FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .......
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
The General Election of June 1969 in the 26 Counties kept everyone busy in Fianna Fail and Neil Blaney abandoned his Northern speeches for the sake of the appearance of party unity . Nevertheless , the battles between George Colley , Charles J. Haughey and Neil Blaney continued with Jack Lynch as Taoiseach avoiding involvement .
Seamus Brady , the PR man/journalist , was active for Fianna Fail in the General Election turning out scripts which hit at the Labour Party for its 'red politics' ; Brady had been active in the previous year's referendum campaign on Proportional Representation and at a number of Fianna Fail Ard Fheisanna - always turning out 'hot' speeches for Fianna Fail leaders - mainly his friend Neil Blaney .
Seamus Brady was a member of the Dublin North-East Comhairle Dail Ceanntair of Fianna Fail and his professional touch - which he obtained while working for an English newspaper and later the 'Irish Press' newspaper - was always in demand . The Northern issues played little or no part in the June 1969 General Election when the country ' Backed Jack .... '
Meanwhile , in the 'unknown land' of the IRA , a group of Sligo members were expelled because they would not allow the 'Connolly Youth' group march at the Easter Commemoration .......
(MORE LATER).
THE SEA GREEN INCORRUPTIBLE .
Seamus Mallon , at 50 , has finally made it to Westminster , but the Anglo-Irish Agreement is still a difficult gamble .
Fionnuala O'Connor reports on the North after the elections .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , February 1986 .
Seamus Mallon went to Westminster on Monday January 27 1986 . That night a UDR patrol opened fire on a car full of young Tyrone Catholics in the car-park of a pub near Cookstown .
As a text-book example of the pitfalls in the way of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) the sequence could hardly be bettered . One of Mr. Mallon's colleagues in Tyrone spoke with restraint of the dubious circumstances of the shooting ; Peter Barry (Fine Gael) demanded an explanation from the British government , and the UDR said those who fired the shots would not be suspended pending an inquiry because that would suggest guilt .
In other words , Mr. Seamus Mallon , SDLP MP - make what you can of that ! There's your Irish voice in the inter-governmental machinery for you , and your new voice at Westminster , and what effect have they had on the behaviour of your favourite targets of criticism , the overwhelmingly Protestant/Loyalist Ulster Defence Regiment ? Who were not accompanied at the time of the incident by the Royal Ulster Constabulary , needless to say , as the Taoiseach promised Northern Nationalists in the wake of Hillsborough they would henceforward be .
Seamus Mallon knew the score all along , better than anyone . When tight-lipped he stood before the party's annual conference last autumn and promised in so many words that he would not be joining his friend and mentor the Fianna Fail leader , Mr. Charles Haughey , in immediate opposition to the then imminent Anglo-Irish Agreement , his face showed the struggle that cost him . Party observers were not surprised , though they were relieved to hear him be so definite . " Where else can he go ? " they said , " ...he is not a well man , he's not fit to be fighting John Hume ... " .......
(MORE LATER).
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .......
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
John O'Grady was taken upstairs to rejoin the rest of his family . He lay down on the bed beside his wife Marise ; he was aware that the gang had discussed the possibility of taking one of the children as well as himself . He talked it over with his wife . John O'Grady decided Anthony would be the one they should take along with himself . All the time gang-member Tony McNeill was sitting , armed with a shotgun , on a chair in the corner of the room watching them .
After an hour or two John O'Grady was taken down to the playroom where he was made to sit on a swivel chair ; Eddie Hogan talked with him for a while about Dr. Austin Darragh's wealth . Before the family was allowed go to bed for the night a ransom note demanding £300,000 was drafted .
2 . NOT THE SMOOTHEST OF OPERATORS .
In the morning , Dessie O'Hare took John O'Grady downstairs ; Marise O'Grady was told to get warm clothes , socks and wellington boots for her husband . He was to be kept in a field , she was told . John O'Grady was in the playroom with Tony McNeill guarding him . Shortly before nine o'clock one of the gang came in and blindfolded him with a lint and gauze dressing . O'Hare led him , still handcuffed , out to the back of the house to a car and John O'Grady was ordered to get into the boot .
Dessie O'Hare returned to the house . The 'phone rang . O'Hare stood over Marise O'Grady while she accepted an invitation from a friend to Sunday dinner . It was another cock up : O'Hare was not wearing his balaclava and Marise O'Grady got a good look at his face . O'Hare told her that he was leaving with her husband and warned her not to contact the Gardai . The car they were leaving in had already been packed with provisions from the house . The gang also took a walkman radio , walkie-talkies and a polaroid camera .
Two members of the gang , Fergal Toal and Tony McNeill , remained behind to ensure O'Hare's safe getaway . Dessie O'Hare and Eddie Hogan drove off with John O'Grady ; they intended driving to a lock-up garage on the north side of Dublin , but quickly lost their way . They were forced to rely on directions from John O'Grady who was blindfolded and in the boot . Less than twelve hours into the kidnap it was apparent Dessie O'Hare and his gang were not the smoothest of operators .......
(MORE LATER).
Monday, September 12, 2005
FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .......
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
Fianna Fail Minister Neil Blaney advised Northern Catholics not to support Northern Premier Captain Terence O'Neill , who was seeking their support in the Stormont elections in early 1969 . While O'Neill gave away ground to Ian Paisley , Fianna Fail were shattered by the result .
Their lap dog party , 'The Nationalist Party' , was smashed in the election and its leader Eddie McAteer was defeated for the Derry seat by John Hume . On this stage Kevin Boland's recollection was - " We considered the establishment of Fianna Fail on the other side of the border and had almost decided that this might have to be done . " He explained his reasoning : re-unification was not an issue in the Northern elections .
Others in Fianna Fail felt the danger of the Northern issue dictating politics in the South was real and something must be done to control the situation . This second possibility was very dangerous for Fianna Fail if they were to remain a force in the 26 Counties ; therefore it was essential that the Fianna Fail presence in the North be restored following the collapse of their close associates 'The Nationalist Party' . It was during this period that the first contact in modern times between Fianna Fail and the IRA took place .
A prominent businessman in South Derry approached his local IRA Officer Commanding whom he personally knew and passed on the message that there were plenty of guns and money available from the South ; the IRA man played along and reported back to his GHQ in Dublin while the businessman reported this recitation to a leading Fianna Fail TD from the border area .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
The decision of the (FS) Government not to see members of Sinn Fein is important but even if there was'nt a general government policy on the matter , Ministers Kavanagh and Desmond could carry out a very effective embargo on their own . Environment and Health and Social Welfare are surely the two most important political Departments for a local politician .
Liam Kavanagh has made his position clear , the Donegal incident notwithstanding , and Barry Desmond has said that he would find it repugnant to have a member of Sinn Fein in his office , and that he would regard it as an act of political hygiene to have no dealings with a Sinn Fein member - Desmond was talking about a specific member of Sinn Fein : Phil Flynn , Vice President of Sinn Fein and General Secretary of the State's largest public service union , the LGPSU .
That trade union has several thousand members working in the health sector and it is doubtful that Phil Flynn will be withdrawing from delegations .
