1169 And Counting.....

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

"Shame on those in Leinster House....." : a 'retain-the-medical-card' protester outside 'anti-medical-card'-Leinster House today (Wednesday 22 October 2008) objecting to the attempted political State mugging of old age pensioners by Fianna Fail , the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats .

"It often happens that the real tragedies of life occur in such an inarticulate manner that they hurt us by their crude violence, their absolute incoherence, their absurd want of meaning, their entire lack of style."
(Oscar Wilde)
Inarticulate , crude , incoherent , absurd and styleless: all of those words , when combined , describe not only the manner in which the unprincipled Fat Cats in Leinster House attempted to condemn our elderly to an early grave by withdrawing their medical cards but also describe the 'qualities' required to 'progress' through the corrupt political system in this morally-twisted State . But ,in this instance - thankfully - the actions of those suited and pensioned political wasters was a bridge too far for respectable people to ignore :

: From the entry gates of Leinster House and to the very last few inches of the street facing those gates - Molesworth Street - and from the St Stephen's Green-top of Kildare Street to the Nassau Street junction at the bottom of Kildare Street stood at least 20,000 medical card holders - most of them between 50 and 70 years young - carrying placards and banners in protest against the on-going attempted removal of their medical cards by the State Administration . Republican Sinn Fein members and supporters arrived outside Leinster House at 11am to add their numbers to those objecting to this act of thievery and were almost immediately approached by uniformed Garda members and told that they would be removed from where they were at about 12 Noon and would be "placed" across the street in Molesworth Street . When this notification was challenged , the RSF people were told that all protesters were going to be moved across to Molesworth Street (a 'side-street' when compared with Kildare Street) in order that 'the main thoroughfare be kept open' . The RSF people replied that they would be staying where they were : in the event the cops backed-down , due no doubt to the fact that , by 12 Noon , there were between at least five and ten thousand protesters blocking the road itself and standing on the footpaths on both sides of the street!
The cops wisely decided to take themselves off-side and dispersed to the far-flung corners of the immediate area to concentrate on traffic management....

Getting ready to make our presence felt...

Medical card protesters blocking the entry/exit gates to Leinster House.

"No votes here for Harney or Lenihan! "

"PD's , FF and the Greens ? No thanks!"

Two of the RSF pro-medical card protesters in the crowd outside Leinster House.

Three of the armed Special Branch members on the rooftops of surrounding buildings : just making sure that those pesky 'Dissident Pensioners' don't offer too much of a 'threat' to the security of the State...

Finally : RSF maintained a presence today outside Leinster House from 11am to 2pm : on our way out of the area we 'bumped' into about 20,000 student protesters who were making their way to Leinster House to protest against the proposed manner which those fumbling political mongrels in Leinster House wish to financially and spiritually debase them . The 1169 Team sends its heartiest congratulations and best wishes to those young protesters and to those 'over 21's' who were just breaking-up as the young 'uns were arriving . We all of us - a combined total of between 30,000 and 40,000 people - can't be wrong . The millionaire inmates of Leinster House should save us the bother of having to protest against them again and simply abolish themselves . They all have fat pensions they can live quite comfortably on...
Sharon.

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

In late 1978 however the IRA devised a new method of producing home made explosives : their engineers discovered that if ordinary fertiliser was 'cooked' in water , the resulting crystals produced after the 'dirty' water had been skimmed off made high quality explosive when mixed with metal fillings , usually aluminium , and diesel or carbon .

The explosive produced is detonated by a pound or two of commercial explosives and can , as the radio bombs have proved , be enormously effective . Its drawback is that it stinks to high heaven and is very unstable and , as a result , it is usually only 'made to order' in two stills which the British Army thinks the IRA has stashed in deep woodland across the Border . While the IRA has , thanks to that sort of ingenuity and the re-organisation of its structures , made a considerable comeback since 1977 , the organisation and its campaign of military opposition has at the same time been limited effectively to three of its eight operational areas .

Those three areas are Belfast , South Armagh and East Tyrone . Even so , the level of activity in those areas has declined - in Belfast , for instance , there were 109 bombing attacks and 51 ambushes and gun attacks on the RUC , British Army or other so-called 'security force' personnel during 1977 , whereas in 1978 that had declined to 101 bombings and 29 shootings and in 1979 to only 39 bombing attacks and 20 gun attacks . This year (1980) seems to be keeping in line with that , at 13 bombings and 11 gun attacks so far . In East Tyrone and South Armagh the IRA has had mixed results in its military campaign against the forces of Westminster.......
(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS: "In the wake of the hunger-strike , and faced with the electoral and general political challenge for the Republican Movement , how do you view the future for the SDLP ? "

IRA: "The SDLP is a middle-class 'Castle Catholic' establishment party . In the absence of any electoral involvement by republicans it was able to masquerade as the political voice of the nationalist people , clouding the class divisions which exist within the nationalist camp . Electoral involvement by republicans has shattered that myth and , although the task will be a necessarily hard one , continued involvement in that process by republicans will place the SDLP in their true light , and they will be seen increasingly as being supportive of the British presence in Ireland. "
(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

The women POW's decided to barricade themselves in the 'B3' wing of Armagh Prison , using dismantled cell doors . By some fluke , while all this was going on , the Prison Governor , Cunningham , his deputy , Simpson , and two Screws happened to come up to the Wing and the women bundled them up , threw them into an empty cell and locked them in with their own keys . The loyalist prisoners came along , thinking at first that the loyalist compounds had been burnt too . Having later been told otherwise , they nevertheless sat the protest out with the republicans .

