staged in fighting both Arabs and British to make a Jewish state out of Palestine fall within any generally accepted definition of 'terrorism' .....
(MORE LATER).
.......The Irish were well-organised in America and assisted Eamon de Valera in raising approximately five-and-a-half million dollars for the Irish struggle ; there were two main Irish-American support groups ; 'Clan na Gael' and the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' group (FOIF) , which was itself controlled by 'Clan na Gael'...... .
Members of the 'Clan' were militant , and openly supported the physical force element in the struggle for Irish Freedom - they supported the Irish Republican Brotherhood and recognised the Brotherhood " as the Government of the Irish Republic virtually established . " They had no second-thoughts about the use of force in removing the British presence from Ireland .
On the other hand , the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' group (although guided by the 'Clan') stated that its aim was "to encourage and assist any movement that will tend to bring about the National Independence of Ireland ." Both groups , while perhaps not seeing eye-to-eye on every issue , played their parts well .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......We discussed the proposed ambush on the Brits , and myself and 'Mick the Soldier decided to help out on the operation . We walked the four miles to Ballyvourney ......."
" As we approached Poul na Bro Bridge , we noticed some activity along the far side of the main road . Men appeared to be lining a stretch of it . We wondered at this , as Seainin had told us that the village , nearly a mile to the west , would be the scene of the venture . We sent Seainin ahead to investigate ; in a short time he returned with the news - as he approached we could tell that something amusing had happened . So it had ...
The lads had , as they thought , unobtrusively occupied the eastern half of the village . Certainly , from the military point of view , it appears that they did it well - there were small disused houses , sheds , laneways and corners that could fairly be described as no-man's land . These they had quietly garrisoned , but they reckoned without another enemy worse than the foreign one ; a number of active old ladies also occupied that zone at that particular period of history . If there was a war to be waged in their terrority , they were well able to cope with their own end of it .
Already , the old Rebel ladies had , on many occasions and from time immemorial , triumphed over enemies , both foreign and domestic . They now appeared , in battle array , before Paddy Donncha Eoin and his men . Simultaneously with their ultimatum for the instant evacution of all occupied buildings and terrain , they demonstrated the morale-shaking effect of vocal warfare ......."
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part Two).
Yitzhak Shamir's 'IRGUN' organisation , and the activities of the 'LEHI' group , have been recounted in several books and articles . But as he began his third term as Prime Minister last month (ie December 1988) , Shamir's past was raised again by Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials anxious to neutralise their own image as 'terrorists' .
" Americans deny Yasser Arafat a visa because he's a 'terrorist' but make Shamir their best friend . Is that justice ? " asked Bassam Abu Sharif , a top aide to the PLO chairman , in an interview in Geneva .
There is no doubt that many of the attacks that Irgun and Lehi staged in fighting both Arabs and British to make a Jewish state out of Palestine fall within any generally accepted definition of 'terrorism' .....
(MORE LATER).
Sunday, April 04, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .......
.......As President of the (32-County) Irish Republic , Eamon de Valera was in America - it was early in 1920 .......
In January 1920 , de Valera launched a 'Bond Drive' - printed certificates were sold with a guarantee that same could be exchanged for an Irish Republican Bond after British dis-engagement had occured and an (all-island) Irish Republic had been declared .
It was apparently envisaged that 'Bond Holders' would be in a financial position to assist with the development of industry in the New Ireland ; approximately five-and-a-half million dollars was raised in this way , out of which over four million dollars was sent back to Ireland . At that time , there were two main Irish support groups in America - 'Clan na Gael' (founded in June 1867 by Jerome J. Collins) and the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' (FOIF) organisation , founded in March 1916 by different Irish groups collectively known as the ' Irish Race Convention '.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......One of the IRA Volunteers from Ballyvourney , Seainin Donncha Eoin , told myself and 'Mick the Soldier' of a plan his men were putting together to ambush a British Army patrol . It was not much of a plan......."
" The time for such a job was past . My ex-soldier comrade thought less of it . Seainin did not fancy it either , but would do exactly as he was directed . " Well , Seainin ," I said , " we will give you our revolvers now , but if you have no objection we will go with you since we are leisurely and we would like to see the fun in any case . " " I have no objection ," replied Seainin . " I was told to bring two revolvers , and if I turn up with two men armed with rifles and revolvers so much the better . "
Here I must explain that IRA Company areas were in reality parish or half-parish areas , and that between them there was a certain rivalry , the same rivalry that spurred the youth of one parish in hurling or other games against the neighbouring parishes . The arms of the enemy were now the goal of all , but who would be the first to reach it ?
Ballyvourney was four miles distant , due north . A road led us straight down steep Caherdaha (Cathair Daithi) across the little bridge at Atha Tiompain over the Sulainin Beag , up Ceann Droma , past Clohina , down Ceapach na Coille , by the foot of Rahoona Hill , to cross the Sullane at Poul na Bro Bridge , a hundred yards from the Macroom-Ballyvourney Road ....... "
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part One).
On a hot July morning in 1938 , Jewish 'terrorists' retaliating against Arab 'terrorist' attacks on Jews rolled an explosive-laden drum into a bus stop in the city of Haifa and killed 25 Arab civilians .
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was then a 23-year-old member of the group that carried out the attack , the National Military Organisation , known as the 'IRGUN' . On September 16 , 1948 , 'terrorists' from an Irgun splinter group assassinated the United Nations mediator for Palestine , Sweden's Count Folk Bernadotte , in a Jewish suburb .
Shamir was then 'Chief of Operations' for the splinter group , which was known as the 'Israel Freedom Fighters' or 'LEHI' , by its Hebrew acronym - but called The Stern Gang by the British military policemen who were the targets of its attacks ....
(MORE LATER).
.......As President of the (32-County) Irish Republic , Eamon de Valera was in America - it was early in 1920 .......
In January 1920 , de Valera launched a 'Bond Drive' - printed certificates were sold with a guarantee that same could be exchanged for an Irish Republican Bond after British dis-engagement had occured and an (all-island) Irish Republic had been declared .
It was apparently envisaged that 'Bond Holders' would be in a financial position to assist with the development of industry in the New Ireland ; approximately five-and-a-half million dollars was raised in this way , out of which over four million dollars was sent back to Ireland . At that time , there were two main Irish support groups in America - 'Clan na Gael' (founded in June 1867 by Jerome J. Collins) and the 'Friends of Irish Freedom' (FOIF) organisation , founded in March 1916 by different Irish groups collectively known as the ' Irish Race Convention '.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .......
".......One of the IRA Volunteers from Ballyvourney , Seainin Donncha Eoin , told myself and 'Mick the Soldier' of a plan his men were putting together to ambush a British Army patrol . It was not much of a plan......."