[ END of 'SINN FEIN ALONE' .]
(Tomorrow - ' THE SEA GREEN INCORRUPTIBLE' - from 1986.)
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .......
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
Dessie O'Hare told John O'Grady to open the safe - all that it contained was birth , baptism and marriage certificates , passports , a TV licence , other personal documents and jewellery worth just over a thousand pounds . O'Hare took everything . Marise O'Grady was upstairs in one of the bedrooms with her three children - they were under armed guard by another member of the gang , Tony McNeill .
Marise O'Grady found that McNeill was reasonable - he acceded to all her requests but attempts to draw him into conversation failed . He put his finger up to his lips to indicate that she should be quiet . Downstairs , Dessie O'Hare was in a foul temper . He summoned Marise O'Grady ; he was trying to think of a ruse that would entice Dr. Austin Darragh out to the house : one of his suggestions was that John O'Grady should ring him and tell Dr. Darragh that Marise had fallen down the stairs and broken her neck . Marise O'Grady told O'Hare the plan would not work - O'Hare kicked her on the backside . On the way back upstairs he called her a " ...lying cunt.. " .
The kidnap gang held a conference over tea and biscuits ; O'Hare lamented the fact that O'Grady was not a son of Dr. Darragh - he took the view that John O'Grady would be 'expendable' . The idea of taking Marise O'Grady was discussed but O'Hare was against taking a woman . John O'Grady was summoned downstairs again - the fourth member of the gang , Eddie Hogan , produced a video camera and filmed O'Grady , flanked on either side by Dessie O'Hare and Tony McNeill who had guns pointed at his head .
Afterwards they asked O'Grady where his video cassette player was , to check if the camera worked . 'MANOR HOUSE' has almost every modern convenience imaginable but John O'Grady told an incredulous O'Hare that they did not own a video cassette player . The reason , he explained to O'Hare , was that he did'nt want his children to watch video nasties .......
(MORE LATER).
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
Fianna Fail Minister Neil Blaney advised Northern Catholics not to support Northern Premier Captain Terence O'Neill , who was seeking their support in the Stormont elections in early 1969 . While O'Neill gave away ground to Ian Paisley , Fianna Fail were shattered by the result .
Their lap dog party , 'The Nationalist Party' , was smashed in the election and its leader Eddie McAteer was defeated for the Derry seat by John Hume . On this stage Kevin Boland's recollection was - " We considered the establishment of Fianna Fail on the other side of the border and had almost decided that this might have to be done . " He explained his reasoning : re-unification was not an issue in the Northern elections .
Others in Fianna Fail felt the danger of the Northern issue dictating politics in the South was real and something must be done to control the situation . This second possibility was very dangerous for Fianna Fail if they were to remain a force in the 26 Counties ; therefore it was essential that the Fianna Fail presence in the North be restored following the collapse of their close associates 'The Nationalist Party' . It was during this period that the first contact in modern times between Fianna Fail and the IRA took place .
A prominent businessman in South Derry approached his local IRA Officer Commanding whom he personally knew and passed on the message that there were plenty of guns and money available from the South ; the IRA man played along and reported back to his GHQ in Dublin while the businessman reported this recitation to a leading Fianna Fail TD from the border area .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
The decision of the (FS) Government not to see members of Sinn Fein is important but even if there was'nt a general government policy on the matter , Ministers Kavanagh and Desmond could carry out a very effective embargo on their own . Environment and Health and Social Welfare are surely the two most important political Departments for a local politician .
Liam Kavanagh has made his position clear , the Donegal incident notwithstanding , and Barry Desmond has said that he would find it repugnant to have a member of Sinn Fein in his office , and that he would regard it as an act of political hygiene to have no dealings with a Sinn Fein member - Desmond was talking about a specific member of Sinn Fein : Phil Flynn , Vice President of Sinn Fein and General Secretary of the State's largest public service union , the LGPSU .
That trade union has several thousand members working in the health sector and it is doubtful that Phil Flynn will be withdrawing from delegations .
[ END of 'SINN FEIN ALONE' .]
(Tomorrow - ' THE SEA GREEN INCORRUPTIBLE' - from 1986.)
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .......
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
Dessie O'Hare told John O'Grady to open the safe - all that it contained was birth , baptism and marriage certificates , passports , a TV licence , other personal documents and jewellery worth just over a thousand pounds . O'Hare took everything . Marise O'Grady was upstairs in one of the bedrooms with her three children - they were under armed guard by another member of the gang , Tony McNeill .
Marise O'Grady found that McNeill was reasonable - he acceded to all her requests but attempts to draw him into conversation failed . He put his finger up to his lips to indicate that she should be quiet . Downstairs , Dessie O'Hare was in a foul temper . He summoned Marise O'Grady ; he was trying to think of a ruse that would entice Dr. Austin Darragh out to the house : one of his suggestions was that John O'Grady should ring him and tell Dr. Darragh that Marise had fallen down the stairs and broken her neck . Marise O'Grady told O'Hare the plan would not work - O'Hare kicked her on the backside . On the way back upstairs he called her a " ...lying cunt.. " .
The kidnap gang held a conference over tea and biscuits ; O'Hare lamented the fact that O'Grady was not a son of Dr. Darragh - he took the view that John O'Grady would be 'expendable' . The idea of taking Marise O'Grady was discussed but O'Hare was against taking a woman . John O'Grady was summoned downstairs again - the fourth member of the gang , Eddie Hogan , produced a video camera and filmed O'Grady , flanked on either side by Dessie O'Hare and Tony McNeill who had guns pointed at his head .
Afterwards they asked O'Grady where his video cassette player was , to check if the camera worked . 'MANOR HOUSE' has almost every modern convenience imaginable but John O'Grady told an incredulous O'Hare that they did not own a video cassette player . The reason , he explained to O'Hare , was that he did'nt want his children to watch video nasties .......
(MORE LATER).
Friday, September 09, 2005
FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .......
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
The late 1960's were also the years of the Fianna Fail financial 'whizz-kids' of TACA : Colley , Haughey , Boland , Blaney and Lynch in the leadership and always in government . It was the days of the 1968 attempt by Fianna Fail to rid the country (sic) of Proportional Representation . But then came Derry in the middle of that campaign -
- on the 5th October 1968 , the RUC baton-charged a small march for Civil Rights at Duke Street , Derry . This was only the second Civil Rights march in the campaign of marches which commenced with 3,000 people marching from Coalisland to Dungannon on August 24th 1968 . On October 16th 1968 Fianna Fail lost the 'PR' referendum and the Derry 'scene' did not help .