The women prisoners had drawn big slogans on bedsheets , reading - 'The Armagh women support the men in Long Kesh - give them their demands' , and hung their 'banners' from the cell windows where they could be seen from the surrounding streets . By the evening , the 'kidnapping' of the Armagh Prison governor by the women POW's was big news : journalists congregated outside the jail and shouted questions across to the barricaded women , who replied by shouting back to them . The Screws turned off the water and the electricity , and armed British soldiers in riot gear started to move into position arond the complex .

The stalemate lasted until the early hours of Thursday 17th October 1974 , when the prison chaplain , Fr Raymond Murray, brought the women an assurance from British 'Direct-Ruler' Merlyn Rees that the men in Long Kesh were safe and that no action would be taken against the women involved in the protest. The women prisoners had by then achieved their objective which was to highlight the plight of the men . The media presence had ensured huge coverage of the issue and the women ended their protest .
(MORE LATER).

Monday, October 20, 2008

On the right of our pic is the State Minister responsible for the 14th October 2008 Budget , Brian Lenihan . On the left of the pic is a high-ranking cop , helping Brian to use Google to find the meaning of the word 'Patriotism'.....

So : you want to punish old people for being old ? For being 'a burden on the State' ? For no longer earning a wage that you can stop tax on ?
And you think that ordinary taxpayers (and those old people that no longer earn a wage that you can tax) were getting too much of a 'bargain' by only paying €66 whenever they had to avail of the 'services' offered at their local A+E so you increase that amount to €100 a visit? Guess what - you're a "patriot" !!
Yes , indeed : in the moral vacuum that the likes of Brian Lenihan exists in - at someone else's expense , naturally - to 'aspire' to and actually introduce the above as 'law' is answering , in his own words - "...no less than a call to patriotic action."
Seriously! That is precisely what that piece of pond scum garbage stated in his 'Budget 2008 Introduction Speech' in Leinster House on Tuesday 14th October 2008- see here for the actual transcript : his "patriotic" comment is on the second-last line : read it all , if you have a strong stomach , or just skip to the 'its-your-patriotic-duty-to-kill-the-old'-part of this morons speech down at the end of his comments. And to think that representatives from Fianna Fail , The Greens and the Progressive Democrats gave him a five-minute standing ovation for his Declaration Of War on pensioners . Sick or what ?
Please help us in the fight to retain some dignity for our aged relatives . Take to the streets with us on Wednesday 22nd October 2008.
Sharon.

Friday, October 17, 2008

PROTEST OUTSIDE LEINSTER HOUSE OVER MEDICAL CARD CHANGES....

"The over-70s medical card plays a key role in helping many older people remain living in their own homes. The guaranteed access it provided for holders to a GP meant that their health and well being is monitored and protected at community level, thereby taking pressure off the acute hospitals and nursing homes.To reintroduce the means test flies in the face of the current push towards community care and the drive to keep older people out of hospitals and nursing homes. It will not result in any reduction in illness among older people but ensure that by the time they came to doctors surgeries that their illnesses would be more advanced.
There are currently more than 420,000 people aged 70 or over living in the 26 County State....."
(From here.)

"In the budget this week the government decided to scrap automatic medical cards for over 70s...some GPs charge €60 a visit never mind prescriptions or other medicines like say the flu vaccine, which cost my girlfriend €35 during a recent visit to her GP. So imagine if you were 70 years old retired, trying to scrape together enough money to buy food, pay the increased ESB and gas bills, then save a little money to buy Christmas presents for the grand kids and not doing anything fancy like foreign holidays. Just gettin by in Ireland today. €95 would be a good chunk out of your weekly income of say €241 which would put you over the limits...."
(From here.)

The 'Irish Senior Citizens Parliament' will be holding a one-hour lunch-time protest rally outside Leinster House , Kildare Street , Dublin, on Wednesday 22nd October 2008 beginning at 12.30pm to show their objection at the unjust withdrawal of medical cards for those aged over 70 : the greedy , callous and unproductive bastards that 'work' in that institution will not themselves be affected by any of the cut-backs they impose as they are well-insulated , financially , from the effects of their own actions. We hope the sons , daughters and extended families of those elderly people will storm that filthy institution and destroy it from within whilst their aged relatives are protesting as best they can outside - every man and woman inside that premises should be made pay , physically , for attempting to punish old people for the financial and moral blunders that the well-suited leeches themselves are responsible for...
Sharon.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

Methods of attack have also varied : blast incendiaries were introduced in 1977 until the holocaust of La Mon when they were temporarily dropped . Car bombs have made a recent comeback but so far only in rural towns . Intruder detonated bombs and long-delay fused bombs were introduced during that period but while these and other more well known devices like culvert bombs and landmines accounted for heavy security forces' casualties it was the introduction of the radio-detonated bomb in 1978 but especially in 1979 that really re-imposed the IRA's threat .

In 1978 radio bombs were tried out in various areas of the North of Ireland but only one member of the 'security forces' was killed by one . In 1979 however radio bombs accounted for no less than 29 of the 86 deaths meted out by the IRA and this year (1980) they have killed 6 out of 30 . The radio bomb was also used in two of the IRA's most traumatic deeds of the last ten years : the killing of 18 British soldiers at Warrenpoint and the assassination of 'Lord' Mountbatten and his boating party in August 1979 .