" The time for such a job was past . My ex-soldier comrade thought less of it . Seainin did not fancy it either , but would do exactly as he was directed . " Well , Seainin ," I said , " we will give you our revolvers now , but if you have no objection we will go with you since we are leisurely and we would like to see the fun in any case . " " I have no objection ," replied Seainin . " I was told to bring two revolvers , and if I turn up with two men armed with rifles and revolvers so much the better . "
Here I must explain that IRA Company areas were in reality parish or half-parish areas , and that between them there was a certain rivalry , the same rivalry that spurred the youth of one parish in hurling or other games against the neighbouring parishes . The arms of the enemy were now the goal of all , but who would be the first to reach it ?
Ballyvourney was four miles distant , due north . A road led us straight down steep Caherdaha (Cathair Daithi) across the little bridge at Atha Tiompain over the Sulainin Beag , up Ceann Droma , past Clohina , down Ceapach na Coille , by the foot of Rahoona Hill , to cross the Sullane at Poul na Bro Bridge , a hundred yards from the Macroom-Ballyvourney Road ....... "
(MORE LATER).
EX-'TERRORIST' , NOW PREMIER .
(From 'The Evening Press' newspaper , Saturday , 28th January 1989 ).
One man's 'terrorist'.....
(In four parts - Part One).
On a hot July morning in 1938 , Jewish 'terrorists' retaliating against Arab 'terrorist' attacks on Jews rolled an explosive-laden drum into a bus stop in the city of Haifa and killed 25 Arab civilians .
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was then a 23-year-old member of the group that carried out the attack , the National Military Organisation , known as the 'IRGUN' . On September 16 , 1948 , 'terrorists' from an Irgun splinter group assassinated the United Nations mediator for Palestine , Sweden's Count Folk Bernadotte , in a Jewish suburb .
Shamir was then 'Chief of Operations' for the splinter group , which was known as the 'Israel Freedom Fighters' or 'LEHI' , by its Hebrew acronym - but called The Stern Gang by the British military policemen who were the targets of its attacks ....
(MORE LATER).
Saturday, April 03, 2004
The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .
Ireland 1920 ; Black and Tans on the rampage , the Irish Republican Lord Mayor of Cork , Thomas MacCurtain shot dead by RIC men who were out of uniform at the time (for that purpose) ; notices , thousands of them , were stapled-up throughout the country , warning that ' for every member of the Crown Forces shot , two Sinn Feiners would also be shot '.
The then President of the Irish Republic (all 32 Counties) , Eamon de Valera , was in America ; he had been there since June 1919 , campaigning for support to get the British out of Ireland .......
(MORE LATER).
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .
" It was half-past seven on the morning of 17 August 1920 . 'Mick the Soldier' and I were still in our beds , which were good ones - a mattress each and a few blankets on the floor of Henry Browne's barn at Cools , Kilnamartyra . The weather was very fine , so fine that we had often slept in the open . One day , having slept the night before under the " blue vault of heaven " , someone complained of a headache . "Ah," said Joe Roche , "that was the crack you gave your head on the rafter this morning ..."
Someone tramped up the stairs outside our 'bedroom' door , and knocked . We admitted Seainin Donncha Eoin , an IRA Volunteer from 'B' Company , Ballyvourney . We liked Seainin , and gave him cordial greeting . Then we asked him why he came so early . " I'll tell ye then ," said Seainin . " A cycle patrol passes from the British military post at Ballyvourney through the village of Ballymakeera to meet a convoy of lorries from Macroom . The idea is to scout the road for the lorries . Then take up positions somewhere beyond Poul na Bro and wait until the lorries return from Ballyvourney ."
Seainin continued - " The enemy number ten men and an Officer with a revolver . They travel ten or twelve yards apart in single file . Our lads are going to take up positions in the village , extended, like the British soldiers , along the street , and rush out on them with sticks . We want a couple of revolvers to hold up the Officer , and that's what has brought me - to get a loan of two revolvers . "
I did not think much of the project ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
[12 of 12].
Even before the present flap , no real momentum was discernible under the Agreement (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) since Fianna Fail took Office . When SDLP party leaders travelled to Dublin shortly before the February election to make their peace with Fianna Fail , they were told that the approach would be different . Fianna Fail had the economy to handle as an absolute priority ; they would not pursue the day-to-day details of the administration of justice with the same vigour as Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald had . They would concentrate on policing and fair employment .
After December 1st , the task will be to keep things going in a cordial atmosphere , to slow things down to a pace where tempers are likely to remain cool . Having pinned his colours to so many different masts , Brian Lenihan has few entrenched positions to defend . ('1169 ..' comment - As with all Leinster House career politicians , there is no 'bottom line' ; they are entirely flexible , regardless of the issue at hand , eyes firmly fixed on the pension ...)
Tom King (Brit politician in the Six Counties) and the 'Northern Ireland'(sic) Office , who have a distinct disdain for political passion have already found Brian Lenihan "very professional - a thorough-going gent . Very good , for example , at remembering to shake hands and say goodbye to people who service the conference . "
In the months to come , Brian Lenihan's unflappable bonhomie may be the main motor of Anglo-Irish co-operation . Matters of more substance await the tortuous process of resolution . Once again , Brian Lenihan has the job of sweeping up .
[END of - ' A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......'].
(Tomorrow - Ex-'terrorist' makes 'good'...?).
Ireland 1920 ; Black and Tans on the rampage , the Irish Republican Lord Mayor of Cork , Thomas MacCurtain shot dead by RIC men who were out of uniform at the time (for that purpose) ; notices , thousands of them , were stapled-up throughout the country , warning that ' for every member of the Crown Forces shot , two Sinn Feiners would also be shot '.
The then President of the Irish Republic (all 32 Counties) , Eamon de Valera , was in America ; he had been there since June 1919 , campaigning for support to get the British out of Ireland .......
(MORE LATER).
THE SLIPPERY ROCK .
" It was half-past seven on the morning of 17 August 1920 . 'Mick the Soldier' and I were still in our beds , which were good ones - a mattress each and a few blankets on the floor of Henry Browne's barn at Cools , Kilnamartyra . The weather was very fine , so fine that we had often slept in the open . One day , having slept the night before under the " blue vault of heaven " , someone complained of a headache . "Ah," said Joe Roche , "that was the crack you gave your head on the rafter this morning ..."