Once the referendum was behind him , Fianna Fail Minister Neil Blaney turned his attention to the North ; he criticised the Civil Rights Association in the North for not having the re-unification of the country on its agenda . (' 1169 .... ' Comment - ...that was in 1968 ; in 1973 , Fianna Fail were amongst those telling Republicans that the 'Sunningdale Agreement' was the "solution" to the North . In 1985 they did the same with the 'Hillsborough Treaty' . In 1998 they did the same with the 'Stormont Treaty' ('GFA') . Fianna Fail and "re-unification of the country" are chalk and cheese . )
This was a deliberate tactic by those who initiated the Civil Rights Association - the leadership of the IRA . Neil Blaney strongly advised his party to discontinue the Lynch-O'Neill ' hands-across-the-border' and his speech was seen as an attempt to unseat his Taoiseach Jack Lynch ; Blaney kept up the speech-making on the North taking every opportunity of launching attacks on the Northern 'Premier' , Captain Terence O'Neill who was already under pressure from the Rev. Ian Paisley .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Pat Brady , a Sinn Fein member of Bundoran Urban District Council , was at a function last Spring in Killybegs at which Minister of State , George Bermingham , was also present ; Brady is a member of the local 'Vocational Educational Committee' and the function was a prize-giving ceremony for students .
Minister Bermingham was attending in his capacity as Minister of State at the Department of Education ; Brady (SF) says that the Minister said hello to him and that he feels he knew who he was .
County Councillors are frequently plagued with requests for support at (FS) Senate election time and often they remain on the Christmas mailing list . One member of Sinn Fein , Fra Browne , even recalls getting a box of chocolates from Fine Gael Senator Joe Lennon at the time of the last Senate elections . Sinn Fein members have often received requests for support from people on behalf of others and they have been asked to support members of other parties on certain local issues .
Before the ban many Sinn Fein members had had dealings with State Ministers such as Dick Spring , Ruairi Quinn , Austin Deasy , Alan Dukes and John Bruton .......
(MORE LATER).
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .......
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
Other members of the O'Grady household were aroused by the noisy incursion ; they were ushered at gunpoint by O'Hare into the bedroom of Anthony O'Grady (12) who was already on the telephone attempting to contact the gardai : " You little bastard , " said O'Hare , who promptly took the 'phone from him . The family was ushered into the bedroom of Louise O'Grady (6) , the youngest of the O'Grady family .
John O'Grady was taken downstairs to the front porch where the alarm and console for opening and closing the front gate in the driveway were located . He had difficulty convincing Dessie O'Hare that the alarm had not been switched on because it had been malfunctioning recently .
O'Hare wanted to know where Dr. Austin Darragh , the head of the Institute of Cinical Pharmacology , was . He was told that Dr. Darragh had not lived in the house for three and a half years . O'Hare went back upstairs . There was a telephone in Louise's bedroom too ; Marise O'Grady had dialled 999 , got through to the exchange and was awaiting connection to the police ...
... at that moment O'Hare entered the room - he flew into a rage and called Marise O'Grady a bitch and swore at her . The telephone was ripped out of the wall : Dessie O'Hare said that there had been a "...fuck up .. " and that they had got the wrong man . He told Marise O'Grady that a previous kidnap in which he had been involved had been bungled and it was important that they should not lose face .
John O'Grady was by this time handcuffed ; he had had to walk barefoot out to the porch through the broken glass . He was taken into the kitchen where he met Fergal Toal who was armed with a pump action shotgun and who he noticed was very nervous and breathing heavily .......
(MORE LATER).
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
The late 1960's were also the years of the Fianna Fail financial 'whizz-kids' of TACA : Colley , Haughey , Boland , Blaney and Lynch in the leadership and always in government . It was the days of the 1968 attempt by Fianna Fail to rid the country (sic) of Proportional Representation . But then came Derry in the middle of that campaign -
- on the 5th October 1968 , the RUC baton-charged a small march for Civil Rights at Duke Street , Derry . This was only the second Civil Rights march in the campaign of marches which commenced with 3,000 people marching from Coalisland to Dungannon on August 24th 1968 . On October 16th 1968 Fianna Fail lost the 'PR' referendum and the Derry 'scene' did not help .
Once the referendum was behind him , Fianna Fail Minister Neil Blaney turned his attention to the North ; he criticised the Civil Rights Association in the North for not having the re-unification of the country on its agenda . (' 1169 .... ' Comment - ...that was in 1968 ; in 1973 , Fianna Fail were amongst those telling Republicans that the 'Sunningdale Agreement' was the "solution" to the North . In 1985 they did the same with the 'Hillsborough Treaty' . In 1998 they did the same with the 'Stormont Treaty' ('GFA') . Fianna Fail and "re-unification of the country" are chalk and cheese . )
This was a deliberate tactic by those who initiated the Civil Rights Association - the leadership of the IRA . Neil Blaney strongly advised his party to discontinue the Lynch-O'Neill ' hands-across-the-border' and his speech was seen as an attempt to unseat his Taoiseach Jack Lynch ; Blaney kept up the speech-making on the North taking every opportunity of launching attacks on the Northern 'Premier' , Captain Terence O'Neill who was already under pressure from the Rev. Ian Paisley .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Pat Brady , a Sinn Fein member of Bundoran Urban District Council , was at a function last Spring in Killybegs at which Minister of State , George Bermingham , was also present ; Brady is a member of the local 'Vocational Educational Committee' and the function was a prize-giving ceremony for students .
Minister Bermingham was attending in his capacity as Minister of State at the Department of Education ; Brady (SF) says that the Minister said hello to him and that he feels he knew who he was .
County Councillors are frequently plagued with requests for support at (FS) Senate election time and often they remain on the Christmas mailing list . One member of Sinn Fein , Fra Browne , even recalls getting a box of chocolates from Fine Gael Senator Joe Lennon at the time of the last Senate elections . Sinn Fein members have often received requests for support from people on behalf of others and they have been asked to support members of other parties on certain local issues .
Before the ban many Sinn Fein members had had dealings with State Ministers such as Dick Spring , Ruairi Quinn , Austin Deasy , Alan Dukes and John Bruton .......
(MORE LATER).
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .......
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
Other members of the O'Grady household were aroused by the noisy incursion ; they were ushered at gunpoint by O'Hare into the bedroom of Anthony O'Grady (12) who was already on the telephone attempting to contact the gardai : " You little bastard , " said O'Hare , who promptly took the 'phone from him . The family was ushered into the bedroom of Louise O'Grady (6) , the youngest of the O'Grady family .
John O'Grady was taken downstairs to the front porch where the alarm and console for opening and closing the front gate in the driveway were located . He had difficulty convincing Dessie O'Hare that the alarm had not been switched on because it had been malfunctioning recently .
O'Hare wanted to know where Dr. Austin Darragh , the head of the Institute of Cinical Pharmacology , was . He was told that Dr. Darragh had not lived in the house for three and a half years . O'Hare went back upstairs . There was a telephone in Louise's bedroom too ; Marise O'Grady had dialled 999 , got through to the exchange and was awaiting connection to the police ...
... at that moment O'Hare entered the room - he flew into a rage and called Marise O'Grady a bitch and swore at her . The telephone was ripped out of the wall : Dessie O'Hare said that there had been a "...fuck up .. " and that they had got the wrong man . He told Marise O'Grady that a previous kidnap in which he had been involved had been bungled and it was important that they should not lose face .
John O'Grady was by this time handcuffed ; he had had to walk barefoot out to the porch through the broken glass . He was taken into the kitchen where he met Fergal Toal who was armed with a pump action shotgun and who he noticed was very nervous and breathing heavily .......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, September 08, 2005
FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .......