The development of the radio bomb , like the unsuccessful attempt to mortar Newry RUC station , also demonstrate another worrying factor for the RUC and the British Army - the IRA's technical ingenuity , which has been amply demonstrated by their use of huge quantities of explosives not only in radio bombs but also in car bombs and landmines since 1978 . Bombs of 1000 or 2000 pounds are now quite common . In 1977 and 1978 the IRA was forced to experiment with new ways of producing explosives : legislation in the South had outlawed the sale of fertiliser containing benzine which together with sugar went to produce the terrifying blockbuster car bombs of the early 1970's - and they virtually disappeared as a result . But in late 1978 the technical ingenuity of the IRA was called on again to address this problem.......

(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS - " It seems probable , despite all the delays , that Jim Prior's assembly elections will take place this autumn . What is your understanding of the assembly's future ? "

IRA - " There's so much opposition to it that we don't see it working . We have nevertheless taken a conscious decision to support Sinn Fein's involvement in the election , which is on an abstentionist basis in that they won't take seats if elected . Whatever political scenario the British impose , the republican response will remain the same. "

(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

While the women POW's had Armagh Jail well in control , their male comrades in Long Kesh were regularly being attacked by the Brits stationed around the camp , constantly subjected to searches , and their privileges gradually eroded .

Tension had been mounting throughout the summer of 1974 in the compounds of Long Kesh : on Tuesday night , 15th October 1974 , republican POW's burned their huts in protest at the inhuman conditions they were forced to endure and were savagely attacked by Brit soldiers in full riot gear . At dawn on Wednesday 16th a statement was read on the radio by a British official announcing the burning of the camp and stating that all privileges and visits had been suspended .

A lot of women heard that radio broadcast but were not surprised - news like that was expected . Most , if not all , of the women POW's in Armagh had brothers , fathers or boyfriends in Long Kesh and were frightened with anguish over the events . On that Wednesday morning (16th October 1974) the Armagh prison administration refused the women's request for a Sinn Fein spokesperson to come in and give them updates regarding their loved ones . One of those women POW's , Kate McGuinness , said - " We had a Company meeting and decided that we should organise a riot and cause as much damage as possible to the jail." That riot was to lead to the forced imprisonment of four prison officials.......

(MORE LATER).

Monday, October 13, 2008

Republican Sinn Féin placard used on the 'Health Protest' march in Dublin on Saturday 11th October 2008.

First things first : apologises for the delay in publishing this post - we had one of these to organise on the same weekend as the above-mentioned health march (which , incidentally , we managed to do , very successfully!) and we had technical trouble with our digital collection of photographs from the protest march , resulting in our having only the following two pics available for posting -

Black flag symbolises the 'death' of the State 'Health Service' .

RSF protestors at the Parnell Monument in Dublin's O'Connell Street , Saturday 11th October 2008.

This traffic camera photo shows some of the crowd , as does this video .
Between 3,000 and 5,000 people took part in the trade union-organised protest march , at which RSF members were present from 12.30pm onwards , having taken-up position at the Parnell Monument at that time. The protest was deemed to be a success by the organisers and gave ordinary people an opportunity to voice their objection to the manner in which the millionaire politicians in Leinster House are purposely down-grading the health service that we tax-payers pay for in favour of a 'Private' system which only they and their type can afford and will , indeed, financially benefit from in the long run , at the expense of those of us lucky enough to have a poorly-paid job in the first place . Republican Sinn Féin will be out on the streets again over this issue whenever and wherever the opportunity arises...
Sharon.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

"Health cuts hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped..."

"THE FAMILY of a woman who died in the toilet of the AE unit at Dublin's Mater hospital earlier this year after waiting hours for a bed has urged the public to turn out in large numbers for a protest march against health service cuts on Saturday...."
(From here.)

Over 20 years ago , the now main party in the State Administration, Fianna Fail, entered into a General Election campaign using the slogan 'Health Cuts Hurt The Old, The Sick And The Handicapped' . The majority of the voters didn't know it then , but that was more than a mere slogan - it was an (unstated) intention that Fianna Fail intended to prove. And, unfortunately, they're still chipping away at what remains of the so-called 'Health Service' in this State :
"It was reported earlier this year that there are at least 139,000 on outpatient lists at present, with some patients waiting up to eight years for an appointment..."
(From here, more here.)

Mary Harney , Millionaire State Minister for Health in the current Leinster House administration.

STATE PRIORITIES:
Recently a new facility was built inside Leinster House - a sweet shop. At a cost of €1.3 million it is said to have cost more per square metre than a fully equipped operating theatre for a hospital. One set of curtains purchased by taxpayers money to be used in the refurbished office of the Leinster House Chairperson cost €11,000 ; the curtains were supplied by the same firm that decorates the Palace of Versailles!