Someone tramped up the stairs outside our 'bedroom' door , and knocked . We admitted Seainin Donncha Eoin , an IRA Volunteer from 'B' Company , Ballyvourney . We liked Seainin , and gave him cordial greeting . Then we asked him why he came so early . " I'll tell ye then ," said Seainin . " A cycle patrol passes from the British military post at Ballyvourney through the village of Ballymakeera to meet a convoy of lorries from Macroom . The idea is to scout the road for the lorries . Then take up positions somewhere beyond Poul na Bro and wait until the lorries return from Ballyvourney ."
Seainin continued - " The enemy number ten men and an Officer with a revolver . They travel ten or twelve yards apart in single file . Our lads are going to take up positions in the village , extended, like the British soldiers , along the street , and rush out on them with sticks . We want a couple of revolvers to hold up the Officer , and that's what has brought me - to get a loan of two revolvers . "
I did not think much of the project ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
[12 of 12].
Even before the present flap , no real momentum was discernible under the Agreement (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) since Fianna Fail took Office . When SDLP party leaders travelled to Dublin shortly before the February election to make their peace with Fianna Fail , they were told that the approach would be different . Fianna Fail had the economy to handle as an absolute priority ; they would not pursue the day-to-day details of the administration of justice with the same vigour as Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald had . They would concentrate on policing and fair employment .
After December 1st , the task will be to keep things going in a cordial atmosphere , to slow things down to a pace where tempers are likely to remain cool . Having pinned his colours to so many different masts , Brian Lenihan has few entrenched positions to defend . ('1169 ..' comment - As with all Leinster House career politicians , there is no 'bottom line' ; they are entirely flexible , regardless of the issue at hand , eyes firmly fixed on the pension ...)
Tom King (Brit politician in the Six Counties) and the 'Northern Ireland'(sic) Office , who have a distinct disdain for political passion have already found Brian Lenihan "very professional - a thorough-going gent . Very good , for example , at remembering to shake hands and say goodbye to people who service the conference . "
In the months to come , Brian Lenihan's unflappable bonhomie may be the main motor of Anglo-Irish co-operation . Matters of more substance await the tortuous process of resolution . Once again , Brian Lenihan has the job of sweeping up .
[END of - ' A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......'].
(Tomorrow - Ex-'terrorist' makes 'good'...?).
Friday, April 02, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......
.......In December 1920 , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found ; they had been sadistically battered , with wrists and legs broken , body-parts sawn off and grenades used on the remains .......
The remains of both men showed that the Black and Tans had attempted to 'write' on the men , using knives or bayonets - sets of initials were carved into both bodies .
There was a heavy presence of Black and Tans at the funerals of Pat and Harry Loughnane , but the IRA called their bluff just as the burial ceremony was coming to an end - six armed IRA Volunteers stood over the grave and a three-volley shot was given .
The kidnap , torture , abuse and manner of death suffered by Pat and Harry Loughnane is the most horrific incident that this author has come across in researching articles for this weblog . Even in times of war , the fate deliberately inflicted on the brothers was inhuman . At the risk of sounding like we are trying to score a cheap political point , we remind our readers that the military kin of the Black and Tans are still in this country .
And they receive their instructions from the same political institution which gave the Tans their orders . Think of that , next time you hear talk of "dissident Republicans" in Ireland , and ask yourself how could you be but "dissident" to the Brits ? And ask the Brits when have true Irish Republicans ever been but "dissident" .......?
[END of -' PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......'].
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......While we were unloading the tins of paint from the captured British Army trucks , we were being watched by an unknown 'warrior of the street' , who had his own plans for the paint ......."
" Now the 'street warrior' was making hay while the moon shone . Hardly had the IRA Volunteers turned their backs when this gentleman " arose and twitched his mantle blue " and proceeded to transfer the paint "to fresh woods and pastures new ." Working enthusiastically , he did not notice the passage of time or any undue activity in his neighbourhood ; not until he saw , by the light of a full moon , the glint of steel here and there around him . Then he took alarm ....
He made the mistake of trying to slip away through a meadow studded with hay-stacks . Some one of the British soldiers in the search party caught a glimpse of him and shouted a warning to the other soldiers . Surrounding the meadow they started a diligent search of it . At length they located him under a hay-stack and dragged him out ...
"Yerra lads ," he said , " 'tis I am glad to see ye . I was sure 'twas t'other fellas were there ! " "What other fellows ?" , asked one of the Brits . " Sure the crowd that had at the soldiers . I was with the soldiers all the evening helping them to release the lorries . When t'other lads attacked I ran , but they followed me and fired on me , so I hid under this hay-stack . I came out when I thought them gone , and when ye came after me I hid again thinkin' they had come back for me . "
Strangely enough , the British soldiers accepted the tale as a plausible story of his movements and released him !
[END of - 'TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......'].
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(11 of 12).
Charles Haughey privately "expressed his concern" to Brian Lenihan at these remarks . Shortly afterwards , again after meetings with Irish-American politicians in the U S , Lenihan amended his position . Without mentioning the Extradition Act by name , he said that the British government would be doing no more than giving effect to the explicit commitment in Article 8 if it introduced substantial measures to improve confidence in the administration of justice . Yet another about-turn had been executed ...
Ironically , it may not be Brian Lenihan's very lack of passion about the North of Ireland ie his failure to take up consistent , let alone rigid, positions , which could be most useful in rescuing the Anglo-Irish process . Not burdened by the driving mechanism of Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald , ('1169...' comment - ...even if it was a pro-Brit 'driving mechanism' !) Brian Lenihan may find it easier to sail through the period after December 1st when evasion , bland optimism and the 'putting on of a good face' will be the order of the day ...
(MORE LATER).
.......In December 1920 , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found ; they had been sadistically battered , with wrists and legs broken , body-parts sawn off and grenades used on the remains .......
The remains of both men showed that the Black and Tans had attempted to 'write' on the men , using knives or bayonets - sets of initials were carved into both bodies .
There was a heavy presence of Black and Tans at the funerals of Pat and Harry Loughnane , but the IRA called their bluff just as the burial ceremony was coming to an end - six armed IRA Volunteers stood over the grave and a three-volley shot was given .
The kidnap , torture , abuse and manner of death suffered by Pat and Harry Loughnane is the most horrific incident that this author has come across in researching articles for this weblog . Even in times of war , the fate deliberately inflicted on the brothers was inhuman . At the risk of sounding like we are trying to score a cheap political point , we remind our readers that the military kin of the Black and Tans are still in this country .
And they receive their instructions from the same political institution which gave the Tans their orders . Think of that , next time you hear talk of "dissident Republicans" in Ireland , and ask yourself how could you be but "dissident" to the Brits ? And ask the Brits when have true Irish Republicans ever been but "dissident" .......?
[END of -' PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......'].