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
In 1969 , the IRA was experiencing its own 'transformation' - the Cathal Goulding leadership was moving the organisation in a definite left-wing direction . Instead of organising for another border campaign he was openly declaring for a revolution ; but what he meant by revolution was not necessarily a blood bath but a change in the ownership of the resources of the country .
His leadership wanted the working-class to be owners of the country's resources ; a policy document found on an IRA man in 1966 spelt out how this was to be done - infiltration of peoples' organisations - the trade unions , the tenant associations etc and the establishment of organisations where there was a possibility of movement in a left-wing direction .
This development by the post 1962 leadership caused a few 'splutters' among the 'old brigade' ; many became inactive in the Republican Movement while many more dropped out . In the late 1960's this policy of the IRA was directly responsible for the emergence of the ' Northern Ireland (sic) Civil Rights Association ' , the ' Housing Action' committees , the 'Fish-In' Campaign (where the nationalisation of 'privately' owned rivers and lakes was demanded ) , land agitations and a host of other agitations .
Cathal Goulding's idea was to organise the people in support of what he and the majority in his small organisation sought . Inevitably the gun was produced which saw the burning of foreign owned farms in Meath and other areas , in support of small farmers resisting spiralling land prices brought on by foreign bidders . A fishing boat was blown up in Rossaveal in Connemara again in the name of the locals . Buses owned by the Silverdale company which was involved in carrying strike-breakers to work at Shannon were burned and blown-up in several areas around the country .
It was all a far cry from the traditional Republican policy of non-action in the 26 Counties .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Other examples of the embargo would be the refusal of Liam Kavanagh to see a delegation from Longford County Council to discuss road improvements ; the Sinn Fein member of the delegation , Michael Nevin , withdrew and the meeting then went ahead .
Minister Liam Kavanagh was accused of being anti-democratic ; he did not think he was - " I have accepted the democratic will of the people of Longford and saw the deputation . " He said that people who voted for Michael Nevin (SF) , who was Chairman of the County Council ... "...might not be aware of Sinn Fein policy .. "
Frank Glynn , who was elected by members of both the Fine Gael and Labour parties to the post of Chairman of Galway County Counci in 1979 and who has since voted for Fine Gael as well as Fianna Fail and Independent Chairmen , was turned away from Leinster House on March 15th . Minister of State at the Department of the Environment , Fergus O'Brien , said that he woud only meet a delegation from Galway County Council if Frank Glynn absented himself .
Eddie O'Doherty , a Sinn Fein member of Carrick-on-Suir Urban District Council , says that Minister of State , Eddie Collins , would not meet him on July 18th : O'Doherty says that he wanted to talk to the Minister about the closure of a local industry ........
(MORE LATER).
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
1. The O'Hare Gang Comes Calling .
John O'Grady was standing at the top of his stairs when Dessie O'Hare , attired in a grey suit and black balaclava , came smashing through the wooden framed glass-panels of his front door with a sledgehammer . Up to that point it had been an unremarkable day ...
O'Grady had returned home from his dental surgery in Wellington Road at six o'clock , a little earlier than usual . He had dinner with his wife Marise and three children , Darragh , aged thirteen , Anthony , twelve , and Louise , six . After dinner he went up to visit his mother Kitty O'Grady , who was sick . He returned home just before nine o'clock .
The children were already in bed ; John and Marise O'Grady decided to have an early night . They were in bed watching television when at around half past nine they heard the sound of breaking glass . They thought it might have been Anthony and Darragh playacting ; John O'Grady got up in his pyjamas and went to investigate .
Confronted with a stranger breaking down the door with a sledge-hammer , John O'Grady instinctively descended a few steps of the stairs . Now , Dessie O'Hare was standing in front of him pointing a gun at his head , threatening to blow him away . There were three other armed men , also wearing balaclavas , along with O'Hare . O'Grady told O'Hare not to panic , that he (O'Grady) was not going to do anything .......
(MORE LATER).
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
In 1969 , the IRA was experiencing its own 'transformation' - the Cathal Goulding leadership was moving the organisation in a definite left-wing direction . Instead of organising for another border campaign he was openly declaring for a revolution ; but what he meant by revolution was not necessarily a blood bath but a change in the ownership of the resources of the country .
His leadership wanted the working-class to be owners of the country's resources ; a policy document found on an IRA man in 1966 spelt out how this was to be done - infiltration of peoples' organisations - the trade unions , the tenant associations etc and the establishment of organisations where there was a possibility of movement in a left-wing direction .
This development by the post 1962 leadership caused a few 'splutters' among the 'old brigade' ; many became inactive in the Republican Movement while many more dropped out . In the late 1960's this policy of the IRA was directly responsible for the emergence of the ' Northern Ireland (sic) Civil Rights Association ' , the ' Housing Action' committees , the 'Fish-In' Campaign (where the nationalisation of 'privately' owned rivers and lakes was demanded ) , land agitations and a host of other agitations .
Cathal Goulding's idea was to organise the people in support of what he and the majority in his small organisation sought . Inevitably the gun was produced which saw the burning of foreign owned farms in Meath and other areas , in support of small farmers resisting spiralling land prices brought on by foreign bidders . A fishing boat was blown up in Rossaveal in Connemara again in the name of the locals . Buses owned by the Silverdale company which was involved in carrying strike-breakers to work at Shannon were burned and blown-up in several areas around the country .
It was all a far cry from the traditional Republican policy of non-action in the 26 Counties .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Other examples of the embargo would be the refusal of Liam Kavanagh to see a delegation from Longford County Council to discuss road improvements ; the Sinn Fein member of the delegation , Michael Nevin , withdrew and the meeting then went ahead .
Minister Liam Kavanagh was accused of being anti-democratic ; he did not think he was - " I have accepted the democratic will of the people of Longford and saw the deputation . " He said that people who voted for Michael Nevin (SF) , who was Chairman of the County Council ... "...might not be aware of Sinn Fein policy .. "
Frank Glynn , who was elected by members of both the Fine Gael and Labour parties to the post of Chairman of Galway County Counci in 1979 and who has since voted for Fine Gael as well as Fianna Fail and Independent Chairmen , was turned away from Leinster House on March 15th . Minister of State at the Department of the Environment , Fergus O'Brien , said that he woud only meet a delegation from Galway County Council if Frank Glynn absented himself .
Eddie O'Doherty , a Sinn Fein member of Carrick-on-Suir Urban District Council , says that Minister of State , Eddie Collins , would not meet him on July 18th : O'Doherty says that he wanted to talk to the Minister about the closure of a local industry ........
(MORE LATER).
23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAPPING .
The Gardai had in their possession a clue which could have led them to the O'Grady kidnappers and their captive some ten days earlier .
A card found in a rucksack after the Midleton shoot-out led them directly to the gang once they checked it out - but this was ten days later , by which time John O 'Grady had lost two of his fingers .
First published in 'MAGILL' Magazine , May 1988 .
By Michael O'Higgins .
1. The O'Hare Gang Comes Calling .
John O'Grady was standing at the top of his stairs when Dessie O'Hare , attired in a grey suit and black balaclava , came smashing through the wooden framed glass-panels of his front door with a sledgehammer . Up to that point it had been an unremarkable day ...