YOUR PRIORITIES:
Protest! Object! Complain!
A trade union-organised protest march over the useless health service will be held in Dublin on Saturday 11th October next : those attending are asked to assemble at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square at 2pm. 'Health Cuts Hurt The Old, The Sick And The Handicapped' - don't wait until those health cuts have the potential to hurt you : take to the streets with us on October 11th next - it may well only be a small step , but even that can be enough to crush the political maggots with sticky hands which they clean on curtains bought by the taxpayer...
Sharon.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

When the IRA's Director of Operations , Brian Keenan, was arrested in March 1979 and sent to Britain for trial on offences related to the 1974/1975 bombing campaign there , he had on him a torn half of a Libyan dinar bill ; a recognition signal that was used a lot during the 1972/1975 liaison between Colonel Gaddafi and the IRA .

Another curious piece of the Libyan jigsaw has also recently come to light : in August 1979 a shady arms dealer, called Sadiq Baahri, who operated his arms business from a legitimate export agency in Athens , disappeared while flying in his private jet on a flight from Cairo to Jeddah in Saudia Arabia . Reliable Arab sources in London now say that Baahri had incurred Gaddafi's displeasure for refusing to arrange an IRA arms shipment . The rumour in Libya , say the sources, is that Libyan jet fighters forced his plane down at Benghazi where he now languishes in jail.

In its campaign between 1977 and 1980 , the Provisional IRA has demonstrated what for the RUC and British Army must be an irritating ability to switch tactics : among the targets chosen for one to nine month campaigns have been businessmen , so-called 'off duty' UDR men, a sustained attack on the British Army and prison warders and the killing of prominent people like 'Lord' Mountbatten. Bombing targets have switched from co-ordinated , six-county wide attacks and smaller scale attacks on commercial premises , government buildings , hotels , banks and factories to the blasting of town and village centres . The methods involved in using such devices have also varied.......

(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS: " Some supporters still question whether republican involvement in the electoral process will mean a de-escalation of military involvement . There is even perhaps an implication that this electoral strategy may have been forced on the Movement of necessity , because of the IRA's inability to guarantee a high level of military struggle in the future . Could you comment on this ? "

IRA: " No , it has nothing to do with the escalation or de-escalation of the armed struggle . The benefits in using it as another arm in the struggle are : A) the Brits don't want republicans to use electoral involvement , which proves that as a weapon it is very effective ('1169...' Comment- wrong on both counts; the Brits would much rather deal with political opposition only as that is any occupiers preferred 'theatre of war' and , secondly, political involvement can indeed be "very effective" but only when it is not being implemented by those who are prepared to sell short on issues , as the Provisionals have been doing since they left the Movement in 1986. Also - as forecast by Republican Sinn Fein - electoral involvement quickly became [for the Provisionals] the only opposition offered , rather than it being used as "another arm in the struggle" ) and B) it's a massive embarrassment to the Brits and the collaborationist political parties ('1169...' Comment - ....of whom the Provisionals can be numbered with) - highlighted by the response of all but a few honorable exceptions in Leinster House and Westminster at the time of the deaths of Kieran Doherty TD and Bobby Sands MP - and the way the British changed the law to prevent other sentenced prisoners being elected - when we involve ourselves in the 'democratic process' , because its always shown up to be completely undemocratic and false .

The electoral strategy wasn't forced on us - it was a conscious decision , and to a large extent the views of people throughout the Movement were canvassed and taken into account . Republicans must never allow themselves to be isolated ('1169...' Comment - yet , by there very nature , institutions such as Leinster House and Stormont [and Westminster] purposely "isolate" their cosy 'inmates' from , not only republicanism , but from normal 'day-to-day' issues as well , and those cosy inmates quickly become accustomed to their newfound fat salaries and expenses and quickly become insulated from the concerns and objectives of those they once claimed to represent) , we must never depend on one facet of resistance alone ('1169...' Comment - too late!) . Our resistance must be military , political , cultural , social and economic , at the same time . In that way we can involve all the people in the war against the British and the collaborationist forces . Within that wide spectrum of resistance there is a place for everybody , and everybody can find his or her place . Everyone is equal in the struggle no matter what job they are doing : selling papers , collecting for the prisoners , picketing , leafletting , carrying out an operation . But , at the same time , armed struggle is the first facet of our resistance and always will be till the British are removed from Ireland ." ('1169...' Comment - from the Provos support for armed struggle to this today: "I have met senior PSNI officers in my constituency, and my party (PSF) has also met them regarding ongoing activity......the PSNI must be allowed to do its job...." [from here] : the first statement was made in 1982 when the Adams faction was shaping-up to take control of the Movement , the second [linked] statement was made by the Adams faction after they had not only secured control of the Provisional grouping but had actually turned it from a revolutionary organisation into a parliamentary constitutional entity , with all the financial 'rewards' that accompany such a transformation.)

(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

The women political prisoners organised debates on controversial issues - Teresa Holland stated re this issue : "We discussed how we thought the struggle was going , how we saw things developing in the long term . I remember a heated discussion on the 1975 truce and 'UDI'(Unilateral Declaration of Independence). The women were unanimous on rejecting any idea of an 'independent' Six Counties . Another debate was on young people , delinquency , joy-riding."

While the women were on the whole very politicised , women's issues however were rarely , if ever, discussed . " We never saw ourselves as different from the men in Long Kesh " is a common remark . Around 1973/1974 many men had been arrested and a lot of responsibilities had fallen to the women on the outside . The release of hundreds of male POW's later in 1975 would reverse the trend somewhat .