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......While we were unloading the tins of paint from the captured British Army trucks , we were being watched by an unknown 'warrior of the street' , who had his own plans for the paint ......."
" Now the 'street warrior' was making hay while the moon shone . Hardly had the IRA Volunteers turned their backs when this gentleman " arose and twitched his mantle blue " and proceeded to transfer the paint "to fresh woods and pastures new ." Working enthusiastically , he did not notice the passage of time or any undue activity in his neighbourhood ; not until he saw , by the light of a full moon , the glint of steel here and there around him . Then he took alarm ....
He made the mistake of trying to slip away through a meadow studded with hay-stacks . Some one of the British soldiers in the search party caught a glimpse of him and shouted a warning to the other soldiers . Surrounding the meadow they started a diligent search of it . At length they located him under a hay-stack and dragged him out ...
"Yerra lads ," he said , " 'tis I am glad to see ye . I was sure 'twas t'other fellas were there ! " "What other fellows ?" , asked one of the Brits . " Sure the crowd that had at the soldiers . I was with the soldiers all the evening helping them to release the lorries . When t'other lads attacked I ran , but they followed me and fired on me , so I hid under this hay-stack . I came out when I thought them gone , and when ye came after me I hid again thinkin' they had come back for me . "
Strangely enough , the British soldiers accepted the tale as a plausible story of his movements and released him !
[END of - 'TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......'].
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(11 of 12).
Charles Haughey privately "expressed his concern" to Brian Lenihan at these remarks . Shortly afterwards , again after meetings with Irish-American politicians in the U S , Lenihan amended his position . Without mentioning the Extradition Act by name , he said that the British government would be doing no more than giving effect to the explicit commitment in Article 8 if it introduced substantial measures to improve confidence in the administration of justice . Yet another about-turn had been executed ...
Ironically , it may not be Brian Lenihan's very lack of passion about the North of Ireland ie his failure to take up consistent , let alone rigid, positions , which could be most useful in rescuing the Anglo-Irish process . Not burdened by the driving mechanism of Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald , ('1169...' comment - ...even if it was a pro-Brit 'driving mechanism' !) Brian Lenihan may find it easier to sail through the period after December 1st when evasion , bland optimism and the 'putting on of a good face' will be the order of the day ...
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, April 01, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......
........ The Loughnane Brothers were beaten-up by the Tans for about four hours , then each was shot twice . Their bodies were set on fire , then thrown in a hole in the woods , then dug up and thrown into a pond .......
That happened on Sunday , 28th November 1920 ; the following day (Monday 29th November) the Brits called to the Loughnane home and told the boys' mother that they were looking for her two sons - that they had escaped from custody and were " on the run " . The Brits knew well enough where the two brothers were but , as well as deliberately giving false hope to the family , they were in the process of concocting an alibi for themselves . However , at this stage , the family and friends did not know any better and search-parties were organised to look for the brothers .
In the middle of December that year (1920) , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found . Before the brothers were given a proper funeral , a local doctor was asked to examine the remains - his report showed that both men had , at first , been sadistically battered ; the eldest of the brothers , Pat , had both wrists broken and both legs broken , while Harry had had two fingers removed by a saw , while still alive , and his right arm was only attached to the remains of the charred body by sinews.
The doctor stated that the damage to the head , neck and upper-chest area of both men was caused , in his opinion , by "hand grenades (which) were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ..."
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......After we took control of both British Army trucks , we escorted the thirteen British soldiers to an old house , sat them down and gave them a couple of mugs of tea . We then pointed them in the direction of Macroom and told them to go . We heard they returned later , with support , but all they found was two burnt-out trucks ......."
" While some of our number escorted the Brits to the old house , the rest of us examined the lorries and their loads . We found nothing of any military value among the stores carried . The large quantity of paint in tins appeared to be the most valuable material . Perhaps it might come in useful in the construction of arms-dumps , mines and other things . In any case , we felt it would be wanton destruction to give it to the flames . Accordingly , we set to work and , taking it to nearby dykes and trenches away from the roadside , dumped it into them with little ceremony .
But if we had been somewhat careless about the disposal of the paint there was , in the background , an unknown warrior who deprecated our rough and ready methods , and took steps to correct them . He belonged to that type which , in any emergency , hates to see wilful waste - a firm believer in suitable proverbs , he always did his best to realise them ; the "ill-wind that blew somebody good" had often blown this character's way , for the simple reason that he had caused it to veer in his direction ......"
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(10 of 12).
The absence of tangible progress on the administration of justice in the North of Ireland , together with the in-fact-unrelated but highly emotive case of the Birmingham Six , makes it virtually impossible for Fianna Fail to bring the Extradition Act into effect .
But even on this , the one issue to do with Anglo-Irish relations on which Fianna Fail took a clear and detailed stand in opposition , Brian Lenihan has had difficulty in adjusting to the convolutions of his leader's policy . He entered heartily into the role of easy-going friendship with the British , to the extent of effectively blaming the IRA for the deaths at Loughgall in May (1987), at a time when middle-of-the-road nationalists like Austin Currie (SDLP) were calling for an inquiry .
In an RTE interview on September 20 (1987), Brian Lenihan strongly implied that the (Free State) government would bring the Extradition Act into force , by saying that there was no connection between the Act and the reform of the administration of justice in the Six Counties , even though the two are explicitly linked in Article 8 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (Hillsborough Treaty).
(MORE LATER).
........ The Loughnane Brothers were beaten-up by the Tans for about four hours , then each was shot twice . Their bodies were set on fire , then thrown in a hole in the woods , then dug up and thrown into a pond .......
That happened on Sunday , 28th November 1920 ; the following day (Monday 29th November) the Brits called to the Loughnane home and told the boys' mother that they were looking for her two sons - that they had escaped from custody and were " on the run " . The Brits knew well enough where the two brothers were but , as well as deliberately giving false hope to the family , they were in the process of concocting an alibi for themselves . However , at this stage , the family and friends did not know any better and search-parties were organised to look for the brothers .
In the middle of December that year (1920) , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found . Before the brothers were given a proper funeral , a local doctor was asked to examine the remains - his report showed that both men had , at first , been sadistically battered ; the eldest of the brothers , Pat , had both wrists broken and both legs broken , while Harry had had two fingers removed by a saw , while still alive , and his right arm was only attached to the remains of the charred body by sinews.
The doctor stated that the damage to the head , neck and upper-chest area of both men was caused , in his opinion , by "hand grenades (which) were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ..."
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......After we took control of both British Army trucks , we escorted the thirteen British soldiers to an old house , sat them down and gave them a couple of mugs of tea . We then pointed them in the direction of Macroom and told them to go . We heard they returned later , with support , but all they found was two burnt-out trucks ......."