O'Grady had returned home from his dental surgery in Wellington Road at six o'clock , a little earlier than usual . He had dinner with his wife Marise and three children , Darragh , aged thirteen , Anthony , twelve , and Louise , six . After dinner he went up to visit his mother Kitty O'Grady , who was sick . He returned home just before nine o'clock .
The children were already in bed ; John and Marise O'Grady decided to have an early night . They were in bed watching television when at around half past nine they heard the sound of breaking glass . They thought it might have been Anthony and Darragh playacting ; John O'Grady got up in his pyjamas and went to investigate .
Confronted with a stranger breaking down the door with a sledge-hammer , John O'Grady instinctively descended a few steps of the stairs . Now , Dessie O'Hare was standing in front of him pointing a gun at his head , threatening to blow him away . There were three other armed men , also wearing balaclavas , along with O'Hare . O'Grady told O'Hare not to panic , that he (O'Grady) was not going to do anything .......
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .......
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
A bank account in the name of 'Ann O'Brien' was opened just weeks before the December 1969 split in the IRA and the follow-on split in Sinn Fein during January 1970 . The money put into the 'Ann O'Brien' account was used mainly for the running of a newspaper titled ' Voice Of The North' : it was run from an office in Monaghan and put forward the views of Fianna Fail on the North .
The man who ran the newspaper was journalist and Fianna Fail scriptwriter and activist Seamus Brady . ' Voice Of The North ' first set out to influence and take over the Civil Rights Movement in the North and then turned its attention to the IRA .
When the possibility of a split emerged in the IRA , the Fianna Fail Government-financed newspaper and its founder Seamus Brady fanned the flames which eventually led to the establishment of the Provisional IRA . The events which led to the December 1969 IRA split and eventually the Arms Trial had their roots spread back a few years -
- it all began on November 10th 1966 when Sean Lemass resigned as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail ; into the ring for the top job came the late George Colley and Charles J. Haughey . Neil Blaney entered on the nomination of another Fianna Fail Minister , Kevin Boland . Haughey and Blaney withdrew when Sean Lemass nominated Jack Lynch .
George Colley stuck in and was defeated by 53 votes to 19 ; the Colley-Haughey power struggle began to develop : meanwhile , the IRA was experiencing its own 'transformation' .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
An example of a stricter attitude towards meeting with members of Sinn Fein would be the proposed meeting between Labour Minister Ruairi Quinn and Gorey Town Commissioners due to take place during a Ministerial visit to the town last February : Quinn would not discuss unemployment with the town Commissioners unless Sinn Fein Town Commissioner , John Sheehan , was absent . The Commissioners refused and the meeting never took place .
John Sheehan was the cause of Minister of State , Michael D'Arcy's absence from the reviewing stand for Gorey's Saint Patrick's Day Parade : D'Arcy could not get an assurance that Sheehan would not be on the reviewing stand and consequently decided to attend the parade as an ordinary spectator . John Sheehan says that he did not get an invitation to an ash planting ceremony in Gorey to mark the GAA's centenary and that Minister D'Arcy was in attendance .
Then on June 16th he says that Minister Michael D'Arcy would not take a place on the platform for the launching of Feile na Gael in Gorey by GAA President , Paddy Buggy . The Gorey Saint Patrick's Day parade was not the only one affected by the new Government policy : Patrick Cooney , the Minister for Defence , ordered members of the 26 County defence forces not to take part in any Saint Patrick's Day parades where members of Sinn Fein were directly involved in reviewing it or organising it .
There was no parade in Longford that day - the organisers felt that it would not be possible without 26 County- army co-operation and they said they could'nt give the undertaking necessary to ensure their participation .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Sinn Fein , while opposed generally to hunger-strikes , recognises the frustrations of the prisoners and has pledged full support for the hunger-strikers' demands . Sinn Fein candidates in the forthcoming elections will be pledged to support publicly and unequivocally the campaign to end the paid-perjurer system .
In a statement , Sinn Fein's Jim McAllister , a Councillor and Chairperson of the party's Six-County Executive , observed -
- " It is noteworthy that here we are at the end of 1985 , which has been hyped-up by some as the year when the London-Dublin deal was going to solve all our problems , and still Irish political prisoners find themselves on hunger-strike for justice . "
[END of ' HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS ' .]
(Tomorrow - '23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAP' : from 1988.)
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
A bank account in the name of 'Ann O'Brien' was opened just weeks before the December 1969 split in the IRA and the follow-on split in Sinn Fein during January 1970 . The money put into the 'Ann O'Brien' account was used mainly for the running of a newspaper titled ' Voice Of The North' : it was run from an office in Monaghan and put forward the views of Fianna Fail on the North .
The man who ran the newspaper was journalist and Fianna Fail scriptwriter and activist Seamus Brady . ' Voice Of The North ' first set out to influence and take over the Civil Rights Movement in the North and then turned its attention to the IRA .
When the possibility of a split emerged in the IRA , the Fianna Fail Government-financed newspaper and its founder Seamus Brady fanned the flames which eventually led to the establishment of the Provisional IRA . The events which led to the December 1969 IRA split and eventually the Arms Trial had their roots spread back a few years -
- it all began on November 10th 1966 when Sean Lemass resigned as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail ; into the ring for the top job came the late George Colley and Charles J. Haughey . Neil Blaney entered on the nomination of another Fianna Fail Minister , Kevin Boland . Haughey and Blaney withdrew when Sean Lemass nominated Jack Lynch .
George Colley stuck in and was defeated by 53 votes to 19 ; the Colley-Haughey power struggle began to develop : meanwhile , the IRA was experiencing its own 'transformation' .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
An example of a stricter attitude towards meeting with members of Sinn Fein would be the proposed meeting between Labour Minister Ruairi Quinn and Gorey Town Commissioners due to take place during a Ministerial visit to the town last February : Quinn would not discuss unemployment with the town Commissioners unless Sinn Fein Town Commissioner , John Sheehan , was absent . The Commissioners refused and the meeting never took place .
John Sheehan was the cause of Minister of State , Michael D'Arcy's absence from the reviewing stand for Gorey's Saint Patrick's Day Parade : D'Arcy could not get an assurance that Sheehan would not be on the reviewing stand and consequently decided to attend the parade as an ordinary spectator . John Sheehan says that he did not get an invitation to an ash planting ceremony in Gorey to mark the GAA's centenary and that Minister D'Arcy was in attendance .
Then on June 16th he says that Minister Michael D'Arcy would not take a place on the platform for the launching of Feile na Gael in Gorey by GAA President , Paddy Buggy . The Gorey Saint Patrick's Day parade was not the only one affected by the new Government policy : Patrick Cooney , the Minister for Defence , ordered members of the 26 County defence forces not to take part in any Saint Patrick's Day parades where members of Sinn Fein were directly involved in reviewing it or organising it .