Medical care in Armagh Jail was primitive and still is . Doctor Cole - or 'Doctor Death' or 'The Pill Pusher' as he is referred to by the women - and his aides were quick to dish out pills ; Valium , Panadol and Distalgesics (DG's) mostly , which are now taken off the market because of their addictive effect . Many women who had dental care while in that prison developed abcesses but luckly three of the POW's were nurses and were able to advise their comrades on the type of medication they were given . Nonetheless , at least four women prisoners developed Anorexia Nervosa and other women who came in suffering from bad injuries like gunshot wounds or severe burns were not properly looked after by the prison authorities.......
(MORE LATER).

Monday, October 06, 2008

MICHAEL COLLINS LOOKS ON AS PARTITION AND CONFLICT ARE SAID BY 'THE REBELS' TO BE 'IN THE PAST....'

One of our regular readers found himself with a few hours to spare last Sunday (5th October 2008) so himself and his Missus headed-out to the County of Meath to have a browse around the Fairyhouse Market .
Whilst browsing the hundreds of stalls and units etc , he came across a stall operated by Provisional Sinn Fein at which he noticed , incrediously , that not only were they selling framed prints of Michael Collins but they had one such framed print located right beside a framed poster which declared that partition and conflict on this isle are things of the past ! -

(A clearer pic of this 'Its In The Past!' poster can be seen here.)

- our reader asked one of the PSF stall holders if they would agree that they were being a wee bit premature in saying that partition and conflict on this isle are in the past : he ended-up giving a brief history lesson to the hapless rep and asked how they could possibly support the notion that partition and the conflict which arises from it can be said 'to be over' as this island is still partitioned by Westminster , which maintains an armed , and political , presence on the island ? The garbled reply was as dense as the framed poster- "But things are a lot better...we're almost there....the leadership know what they're doing....things are looking up...."
Our man walked away , shaking his head in despair , and wondering how such people can be left in charge of a market stall , never mind how they can 'claim ownership' to the best way to resolve the not yet resolved issue of partition and the conflict that arises from same! Needless to say, he wasn't buying it....!
Sharon.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

32 YEARS UNDER WATER........

....or 'A SWIM FOR EVERY COUNTY!'

It began - properly structured and organised - in 1976 ,as a ‘fundraiser with a difference’ combined with the need to gain extra publicity for a situation which was then - as now - making world headlines . Those that sat down together in early September 1976 to tighten-up the then ‘hit-and-miss’ affair were a dedicated team who fully understood that to fail in their business would not only bring derision on them and the issue they sought to highlight , but would give their enemy a publicity coup which they would exploit to the fullest extent . With that in mind , the team persevered - favours were called-in , guarantees were secured , provisions obtained and word dispatched to like-minded individuals in the near-locale . At the appointed time on the agreed day - 12 Noon , Christmas Day 1976 - a soon-to-be 32-years-young event was ‘born’…….
The CABHAIR Christmas Day Swim is , thankfully , still going strong and will be , as mentioned , 32-years-young on December 25th next!
Photographs of last years event can be viewed here and , if you can’t make it to the actual swim itself , you might consider posting a donation to the following address (please note that all monies raised goes to the republican prisoners themselves and to their families - no expenses or admin fees etc are removed) :
CABHAIR
Irish Republican Prisoners Dependants Fund
223 Parnell Street,
Dublin 1,
Ireland.
Thank You,
Go Raibh Maith Agat.
Sharon.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

Contrary to press speculation the killings and bombings in Germany were not aided by the Baader-Meinhof group or other anarchist groupings but were a short term and largely unsuccessful attempt to arouse western European interest in the war in Ireland. According to one British Army source '...there are no operational links between the IRA and any of these groups..' by which was meant not only the Baader-Meinhof group but also ETA, the Bretons and the Corsicans. The IRA guns that come from those sources are few and far between .

The IRA buys its weaponry in Europe and the Middle East from conventional black market sources who also supply training : the last two years have seen the severing of an important link with the PLO -the British Army says that the Towerstream cargo at least in part came via the PLO . Now Yasser Arafat says the link has been formally ended in return for Dublin and EEC recognition of his cause . ('1169...' Comment : in much the same way as the Adams Provo leadership began the wind-down of the Provisional organisation in the years between 1983 and 1986 , leading to that disgraceful grouping now actually enforcing British mis-rule on this isle.)

Some mystery however surrounds the link with Libya's Colonel Gaddafi which most people thought had ended with the deportation of the last remaining Provo contact man in early 1975 . Now there is speculation that the link might have been re-established.......

(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS: " What is your view of the 'normalisation' process ? Did the hunger-strike spell the end of it , or is it still ongoing ? "

IRA: " It's on-going . 'Normalisation' was a major problem in 1977 , 1978 and 1979 , although the IRA's efforts and operations etc blocked it to a large extent. The hunger-strike had a big effect in causing people to start looking again at the whole process of British involvement . So, while it is an ongoing process , the IRA too is involved in an ongoing process of defeating it."

(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

The women POW's in Armagh Jail as a whole formed 'A' Company , which was eventually divided into three sections , one for each Prison Wing , and named after dead IRA Volunteers : Ethel Lynch from Derry , who had died in 1974 , Vivienne Fitzsimmons from Downpatrick , who had died in August 1973 , and Julie Dougan from Portadown , who had died in August 1972 - all three were killed on active service.