" While some of our number escorted the Brits to the old house , the rest of us examined the lorries and their loads . We found nothing of any military value among the stores carried . The large quantity of paint in tins appeared to be the most valuable material . Perhaps it might come in useful in the construction of arms-dumps , mines and other things . In any case , we felt it would be wanton destruction to give it to the flames . Accordingly , we set to work and , taking it to nearby dykes and trenches away from the roadside , dumped it into them with little ceremony .
But if we had been somewhat careless about the disposal of the paint there was , in the background , an unknown warrior who deprecated our rough and ready methods , and took steps to correct them . He belonged to that type which , in any emergency , hates to see wilful waste - a firm believer in suitable proverbs , he always did his best to realise them ; the "ill-wind that blew somebody good" had often blown this character's way , for the simple reason that he had caused it to veer in his direction ......"
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(10 of 12).
The absence of tangible progress on the administration of justice in the North of Ireland , together with the in-fact-unrelated but highly emotive case of the Birmingham Six , makes it virtually impossible for Fianna Fail to bring the Extradition Act into effect .
But even on this , the one issue to do with Anglo-Irish relations on which Fianna Fail took a clear and detailed stand in opposition , Brian Lenihan has had difficulty in adjusting to the convolutions of his leader's policy . He entered heartily into the role of easy-going friendship with the British , to the extent of effectively blaming the IRA for the deaths at Loughgall in May (1987), at a time when middle-of-the-road nationalists like Austin Currie (SDLP) were calling for an inquiry .
In an RTE interview on September 20 (1987), Brian Lenihan strongly implied that the (Free State) government would bring the Extradition Act into force , by saying that there was no connection between the Act and the reform of the administration of justice in the Six Counties , even though the two are explicitly linked in Article 8 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (Hillsborough Treaty).
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......
.......The Black and Tan truck stopped in Moy O'Hynes Wood and the Loughnane brothers were thrown out of the back of it . They were dazed from the beating they had got . The Tans marched the two of them deep into the Wood ; locals later reported hearing four shots .......
The following day (ie Saturday , 27th November 1920) , rumour was rife in the neighbourhood that Pat and Harry Loughnane had been dragged into the Moy O'Hynes Wood and shot dead by the Black and Tans ; that rumour also insisted that Harry Loughnane somehow survived the ordeal - the Tans heard the same rumour ....
It was early on Sunday morning (28th November 1920) that the Brits again entered the Wood - they were observed loading something into the back of their lorry and driving off at speed towards the small town of Umbriste (near Ardrahan , on the Gort to Clarinbridge road); it later transpired that the Black and Tans burned the bodies of the Loughnane brothers when they arrived at Umbriste but even then they were not satisfied - so they dug a hole and threw the bodies in to it .
However , because of the rocky terrain , the Tans were unable to fully cover their tracks and were convinced that the charred remains would be found ; they dug them up and carried them to a near-by pond , weighted them down , and threw them in - they then apparently poured a couple of gallons of dirty engine oil into the pond at that same spot .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
"....... The IRA Unit had taken the first of the British Army trucks ; the Brit sentry had been disarmed - but the Brit soldiers at the second truck refused to surrender when offered the chance ......."
" Throwing themselves flat , the British soldiers took the best cover they could get - under the lorry . A volley from the IRA Unit tore splinters from the woodwork over their heads and rattled on the ironwork . That helped them to decide otherwise ; a white flag was raised on a rifle . The third and final phase of the operation was over . Eleven rifles and bayonets , with one-hundred rounds for each rifle , was the prize of the day . No lives had been lost - not even a man on either side had been scratched . That was all to the good . The British Government would regret the loss of the arms , but a Brit Tommy or two killed or wounded would not worry them unduly . The arms would be used against them again , but they could get another 'Tommy' for a shilling a day .
But the Brit Tommys did not look at it that way - they felt , and small blame to them , that their own life and limbs were of far greater importance to 'Thomas Atkins' than was a rifle to 'John Bull' ! We looked at it in that light also , and always , when 'Tommy' was reasonable , gave him the benefit of the doubt . The British soldiers from Ceimaneigh were now brought over , and the thirteen men were taken to a nearby dis-used house ; a fire was lighted for them , kettles were boiled and tea was made for them . After the tea , which they really appreciated , three of our men marched them , two deep , down the road through the village . Showing them the road to Macroom , they were told that they were free to go in that direction .
They had not gone many miles when they met a strong relief party and returned with them to the scene of action . They found the two lorries completely burned out ...."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(9 of 12).
Fine Gael's Peter Barry , who maintains that it would be " criminal and treasonous " to damage the Hillsborough Treaty , is phlegmatic about the extradition question and sees " no serious prospect " of the British walking away from the 'deal' - " What people forget is that the British did'nt come into the Agreement for nothing . They're there because there's something in it for them - it's in their interests . "
The problem for Brian Lenihan is that Fianna Fail in opposition mounted one of their more effective operations in parliamentary debate precisely on the question of the Extradition Act . They moved amendments calling for a prima facie case to be established before extradition could be granted , for the removal of the clause in the Act which allows it to apply retroactively to offences committed before the passage of the Act , and to extend the powers of the courts or the (Free State) Minister for Justice to refuse to grant an extradition on the grounds that the standards of justice in the jurisdiction to which the prisoner was to be sent were unsatisfactory .
MORE LATER).
.......The Black and Tan truck stopped in Moy O'Hynes Wood and the Loughnane brothers were thrown out of the back of it . They were dazed from the beating they had got . The Tans marched the two of them deep into the Wood ; locals later reported hearing four shots .......
The following day (ie Saturday , 27th November 1920) , rumour was rife in the neighbourhood that Pat and Harry Loughnane had been dragged into the Moy O'Hynes Wood and shot dead by the Black and Tans ; that rumour also insisted that Harry Loughnane somehow survived the ordeal - the Tans heard the same rumour ....
It was early on Sunday morning (28th November 1920) that the Brits again entered the Wood - they were observed loading something into the back of their lorry and driving off at speed towards the small town of Umbriste (near Ardrahan , on the Gort to Clarinbridge road); it later transpired that the Black and Tans burned the bodies of the Loughnane brothers when they arrived at Umbriste but even then they were not satisfied - so they dug a hole and threw the bodies in to it .
However , because of the rocky terrain , the Tans were unable to fully cover their tracks and were convinced that the charred remains would be found ; they dug them up and carried them to a near-by pond , weighted them down , and threw them in - they then apparently poured a couple of gallons of dirty engine oil into the pond at that same spot .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
"....... The IRA Unit had taken the first of the British Army trucks ; the Brit sentry had been disarmed - but the Brit soldiers at the second truck refused to surrender when offered the chance ......."