There was no parade in Longford that day - the organisers felt that it would not be possible without 26 County- army co-operation and they said they could'nt give the undertaking necessary to ensure their participation .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Sinn Fein , while opposed generally to hunger-strikes , recognises the frustrations of the prisoners and has pledged full support for the hunger-strikers' demands . Sinn Fein candidates in the forthcoming elections will be pledged to support publicly and unequivocally the campaign to end the paid-perjurer system .
In a statement , Sinn Fein's Jim McAllister , a Councillor and Chairperson of the party's Six-County Executive , observed -
- " It is noteworthy that here we are at the end of 1985 , which has been hyped-up by some as the year when the London-Dublin deal was going to solve all our problems , and still Irish political prisoners find themselves on hunger-strike for justice . "
[END of ' HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS ' .]
(Tomorrow - '23 DAYS IN HELL : THE STORY OF THE O'GRADY KIDNAP' : from 1988.)
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION .
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
When Ruairi O Bradaigh and Daithi O Conaill walked out of the (1986) Sinn Fein Ard Fheis and announced Republican Sinn Fein , many comparisons were made with their walk-out from the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in January 1970 .
They again were refusing to enter or give official recognition to the parliament of the 26 Counties ; and once again a group of reds had taken control of their organisation . And again a generation gap existed with the younger members voting for change . But this year there was one major ingredient missing - the Fianna Fail gold .
In the course of the media attention focussed on this year's event , the Fianna Fail front-bencher John Wilson stated on RTE's 'Saturday View' radio programme that his party had always condemned the men of violence and that they never had any truck with the dangerous 'Dan McGrews' of the IRA : while Mr. John Wilson himself has consistently adhered to such a stance his party has certainly not .
His current party leader , Charles J Haughey , while Minister for Finance in the Fianna Fail Government which took office following the June 1969 General Election authorised the payment of monies into a number of bank accounts . One of these bank accounts was opened in a Baggot Street bank on 14th November 1969 in the name of 'Ann O' Brien ' .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
On March 9th , Liam Kavanagh (FS Environment Minister) opened a road between Donegal and Ballyshannon : Eddie Fullerton , as a Sinn Fein member of Donegal County Council was at the opening and he says he was standing beside Liam Kavanagh . Afterwards , there was a lunch during which , he claims , he was sitting opposite Minister Kavanagh .
Later on there were two delegations to see the Minister - one from Ballyshannon Town Commission ; there were Sinn Fein members on both . Things got heated when Kavanagh said that he would not meet delegations with Sinn Fein members present . Both sets of Sinn Fein members withdrew but there was some confusion about the Minister's refusal to see Eddie Fullerton in February , his attendance at functions at which it would be reasonable to expect Fullerton's presence and his subsequent refusal to see delegations containing members of Sinn Fein .
Eddie Fullerton claims that he was at the opening of an AnCO centre (ie a State jobs training body) in Letterkenny a month ago at which the State Minister for Labour , Ruairi Quinn , was present . Quinn later pushed this issue to the forefront .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper noted - " Peter Barry himself is on record as opposing supergrass trials . Logically , therefore , he cannot go along with convictions arising from those trials and , equally logically , he must have some sympathy with the men who have now gone on hunger-strike arising from them .
If Peter Barry fails to deliver on this , the first thorny issue to confront him in his new role on the Anglo-Irish conference , then the omens for the success of the agreement as a whole are not encouraging . Merely appealing for the men to come off the hunger-strike will not suffice . "
But even if Peter Barry does deliver on the "...thorny issue.. " of paid perjurers and show-trials , although it will be welcomed by Republicans it will also be recognised for what it is - an essential smoothing of the rough edges of Britain's repressive machine in the Six Counties .......
(MORE LATER).
By Breasal O Caollai .
First published in ' New Hibernia ' Magazine , December 1986/January 1987 .
When Ruairi O Bradaigh and Daithi O Conaill walked out of the (1986) Sinn Fein Ard Fheis and announced Republican Sinn Fein , many comparisons were made with their walk-out from the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in January 1970 .
They again were refusing to enter or give official recognition to the parliament of the 26 Counties ; and once again a group of reds had taken control of their organisation . And again a generation gap existed with the younger members voting for change . But this year there was one major ingredient missing - the Fianna Fail gold .
In the course of the media attention focussed on this year's event , the Fianna Fail front-bencher John Wilson stated on RTE's 'Saturday View' radio programme that his party had always condemned the men of violence and that they never had any truck with the dangerous 'Dan McGrews' of the IRA : while Mr. John Wilson himself has consistently adhered to such a stance his party has certainly not .
His current party leader , Charles J Haughey , while Minister for Finance in the Fianna Fail Government which took office following the June 1969 General Election authorised the payment of monies into a number of bank accounts . One of these bank accounts was opened in a Baggot Street bank on 14th November 1969 in the name of 'Ann O' Brien ' .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
On March 9th , Liam Kavanagh (FS Environment Minister) opened a road between Donegal and Ballyshannon : Eddie Fullerton , as a Sinn Fein member of Donegal County Council was at the opening and he says he was standing beside Liam Kavanagh . Afterwards , there was a lunch during which , he claims , he was sitting opposite Minister Kavanagh .
Later on there were two delegations to see the Minister - one from Ballyshannon Town Commission ; there were Sinn Fein members on both . Things got heated when Kavanagh said that he would not meet delegations with Sinn Fein members present . Both sets of Sinn Fein members withdrew but there was some confusion about the Minister's refusal to see Eddie Fullerton in February , his attendance at functions at which it would be reasonable to expect Fullerton's presence and his subsequent refusal to see delegations containing members of Sinn Fein .
Eddie Fullerton claims that he was at the opening of an AnCO centre (ie a State jobs training body) in Letterkenny a month ago at which the State Minister for Labour , Ruairi Quinn , was present . Quinn later pushed this issue to the forefront .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper noted - " Peter Barry himself is on record as opposing supergrass trials . Logically , therefore , he cannot go along with convictions arising from those trials and , equally logically , he must have some sympathy with the men who have now gone on hunger-strike arising from them .
If Peter Barry fails to deliver on this , the first thorny issue to confront him in his new role on the Anglo-Irish conference , then the omens for the success of the agreement as a whole are not encouraging . Merely appealing for the men to come off the hunger-strike will not suffice . "
But even if Peter Barry does deliver on the "...thorny issue.. " of paid perjurers and show-trials , although it will be welcomed by Republicans it will also be recognised for what it is - an essential smoothing of the rough edges of Britain's repressive machine in the Six Counties .......
(MORE LATER).
Monday, September 05, 2005
A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA .......
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
' Welfare on the cheap' was what Belfast wanted - and that's what it got : in William McGrath's day you got a job in Welfare because you ' knew someone at City Hall ' , not because you were qualified for the job or even had an interest in the work .
Sir George Terry is very lenient with the RUC ; he uses the excuse that in the mid-seventies the RUC were in the midst of a campaign of terror . However , they were not so busy that they could not resist arresting twenty gay people over a period of some months in 1976 and asking them questions about practically everything except Kincora .
The 'Northern Ireland (sic) Gay Rights Association' will have no truck with a judicial inquiry , for a number of reasons ; as there was no traffic in boys there is nothing to investigate . The consequences for gays would be dire - they would be driven out of any employment involving young people and they would be kept out of such employment for decades . This would lead to endless complications .