Before 10am the whole Wing had to be cleaned , bins taken out , cells tidied up and , after inspection by the IRA Officer Commanding at 10.30am , the women had a 15-minute to half-hour military drill in the exercise yard . Classes were organised , with quite a few prisoners taking official exams . Irish classes were taken by six of the women who were themselves receiving tuition from Seán O' Boyle, an old Gaelic scholar from Armagh . One of the POW's , Marie Dillon , taught Irish dancing .

Every Sunday the POW's would parade in the yard in full uniform : black skirts , black sweaters and berets that the women had crocheted themselves with black wool . " It was very important , " ex-POW Eileen Hickey recalls , " in keeping the women together . It kept them aware that they were soldiers . In Armagh you could feel so far removed from the Movement , from the struggle outside." Special parades were organised on Easter Sunday and on St Patrick's Day.......

(MORE LATER).

Monday, September 29, 2008

One of the placards to be carried by Republicans on the up-coming Saturday 11th Oct '08 Health March in Dublin.

"What we are looking for is a revolution, that the people of Ireland take ownership of their own health service. Our incidence of hospital-acquired infections is one of the worst in Europe. There is no point, as the HSE does, comparing us with Britain. They are alongside us...."
(From here.)

'Forty-eight per cent of our viewers felt she had made a difference, but for the wrong reasons, with this proportion of those polled feeling services have declined since the current Minister assumed office.
A further 33% felt Mary Harney had made no difference, good or bad, to the service, while only 14% felt that services had actually improved under her tenure....'
(From here.)

" Every year in Ireland, around 10,000 people suffer a stroke and 2,500 die as a result, yet just one Irish hospital out of 37 has a fully resourced stroke unit, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has said...... vital services are either ad hoc or non-existent......if a person has a stroke tomorrow, the quality of care that they can expect to receive will be determined by ‘chance, location and a haphazard combination of circumstances’.......at least 500 lives could be saved each year if stroke unit care was introduced......"
(From here.)

Register your objection in Dublin on Saturday October 11th next - don't leave it to someone else to voice your opposition to the millionaire politicians who use your tax payments to obtain private health care for themselves and their families while you and yours die in hospital waiting rooms or , if you're 'lucky' , on a hospital trolley . Join the protest!
Sharon.

Friday, September 26, 2008

"Health cuts hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped..."

Over 20 years ago , the now main party in the State Administration, Fianna Fail, entered into a General Election campaign using the slogan 'Health Cuts Hurt The Old, The Sick And The Handicapped' . The majority of the voters didn't know it then , but that was more than a mere slogan - it was an (unstated) intention that Fianna Fail intended to prove. And, unfortunately, they're still chipping away at what remains of the so-called 'Health Service' in this State :
"It was reported earlier this year that there are at least 139,000 on outpatient lists at present, with some patients waiting up to eight years for an appointment..."
(From here, more here.)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

Other items in the 'PIRA financial account' which British General Jim Glover put together , like money spent on pay , are confirmed by IRA sources but yet other such 'guesstimates' are impossible to check . The amount of money gained from so-called 'racketeering' for instance is an example : there's no doubt that numerous businesses such as pubs , clubs , taxis etc in republican districts do pay money to the PIRA , which is collected by the (Republican) Civil and Military Administration Department and can vary from £15,000 to £20,000 per annum from a large club to £2 per week from a corner shop . No one will say whether it's 'protection money' or 'voluntary donations' .

An incidental factor resulting from the re-organisation of the PIRA is that now less money 'strays' into private pockets , or so it is claimed : in the past it was not unknown , and there are PIRA men in jail to prove it , for PIRA Commanding Officers and Adjutants in some areas of Belfast to send their men out , unknowing , on unauthorised robberies for their own enrichment and , equally , it was not unknown for those volunteers themselves to take a cut . ('1169..' Comment : as stated before in relation to the author [Ed Moloney] , he may have had his connections within the Movement but he himself was not a known or active republican.)

Up until 1978 the Provisional IRA had operated exclusively in Ireland and in Britain , but in that year there were bomb attacks at BAOR bases in Germany followed by more bombs the next year . In early 1979 the British ambassador to the Hague , 'Sir' Richard Sykes , was shot dead and a Belgian bank official also killed in mistake for the British ambassador to NATO . This year (1980) three British soldiers in Germany have been shot , one, a Colonel , was killed by the same 9mm pistol used to kill 'Sir' Richard Sykes . The bombings and shootings were the work of two separate PIRA Cells who had travelled to the Continent in the guise of Irish building workers . Both have since returned to Ireland.......
(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS : " The activities of petty criminals and organised gangsters pose a substantial problem within the nationalist community , particularly within Belfast . In recent months the IRA seems to have taken a strong line , through punishment shootings , the attempted execution of Danny 'Boy' Valliday and the execution of 'Gangster' Devlin . Do you intend to take a similar line in future , and does the IRA regard these activities as an irritating but largely insoluble problem ? "

IRA : " The type of criminal you refer to is one who organises crime , who is terrorising the local nationalist population who already have far too much to put up with for us to allow this to continue . Where we find that sort of organised criminal we will execute them .