" Throwing themselves flat , the British soldiers took the best cover they could get - under the lorry . A volley from the IRA Unit tore splinters from the woodwork over their heads and rattled on the ironwork . That helped them to decide otherwise ; a white flag was raised on a rifle . The third and final phase of the operation was over . Eleven rifles and bayonets , with one-hundred rounds for each rifle , was the prize of the day . No lives had been lost - not even a man on either side had been scratched . That was all to the good . The British Government would regret the loss of the arms , but a Brit Tommy or two killed or wounded would not worry them unduly . The arms would be used against them again , but they could get another 'Tommy' for a shilling a day .
But the Brit Tommys did not look at it that way - they felt , and small blame to them , that their own life and limbs were of far greater importance to 'Thomas Atkins' than was a rifle to 'John Bull' ! We looked at it in that light also , and always , when 'Tommy' was reasonable , gave him the benefit of the doubt . The British soldiers from Ceimaneigh were now brought over , and the thirteen men were taken to a nearby dis-used house ; a fire was lighted for them , kettles were boiled and tea was made for them . After the tea , which they really appreciated , three of our men marched them , two deep , down the road through the village . Showing them the road to Macroom , they were told that they were free to go in that direction .
They had not gone many miles when they met a strong relief party and returned with them to the scene of action . They found the two lorries completely burned out ...."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(9 of 12).
Fine Gael's Peter Barry , who maintains that it would be " criminal and treasonous " to damage the Hillsborough Treaty , is phlegmatic about the extradition question and sees " no serious prospect " of the British walking away from the 'deal' - " What people forget is that the British did'nt come into the Agreement for nothing . They're there because there's something in it for them - it's in their interests . "
The problem for Brian Lenihan is that Fianna Fail in opposition mounted one of their more effective operations in parliamentary debate precisely on the question of the Extradition Act . They moved amendments calling for a prima facie case to be established before extradition could be granted , for the removal of the clause in the Act which allows it to apply retroactively to offences committed before the passage of the Act , and to extend the powers of the courts or the (Free State) Minister for Justice to refuse to grant an extradition on the grounds that the standards of justice in the jurisdiction to which the prisoner was to be sent were unsatisfactory .
MORE LATER).
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......
....... the Loughnane brothers were thumped around in the cell by the Black and Tans for three or four hours ; they were then tied together and dragged behind a truck , on their way to the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in Drumharsna Castle .......
Both Pat and Harry Loughnane were at that stage too weak to run behind the truck , and ended up being dragged on the ground behind the Black and Tan truck ; on arrival at Drumharsna Castle , the rope was untied from the truck and the two men were dragged into another cell and beaten again .
At around 10.30 or 11pm that same night (ie Friday 26th November 1920) the Loughnane brothers were removed from the cell and put in the back of the truck ; they were pushed out of the back of same after travelling a few miles - the brothers would have been too dazed to realise it , but they were now in Moy O'Hynes Wood , and were being taken deep into the thicket of it by the Black and Tans .
Locals later reported hearing four shots.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......the group of British soldiers guarding one of the trucks had been , silently , forced to surrender ; one armed IRA Volunteer stayed with them while the rest of the IRA Unit headed for the second truck ......."
" Keeping well out of sight of the road on the southern side of it , the IRA Unit moved eastwards towards Tuirin Dubh . On the way they would deal with the British soldier acting as sentry . Now this was not to be an easy job , since the road fences were low and in some places absent altogether . However , Dan Lehane and Tadhg Twomey took positions behind the pillars of a gateway about seven hundred yards from the school . As the sentry came abreast of them they rushed out at him . At first he backed away as if to get room to use his rifle . Dan followed him up , his shotgun inside the soldier's guard , and repeatedly asked for the surrender of the man's rifle .
This at length the British soldier did , by dropping the weapon , and the second phase was over . The sentry was sent under escort to his comrades at the school . Pushing on to Tuirin Dubh , parallel to the road and south of it , the IRA Unit halted not far from the second lorry . Creeping slowly forward in line , they came quite near the British soldiers without being observed . It was now the twilight of this late July 1920 evening . As at Ceimaneigh , the Brits stood in a group near the lorry . The order to surrender was not in this case complied with ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(8 of 12).
Brian Lenihan was in Washington with Charles Haughey for the Saint Patrick Day celebrations , telling American Secretary of State George Schultz in a meeting that he was in a position to give " official confirmation " of the Dublin Administrations acceptance of the Hillsborough Treaty (this despite the fact that Fianna Fail had been , publicly , describing that Treaty as a "sell-out" !).
The suddenness of the turn-around and the fact that it was announced in America could not have been better designed to suggest that it was encouraged by pressure from the American government or by the American contributors to the International Fund set up under the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement' (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) . There was , however , another reason for the change of heart : domestic political expediency .....
Having ditched all of his previous reservations about the Treaty , Brian Lenihan was left with the thorny question of extradition . Even those most strongly committed to seeing that nothing should be allowed to endanger the Treaty , including Peter Barry (Fine Gael) , accept that the bringing into force of the Extradition Act would be a largely symbolic act with little practical significance , since the (Free State) courts have already re-defined the old (ie 1965) 'Extradition Act' in such a way as to give it the same effect ....
(MORE LATER).
....... the Loughnane brothers were thumped around in the cell by the Black and Tans for three or four hours ; they were then tied together and dragged behind a truck , on their way to the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in Drumharsna Castle .......
Both Pat and Harry Loughnane were at that stage too weak to run behind the truck , and ended up being dragged on the ground behind the Black and Tan truck ; on arrival at Drumharsna Castle , the rope was untied from the truck and the two men were dragged into another cell and beaten again .
At around 10.30 or 11pm that same night (ie Friday 26th November 1920) the Loughnane brothers were removed from the cell and put in the back of the truck ; they were pushed out of the back of same after travelling a few miles - the brothers would have been too dazed to realise it , but they were now in Moy O'Hynes Wood , and were being taken deep into the thicket of it by the Black and Tans .
Locals later reported hearing four shots.......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......the group of British soldiers guarding one of the trucks had been , silently , forced to surrender ; one armed IRA Volunteer stayed with them while the rest of the IRA Unit headed for the second truck ......."
" Keeping well out of sight of the road on the southern side of it , the IRA Unit moved eastwards towards Tuirin Dubh . On the way they would deal with the British soldier acting as sentry . Now this was not to be an easy job , since the road fences were low and in some places absent altogether . However , Dan Lehane and Tadhg Twomey took positions behind the pillars of a gateway about seven hundred yards from the school . As the sentry came abreast of them they rushed out at him . At first he backed away as if to get room to use his rifle . Dan followed him up , his shotgun inside the soldier's guard , and repeatedly asked for the surrender of the man's rifle .