Sexuality is not easily pinned down and codified ; instability would be endemic in teaching , welfare and many other fields . Gay people would be faced with repressing their sexuality or going through life lying and prevaricating at every turn . This would set up destabilising suspicions , and so on ad infinitum , until we had reached the pinnacle of Victorian rectitude , where nobody was honest about their sexuality .
(' 1169 ... ' Comment - The main trust of this article was to attempt to dismiss all fears about Kincora , McGrath and others as "nonsensical" and it was maintained throughout the piece that any investigation into said fears sould be seen as an attack on the gay community as a whole . A truly sickening position to have held on that sordid episode in this countrys history. )
[END of ' A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA' .]
(Tomorrow - 'FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION' - from December 1986/January 1987.)
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
At the last local elections Sinn Fein won thirty seats on the State's 117 local authorities which represented an increase of ten seats . There are five Sinn Fein Town Commissioners , two in Ballyshannon and one each in Gorey , Loughrea and Passage West . There are twelve Sinn Fein Urban District Councillors (there were fourteen elected but two have since resigned ) - these Councillors are members of the following Urban District Councils : Midleton , Cavan , Tipperary , Carrick-on-Suir , Athy , Monaghan , Listowel , Clones , Dundalk , Buncrana and there are two Councillors in Bundoran , County Donegal .
Eleven Sinn Fein county councillors serve on nine county councils ; Louth , Clare , Kerry , Donegal , Roscommon , Cavan and Leitrim have one member ; there are two members on both Galway and Longford County Councils . So altogether there are now twenty-six members of Sinn Fein holding twenty-eight seats on different local authorities around the country . The two Urban District Councillors who resigned bring the total number of seats down from the 1979 figure .
On February 1st , Eddie Fullerton , Sinn Fein , who had never before been refused access to a Minister , was told that Environment Minister , Liam Kavanagh , would not see him . Fullerton , part of a delegation which had gone to Leinster House to discuss proposals for a sewerage scheme , says he had a meeting with Alan Dukes last autumn and that there had been no problem then .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Last Friday , December 27 , 1985 , several relatives of the Kirkpatrick defendants travelled from Belfast to Cork to see Free State Foreign Minister Peter Barry , but Barry , despite having had advance notice , was conveniently "...not at home .. " .
Following this snub , Peter Barry called on the hunger-strikers to end their fast and leave the issue to the London-Dublin Inter-Governmental Conference of which he is joint Chair . However , his verbal expressions of concern have been viewed with cynicism by the relatives and indeed by many nationalists ; Cathy Tohill commented -
- " Peter Barry asked the relatives to leave it to the politicians , but we've done that in the past and they've just given it lip service . Barry has condemned the 'supergrass system' in Leinster House but if he had taken some positive action maybe it would'nt have come to a hunger-strike . "
That the hunger-strike poses a challenge to Peter Barry's claims about the 'benefits' to nationalists of the Hillsborough Agreement has been noted by at least one of the deal's media supporters , 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper .......
(MORE LATER).
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
' Welfare on the cheap' was what Belfast wanted - and that's what it got : in William McGrath's day you got a job in Welfare because you ' knew someone at City Hall ' , not because you were qualified for the job or even had an interest in the work .
Sir George Terry is very lenient with the RUC ; he uses the excuse that in the mid-seventies the RUC were in the midst of a campaign of terror . However , they were not so busy that they could not resist arresting twenty gay people over a period of some months in 1976 and asking them questions about practically everything except Kincora .
The 'Northern Ireland (sic) Gay Rights Association' will have no truck with a judicial inquiry , for a number of reasons ; as there was no traffic in boys there is nothing to investigate . The consequences for gays would be dire - they would be driven out of any employment involving young people and they would be kept out of such employment for decades . This would lead to endless complications .
Sexuality is not easily pinned down and codified ; instability would be endemic in teaching , welfare and many other fields . Gay people would be faced with repressing their sexuality or going through life lying and prevaricating at every turn . This would set up destabilising suspicions , and so on ad infinitum , until we had reached the pinnacle of Victorian rectitude , where nobody was honest about their sexuality .
(' 1169 ... ' Comment - The main trust of this article was to attempt to dismiss all fears about Kincora , McGrath and others as "nonsensical" and it was maintained throughout the piece that any investigation into said fears sould be seen as an attack on the gay community as a whole . A truly sickening position to have held on that sordid episode in this countrys history. )
[END of ' A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA' .]
(Tomorrow - 'FIANNA FAIL AND THE IRA CONNECTION' - from December 1986/January 1987.)
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
At the last local elections Sinn Fein won thirty seats on the State's 117 local authorities which represented an increase of ten seats . There are five Sinn Fein Town Commissioners , two in Ballyshannon and one each in Gorey , Loughrea and Passage West . There are twelve Sinn Fein Urban District Councillors (there were fourteen elected but two have since resigned ) - these Councillors are members of the following Urban District Councils : Midleton , Cavan , Tipperary , Carrick-on-Suir , Athy , Monaghan , Listowel , Clones , Dundalk , Buncrana and there are two Councillors in Bundoran , County Donegal .
Eleven Sinn Fein county councillors serve on nine county councils ; Louth , Clare , Kerry , Donegal , Roscommon , Cavan and Leitrim have one member ; there are two members on both Galway and Longford County Councils . So altogether there are now twenty-six members of Sinn Fein holding twenty-eight seats on different local authorities around the country . The two Urban District Councillors who resigned bring the total number of seats down from the 1979 figure .
On February 1st , Eddie Fullerton , Sinn Fein , who had never before been refused access to a Minister , was told that Environment Minister , Liam Kavanagh , would not see him . Fullerton , part of a delegation which had gone to Leinster House to discuss proposals for a sewerage scheme , says he had a meeting with Alan Dukes last autumn and that there had been no problem then .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Last Friday , December 27 , 1985 , several relatives of the Kirkpatrick defendants travelled from Belfast to Cork to see Free State Foreign Minister Peter Barry , but Barry , despite having had advance notice , was conveniently "...not at home .. " .
Following this snub , Peter Barry called on the hunger-strikers to end their fast and leave the issue to the London-Dublin Inter-Governmental Conference of which he is joint Chair . However , his verbal expressions of concern have been viewed with cynicism by the relatives and indeed by many nationalists ; Cathy Tohill commented -
- " Peter Barry asked the relatives to leave it to the politicians , but we've done that in the past and they've just given it lip service . Barry has condemned the 'supergrass system' in Leinster House but if he had taken some positive action maybe it would'nt have come to a hunger-strike . "
That the hunger-strike poses a challenge to Peter Barry's claims about the 'benefits' to nationalists of the Hillsborough Agreement has been noted by at least one of the deal's media supporters , 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper .......
(MORE LATER).
Friday, September 02, 2005
A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA .......
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
Sir George Terry , in his report into the affair , slates the press for their handling of it , but does not mention the never-ending quality of the whole thing . For more than two years every single day every single medium regaled us with another Kincora fable - we very rarely got a fact . Public figures tumbled over themselves to prove that they were cleaner than clean .