Our efforts to find other means of dealing with this problem , and our pursuance of these efforts , are well documented over the past twelve years . We believe that the solution to the petty criminal problem lies with involvement by the community as a whole . "

(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

A few months after the March 4th 1973 attempted prison break from Armagh Jail the four women internees - Liz McKee , Cathy Robinson , Marie Maguire and Evelyn Brady - secured from the then Prison Governor , Hugh Cunningham a transfer upstairs to 'A2' Landing with the sentenced POW's . This Prison Wing was at the time totally isolated from the rest and , whilst sentenced prisoners only got one visit a week , internees got three , and the women felt they could help their sentenced comrades to communicate with the outside world .

The women knew , too, that if they stayed downstairs the remand prisoners there would soon get sentenced and moved to 'A2' , leaving them isolated : from early on , the women POW's were aware of the need to build a strong position by keeping the maximum number of women together .

With British military swoops all over the North , numbers in the prison grew quickly and , in March 1974 , 'B' Wing was cleared for the POW's , who soon occupied 'A2' , 'B1' and 'B2' - most of the women internees came in from March 1974 onwards . One of the women stated - " It seemed that the Brits had suddenly realised that the women were active ." Inside Armagh Jail , republican POW's had worked to establish a military structure since the beginning of 1973 . After selecting an Officer Commanding and a full Staff , including an adjutant , PRO , and Wing O/C's , the women worked out their own routine , avoiding all contact with the prison staff . The O/C had a meeting with the prison governor every morning and would pass on her comrades' requests and , in time , the prison system was effectively 'railroaded' into working along with the structure set-up by the women prisoners.......

(MORE LATER).

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Lectern base , as used on the Eve Rally in Dublin , Sat 20 Sept 08.

What a difference a day makes...
The weather more-or-less made a good attempt to do us an 'injustice' today : we were near baked alive! In sunshine and heat that reached between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius , approximately 300 people in total - comprising RSF members and supporters and snap-happy tourists on both sides of O'Connell Street - maintained a supportive vigil for about two hours in Dublin today for the annual Eve Of All-Ireland Rally.

At least one hour before the marchers had even formed-up at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square , a separate RSF crew had assembled a small stage and lectern structure in O'Connell Street , on the traffic isle facing the GPO , and a 'warm-up' speaker had pulled a crowd around him and managed to hold them there until the main contingent arrived from the Garden of Remembrance. The event was Chaired by Des Dalton , and speeches from Pat Garvey , Kerry , and Richard Walsh , Derry, highlighted in the first instance the on-going political issue of Westminster's jurisdictional and military interference on this isle , and both speakers and , indeed , the Chairperson, also made reference to the brave stand taken by Maura Harrington regarding the 'Shell2Sea' injustice , the courageous stand of the Tara protestors and mention was also made in relation to the poor outcome from the so-called 'social partners' in relation to the recent pay-rise 'award' .
Also , all the speakers called for the crowd to join with those who will be marching through Dublin on Saturday , October 11th next , in the Trade Union-organised campaign for a proper health service.

Apart from the usual - and expected, though not accepted - Special Branch harassment , mostly around the Garden of Remembrance , the event went as planned : the on-going Six County injustice was again highlighted by Irish Republicans, the political prisoner issue received a two-hour airing in O'Connell Street in Dublin , the 'Shell2Sea' ,'Tara' and poor health service issues were all raised and hundreds of republican 'POW' leaflets were handed out and dozens of copies of the 'Saoirse' republican newspaper were sold. A full report of this Rally will be carried in the October issue of 'Saoirse' , due out on the 1st of that month : meanwhile , we publish with this post a few pics from today's Eve of All-Ireland Rally , with more pics available here and on this 'Indymedia' thread.

The Rally on the way down to the GPO from the Garden of Remembrance.

RSF Colour Party at Eve Rally , Saturday 20 Sept 08.

Séan the Piper and RSF Colour Party.

Hundreds of these leaflets were handed-out to the public at the Eve Rally today.

Richard Walsh , Derry , and two Republican banners , in O'Connell Street , Dublin.

Profile pic of the RSF Colour Party at the Eve Rally today.

Paddy from Blanch , at the Eve Rally today-trying out the lectern for size!

As stated , more pics on view at the two links mentioned above , and a full report will be carried in the October issue of 'Saoirse' .
Thanks!
Sharon.

Friday, September 19, 2008

"One of the largest public rallies seen in Dublin for years was held by Sinn Féin at the GPO on the eve of the All-Ireland Football Final . Headed by a Colour Party and a pipe band , a parade of more than 2,000 people marched from Parnell Square through the main city thoroughfare as a protest against the continued unjust imprisonment of Irishmen without charge or trial .
Contingents from all over the country took part and many carried banners and placards including groups from England and Scotland . In the Ulster section was a strong representation of the Derry supporters who thronged the capital city for the Final . One placard they carried asked - ' Why are Six-County Nationalists interned in the Curragh?' ....."
(From 'An tÉireannach Aontaithe/The United Irishman newspaper , November 1958)

This Annual Republican Rally will be held in Dublin on Saturday September 20th 2008 ; those attending are asked to assemble at the Garden Of Remembrance in Parnell Square at 1.45pm from where the parade will march to the GPO in O'Connell Street. The main speakers are Pat Garvey (Kerry) and Richard Walsh (Derry).
All Welcome!
Sharon.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

THE IRA : the new IRA is younger , more radical and has seen little of life other than violence.......
By Ed Moloney.
From 'Magill' magazine, September 1980.