This at length the British soldier did , by dropping the weapon , and the second phase was over . The sentry was sent under escort to his comrades at the school . Pushing on to Tuirin Dubh , parallel to the road and south of it , the IRA Unit halted not far from the second lorry . Creeping slowly forward in line , they came quite near the British soldiers without being observed . It was now the twilight of this late July 1920 evening . As at Ceimaneigh , the Brits stood in a group near the lorry . The order to surrender was not in this case complied with ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(8 of 12).
Brian Lenihan was in Washington with Charles Haughey for the Saint Patrick Day celebrations , telling American Secretary of State George Schultz in a meeting that he was in a position to give " official confirmation " of the Dublin Administrations acceptance of the Hillsborough Treaty (this despite the fact that Fianna Fail had been , publicly , describing that Treaty as a "sell-out" !).
The suddenness of the turn-around and the fact that it was announced in America could not have been better designed to suggest that it was encouraged by pressure from the American government or by the American contributors to the International Fund set up under the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement' (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) . There was , however , another reason for the change of heart : domestic political expediency .....
Having ditched all of his previous reservations about the Treaty , Brian Lenihan was left with the thorny question of extradition . Even those most strongly committed to seeing that nothing should be allowed to endanger the Treaty , including Peter Barry (Fine Gael) , accept that the bringing into force of the Extradition Act would be a largely symbolic act with little practical significance , since the (Free State) courts have already re-defined the old (ie 1965) 'Extradition Act' in such a way as to give it the same effect ....
(MORE LATER).
Monday, March 29, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......
....... The Loughnane brothers were working on the family farm at Shanaglish , County Galway , on 26th November 1920 when they were suddenly surrounded by the Black and Tans - the brothers were well-known locally as strong Irish Republicans , and both had a keen interest in Irish culture as well .......
The two brothers were slapped around a bit in the corn fields by the Black and Tans and then thrown into the back of the lorry belonging to the Tans - they were pushed off the lorry outside the Bridewell Barracks in Gort and put in a cell . People in near-by cells later reported hearing the brothers being thumped around by the Tans , who were well aware that the Loughnane brothers were active in the struggle for Irish Freedom .
After three or four hours of beating , the brothers were dragged out to the courtyard of Gort Bridewell and tied to each other ; the other end of the rope was then tied to the back of the truck , which drove off , heading for Drumharsna Castle , which was then the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in that area of Galway .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......We had thirteen men - so had the British , but they were better armed . However , they had split their force in two in order to guard both trucks , which were about a mile apart ......."
" I do not know what a 'giniral' would have done with such a badly equipped party in such circumstances ? Nothing at all , probably , but even if he tried , he could not do better . The taking of each British Army group separately had , of course , one serious disadvantage . Two of the three operations should be carried out quietly , otherwise the Tuirin Dubh group might separate and take up unknown and perhaps impregnable positions .
Twilight comes early under the shadow of the hills around the Pass of Ceimaneigh . As soon as the light began to fail , the full group of IRA Volunteers began to move . Making a short detour towards the mouth of the Pass , they crossed to the southern side of the road . Keeping south and moving east , they soon came to the back of the school . Sending forward a scout to the schoolyard , they quickly followed on receipt of his signal . Stooping low , they were soon in line behind the front wall of the playground .
In front and underneath them were the British soldiers grouped near the lorry . "Put up your hands," a voice spoke quietly - a little startled , the Brit Tommies looked upwards . A long line of men , with guns pointing ominously at them , stood behind the wall . With little hesitation , the Tommies raised their hands . No noise had so far been made . The IRA men took the rifles and equipment and , leaving one armed Volunteer to keep an eye on the disarmed British soldiers , departed for the second truck ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(7 of 12).
It was clear that Brian Lenihan would now have to deal with a vocal and determined section of Irish Americans that would no longer be content with a few words about the Anglo-Irish Agreement (ie 1985 Hillsborough Treaty) and a tribute to the ties of friendship between America and Ireland .
What is more , this section is one which still has very close ties to families and friends in Ireland , making it a potential political embarrassment back home .
A week after his second , unsuccessful, meeting with the Irish Immigration Reform Movement in New York , Brian Lenihan's 'Newsweek' interview appeared on the news-stands . The timing could hardly have been calculated to do more damage to his standing among the articulate young Irish emigrants .......
(MORE LATER).
....... The Loughnane brothers were working on the family farm at Shanaglish , County Galway , on 26th November 1920 when they were suddenly surrounded by the Black and Tans - the brothers were well-known locally as strong Irish Republicans , and both had a keen interest in Irish culture as well .......
The two brothers were slapped around a bit in the corn fields by the Black and Tans and then thrown into the back of the lorry belonging to the Tans - they were pushed off the lorry outside the Bridewell Barracks in Gort and put in a cell . People in near-by cells later reported hearing the brothers being thumped around by the Tans , who were well aware that the Loughnane brothers were active in the struggle for Irish Freedom .
After three or four hours of beating , the brothers were dragged out to the courtyard of Gort Bridewell and tied to each other ; the other end of the rope was then tied to the back of the truck , which drove off , heading for Drumharsna Castle , which was then the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in that area of Galway .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
".......We had thirteen men - so had the British , but they were better armed . However , they had split their force in two in order to guard both trucks , which were about a mile apart ......."
" I do not know what a 'giniral' would have done with such a badly equipped party in such circumstances ? Nothing at all , probably , but even if he tried , he could not do better . The taking of each British Army group separately had , of course , one serious disadvantage . Two of the three operations should be carried out quietly , otherwise the Tuirin Dubh group might separate and take up unknown and perhaps impregnable positions .
Twilight comes early under the shadow of the hills around the Pass of Ceimaneigh . As soon as the light began to fail , the full group of IRA Volunteers began to move . Making a short detour towards the mouth of the Pass , they crossed to the southern side of the road . Keeping south and moving east , they soon came to the back of the school . Sending forward a scout to the schoolyard , they quickly followed on receipt of his signal . Stooping low , they were soon in line behind the front wall of the playground .
In front and underneath them were the British soldiers grouped near the lorry . "Put up your hands," a voice spoke quietly - a little startled , the Brit Tommies looked upwards . A long line of men , with guns pointing ominously at them , stood behind the wall . With little hesitation , the Tommies raised their hands . No noise had so far been made . The IRA men took the rifles and equipment and , leaving one armed Volunteer to keep an eye on the disarmed British soldiers , departed for the second truck ......."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(7 of 12).
It was clear that Brian Lenihan would now have to deal with a vocal and determined section of Irish Americans that would no longer be content with a few words about the Anglo-Irish Agreement (ie 1985 Hillsborough Treaty) and a tribute to the ties of friendship between America and Ireland .
What is more , this section is one which still has very close ties to families and friends in Ireland , making it a potential political embarrassment back home .
A week after his second , unsuccessful, meeting with the Irish Immigration Reform Movement in New York , Brian Lenihan's 'Newsweek' interview appeared on the news-stands . The timing could hardly have been calculated to do more damage to his standing among the articulate young Irish emigrants .......
(MORE LATER).
Sunday, March 28, 2004
PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.
" I am of the opinion that hand grenades were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ....." --
--....part of the comments made by the doctor who examined the remains of the Loughnane brothers .
Pat and Harry Loughnane were well-known and equally well-liked and respected in their neighbourhood of South-Galway . Pat (the eldest) was an IRA man and Secretary of Sinn Fein in the area ; he was also active in GAA circles .
His younger brother , Harry , played in goal for the local Beagh Hurling Club , and was in charge of the local cumann of Sinn Fein ; both brothers worked on the family farm in Shanaglish , County Galway , and were working in the corn fields on Friday , 26th November 1920 , when the Black and Tans surrounded them .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
"......Two British Army trucks had got themselves stuck on the soft bog road ; thirteen enemy personnel , eleven of whom were armed . The local IRA Unit were aware of the situation ......."
" On arrival in the village of Ballingeary , IRA Volunteer Dan O'Sullivan sought out the brothers Dannie and Jer Shea ; he found them , and Dannie immediately left to mobilise some armed men in the shortest possible time . Christy Lucey and Liam Twomey were already near at hand in Tuirin Dubh . Dan Lehane , 'Cahir' , Pat Murray and Jack Moynihan were that day working at Doirin Flodaigh and , hearing the news , were quickly on the spot . Dan Thade Seain (' O'Leary') , John Con ('Cronin') , John McCann ('MacSweeney') , Connie and Donncha Cronin , and Jerome Creed all together made thirteen , the same number as the British soldiers .
The arms of the Volunteers , however , bore no relation in quality to those of their opponents . Eleven shotguns , a carbine and a nondescript rifle were the weapons . But the spirit makes up for the lack of material things . The dispositions of the British soldiers now made things a little difficult - five riflemen guarded each lorry . As a conecting link between the two parties (they were about one mile apart) the eleventh armed man patrolled the road . It was decided not to split our forces for a simultaneous attack on both lorries and on the sentry . Instead , the plan was adopted of starting with a full strength attempt on the leading , or Ceimaneigh , group . It certainly made matters far simpler than by the simultaneous movement of three parties , which would require fairly accurate timing and some system of signals and signallers .
Besides , considering the poor quality of our arms , it was better to keep them all together to get the best effect ...."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(6 of 12).
The 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' had had a meeting with Brian Lenihan , Free State Minister for Foreign Affairs -
" We understood that Lenihan was going to offer us concrete support and that the next meeting would tie it all down , " said 'IIRM' member , Patrick Hurley . When the time for the second meeting came , however, the 'IIRM' were denied a meeting on their own with Brian Lenihan and instead were grouped with the Ancient Order of Hibernians , the Catholic Charities of New York and a group representing Irish-American trade unionists . " Whenever we raised any of the concrete problems we were offered solutions which had already been examined and discarded months previously ," said Patrick Hurley .
Another member of the 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' stated - " We were left with the impression of a man who had'nt done enough to help us , pulling away in a big black limousine to go to a cocktail party . "
(MORE LATER).
" I am of the opinion that hand grenades were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ....." --
--....part of the comments made by the doctor who examined the remains of the Loughnane brothers .
Pat and Harry Loughnane were well-known and equally well-liked and respected in their neighbourhood of South-Galway . Pat (the eldest) was an IRA man and Secretary of Sinn Fein in the area ; he was also active in GAA circles .
His younger brother , Harry , played in goal for the local Beagh Hurling Club , and was in charge of the local cumann of Sinn Fein ; both brothers worked on the family farm in Shanaglish , County Galway , and were working in the corn fields on Friday , 26th November 1920 , when the Black and Tans surrounded them .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......
"......Two British Army trucks had got themselves stuck on the soft bog road ; thirteen enemy personnel , eleven of whom were armed . The local IRA Unit were aware of the situation ......."
" On arrival in the village of Ballingeary , IRA Volunteer Dan O'Sullivan sought out the brothers Dannie and Jer Shea ; he found them , and Dannie immediately left to mobilise some armed men in the shortest possible time . Christy Lucey and Liam Twomey were already near at hand in Tuirin Dubh . Dan Lehane , 'Cahir' , Pat Murray and Jack Moynihan were that day working at Doirin Flodaigh and , hearing the news , were quickly on the spot . Dan Thade Seain (' O'Leary') , John Con ('Cronin') , John McCann ('MacSweeney') , Connie and Donncha Cronin , and Jerome Creed all together made thirteen , the same number as the British soldiers .
The arms of the Volunteers , however , bore no relation in quality to those of their opponents . Eleven shotguns , a carbine and a nondescript rifle were the weapons . But the spirit makes up for the lack of material things . The dispositions of the British soldiers now made things a little difficult - five riflemen guarded each lorry . As a conecting link between the two parties (they were about one mile apart) the eleventh armed man patrolled the road . It was decided not to split our forces for a simultaneous attack on both lorries and on the sentry . Instead , the plan was adopted of starting with a full strength attempt on the leading , or Ceimaneigh , group . It certainly made matters far simpler than by the simultaneous movement of three parties , which would require fairly accurate timing and some system of signals and signallers .
Besides , considering the poor quality of our arms , it was better to keep them all together to get the best effect ...."
(MORE LATER).
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...
(6 of 12).
The 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' had had a meeting with Brian Lenihan , Free State Minister for Foreign Affairs -
" We understood that Lenihan was going to offer us concrete support and that the next meeting would tie it all down , " said 'IIRM' member , Patrick Hurley . When the time for the second meeting came , however, the 'IIRM' were denied a meeting on their own with Brian Lenihan and instead were grouped with the Ancient Order of Hibernians , the Catholic Charities of New York and a group representing Irish-American trade unionists . " Whenever we raised any of the concrete problems we were offered solutions which had already been examined and discarded months previously ," said Patrick Hurley .
Another member of the 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' stated - " We were left with the impression of a man who had'nt done enough to help us , pulling away in a big black limousine to go to a cocktail party . "
(MORE LATER).
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