The first of the mistakes made in the 'PIRA financial estimates' as put forward by British Army General James Glover relates to 'income from theft' : since 1977 nearly £5 millions have been stolen in the 26-County State and nearly £1.5 million in the North of Ireland . According to reliable sources at least a third of the money goes in to PIRA coffers , with the rest going to the INLA , 'freelance' Provos , and 'odc's' - 'ordinary decent criminals' . That would make the Provos' income on average during that period over £650,000 per annum .

The second mistake relates to expenditure on newspapers and propaganda - according to a reliable source the Provo's newspaper , AP/RN, which sells 34,000 copies each week and employs 12 full time staff , actually makes a profit . So the Provo's surplus for arms purchases could be as much as £300,000 more than Glover estimated .

This would accord with some quantifiable facts about arms shipments . The Towerstream Consignment, by General Glover's own reckoning , would have cost about £400,000 , notwithstanding the cost of arranging it . The M60's which were in that consignment along with some 40 military Armalites stolen from the Danvers Armoury in Massachusetts in America in 1976 , would have cost about £50,000 . That's over £450,000 on arms spending in one year.......
(MORE LATER).

RESISTANCE ON ALL FRONTS.......
IRIS talks to a spokesperson authorised to speak on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
From 'IRIS' magazine , July/August 1982.

IRIS : " Garret Fitzgerald recently talked about the desirability of some form of joint border security force , and generally in recent years there seems to have been an intensification of border collaboration . To what extent is this hampering the IRA ?"

IRA : " First of all , there is not an upsurge in collaboration , there is total integration of controls between the Free State forces and the Brits/RUC , co-ordinated searches , follow-ups , sealing roads , a direct radio link and a direct computer link-up . But because the operational IRA is self-contained within the six counties , cross-border collaboration doesn't affect us .

For example , out of a series of reported arms dump 'finds' in the Free State earlier this year , only two involved quantities of IRA equipment - seven rifles in one find and an ammunition find in Emyvale in County Monaghan . The other 'finds' either didn't belong to us , were of obsolete gear , or were fictitious. It's only window-dressing by the Free State to show the Brits that they are keeping up the collaboratrive process , and to do this they are manufacturing non-existent 'finds'.

But anyway , any increase in garda/Free State army collaboration has yet to affect an IRA active service unit in Ballymurphy or stop an operation on the Falls Road , or in Derry , Dungannon or anywhere north of the border . The only actual thing that the gardai , with the heavy increase in Task Force numbers , is involved in , is the harassment of republicans throughout the twenty-six counties . We have no doubt in the future that the garda Task Force will be used against militant trade unionists and other political activists as unemployment deepens in the twenty-six counties . " ('1169...' Comment : see this article re State forces being used against political activists.)
(MORE LATER).

THE UNDAUNTED WOMEN IN ARMAGH.......

The full story of the republican prisoners in Armagh Jail has yet to be told. It has yet to be sung , and properly described , other than as an after-thought in public speeches - "...and of course the women in Armagh.." Republicans have a right to be proud of those women who, from the Divis Flats grandmother doing six months for what an Orange judge called "riotous behaviour" to the young IRA Volunteer inside for the second time and not yet 25-years-old , have managed, whether they numbered 12 or 120 , to maintain their resistance to the most vicious prison system in Europe. The words that follow , says writer Patricia Collins , were written to encourage more of those women to come forward and tell their story , and are based on conversations with several
ex-prisoners , and on visits and letters from those women presently imprisoned. They were written in the hope of jogging the memory of all those women who wrongly think their contribution to Ireland's future peace is not worth mentioning.
From 'IRIS' magazine , August 1984.

Liz McKee, then aged only 19 , was arrested in Andersonstown in West Belfast on December 29th 1972 and transferred to Armagh Jail on New Year's Day 1973 : she had been served with a 28-day 'Interim Custody Order', the new euphemism for detention without trial . Internment and the 'Special Powers Act' were , in name at least , no more . Stormont had collapsed in March 1972 and the British direct-rulers had been quick to vote the same repressive laws in under new names .

The 'Detention of Terrorists Order' of November 1972 enabled the Brits to intern , and this they did wholesale . About 650 people would be interned between November 1972 and the end of 1973 , over 60 of them women . The news of the detention of Liz McKee was received with emotion : on January 7th 1973 , several hundred women marched in protest through Andersonstown and were addressed by Maire Drumm. A few weeks later Teresa Holland was to join Liz McKee , soon followed by Margaret Shannon and Anne Walsh.

At first they were put in the Remand Wing , then on to 'A1' Landing , along with twelve remand POW's and about eight 'ODC' prisoners ('Ordinary Decent Criminals') . It is from 'A1' that , one Sunday night , March 4th 1973 , five republican women attempted to escape over the wall to freedom . As Teresa Holland put it - " Liz McKee and I were in one cell , three remand POW's in the next cell - Cathy Robinson , Marie Maguire and Evelyn Brady . We got hacksaws in our parcels and started on the bars . We also made ropes out of brown nylon wool . We had three cell searches that week . On Sunday night , at about midnight , we finished the bars and came out." Having reached the sentry post the women started to climb , but the alarm was raised by a Screw who had noticed a bar gone in Teresa's cell window . The escape attempt ended with the women being put 'on the boards' and sentenced to nine months . Military Police searched the cells and a fullscale riot developed . The Screws hosed the prisoners down with powerful jets of cold water.......
(MORE LATER).