Meanwhile , the Social Services Department were in the grip of paranoia ; gay women and men went in fear of their livelihoods - some had their private lives insultingly closely scrutinised . A number were made to assent to humiliatingly intimate physical examination . Non-gay people were just as deeply affected as the suspicion was all-pervasive .
Sir George Terry lays most of the blame for the actual events at the Kincora Home on the Eastern Health and Social Services Board , unjustly , one feels . This body could only be expected to work with the material to hand . This included that inherited from the Belfast Welfare Committee ; both bodies , like all such bodies , had to depend on the good will and the good faith of their employees .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
(FS) Minister of State Paul Connaughton (Fine Gael) feels that the two Sinn Fein Councillors and himself were elected to the same local authority and that in order to do his job as a local representative he has to attend meetings at which Sinn Fein members are present .
He is not so sure about his continued participation in the electoral alliance which has elected a member of Sinn Fein and members of Fine Gael to the position of Chairman in the past - he says that he would have to seriously consider the question of whether or not he would vote for one of the Sinn Fein Councillors for that position in the future .
He feels that the position has changed since 1979 and that Sinn Fein now has a much closer relationship with the IRA . He would , he says , talk to a delegation from the Council , with Sinn Fein members present , in Galway , so long as they were dealing with local issues .
However , if such a delegation were to try to meet him in Dublin the question of whether or not he would meet them would be a matter for Government and he would abide by that decision .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Most of Harry Kirkpatrick's 27 victims have already spent several years on remand . Gerard Steenson , detained on the word of a succession of paid perjurers , who later withdrew their statements , had been held in jail for almost four years before his trial .
The defendants fear that their appeals could be delayed for several years , even if the courts were eventually to release them for cosmetic reasons . Bobby Tohill , who was on remand for two and a half years , had earlier , in 1982 , been imprisoned without trial for six months on the word of paid-perjurer Jackie Goodman , but was released when Goodman retracted .
During Tohill's detention , his wife Cathy has had to cope with their four-year-old son , Michael , who has cystic fibrosis and requires daily medical care and has had numerous spells in hospital ; according to Cathy Tohill -
- " My husband could rot in jail for two and a half years waiting for his appeal the way the 'Black' defendants have . And then he would face the same system and could lose even though in England Kirkpatrick's evidence would'nt be accepted .... " .......
(MORE LATER).
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
Sir George Terry , in his report into the affair , slates the press for their handling of it , but does not mention the never-ending quality of the whole thing . For more than two years every single day every single medium regaled us with another Kincora fable - we very rarely got a fact . Public figures tumbled over themselves to prove that they were cleaner than clean .
Meanwhile , the Social Services Department were in the grip of paranoia ; gay women and men went in fear of their livelihoods - some had their private lives insultingly closely scrutinised . A number were made to assent to humiliatingly intimate physical examination . Non-gay people were just as deeply affected as the suspicion was all-pervasive .
Sir George Terry lays most of the blame for the actual events at the Kincora Home on the Eastern Health and Social Services Board , unjustly , one feels . This body could only be expected to work with the material to hand . This included that inherited from the Belfast Welfare Committee ; both bodies , like all such bodies , had to depend on the good will and the good faith of their employees .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
(FS) Minister of State Paul Connaughton (Fine Gael) feels that the two Sinn Fein Councillors and himself were elected to the same local authority and that in order to do his job as a local representative he has to attend meetings at which Sinn Fein members are present .
He is not so sure about his continued participation in the electoral alliance which has elected a member of Sinn Fein and members of Fine Gael to the position of Chairman in the past - he says that he would have to seriously consider the question of whether or not he would vote for one of the Sinn Fein Councillors for that position in the future .
He feels that the position has changed since 1979 and that Sinn Fein now has a much closer relationship with the IRA . He would , he says , talk to a delegation from the Council , with Sinn Fein members present , in Galway , so long as they were dealing with local issues .
However , if such a delegation were to try to meet him in Dublin the question of whether or not he would meet them would be a matter for Government and he would abide by that decision .......
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.......
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Most of Harry Kirkpatrick's 27 victims have already spent several years on remand . Gerard Steenson , detained on the word of a succession of paid perjurers , who later withdrew their statements , had been held in jail for almost four years before his trial .
The defendants fear that their appeals could be delayed for several years , even if the courts were eventually to release them for cosmetic reasons . Bobby Tohill , who was on remand for two and a half years , had earlier , in 1982 , been imprisoned without trial for six months on the word of paid-perjurer Jackie Goodman , but was released when Goodman retracted .
During Tohill's detention , his wife Cathy has had to cope with their four-year-old son , Michael , who has cystic fibrosis and requires daily medical care and has had numerous spells in hospital ; according to Cathy Tohill -
- " My husband could rot in jail for two and a half years waiting for his appeal the way the 'Black' defendants have . And then he would face the same system and could lose even though in England Kirkpatrick's evidence would'nt be accepted .... " .......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, September 01, 2005
A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA .......
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
William McGrath's 'paramilitary' organisation , 'TARA' , appears to have consisted of a smallish number of 'chiefs' and no 'indians' at all ; even Roy Garland , once his deputy , admits that all its invitations to other Unionist 'chieftains' to 'pow-wow' were always refused . This fits in with the image of a psychologically dislocated dreamer . Such people are often attractive to young people .
Unionists in the early 1970's appeared to be 'girt' (ie 'be' and 'mix with' ) with cruel foes - and successful ones . The Unionist leadership did not have an idea between them . William McGrath had lots of ideas - all utterly impracticable - and the ability to put them across . Young Ulster (sic) Protestants who had not caved in to self-hatred probably momentarily enjoyed the thought that they were the Vanguard of the Chosen Race : McGrath was a British Israelite .
British Intelligence probably did know about McGrath and 'TARA' ; they probably also knew about his employment and they may have known that he was homosexual . So also did Ian Paisley , who told his informant , Valerie Shaw , that she should give thanks to God she "...was not born a pervert .. " But it required journalists working for Ireland's leading quality newspaper to turn this into something sinister .
We are asked to be outraged by the fact that Ian Paisley did not instantly assume that a homosexual must be sexually molesting his charges .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Fianna Fail's Ted Murphy was not happy with Dick Spring's 'no-show' ; he refused to meet Spring , whose letter , which expressed 'regret' at the 'annoyance' caused by the incident , was rejected at the council's next meeting . Murphy thinks the affair did not help the Labour Party locally : " I reckon they did'nt get ten votes from Midleton as a result of that . "
From bitterness to confusion : Galway County Council elected a Sinn Fein Chairman in 1979 . This election marked the installation of the first non-Fianna Fail Chairman since 1934 . To wrest this position from Fianna Fail , all the other members of the council had to band together . This alliance included members of Fine Gael , Labour , Sinn Fein and Independents , and it had a majority of one over the combined Fianna Fail vote . The alliance has since elected three Fine Gael members to the Chair .
There are two Ministers of State on Galway County Council - John Donnellan and Paul Connaughton ; Donnellan seconded Frank Glynn of Sinn Fein for Chairman in 1979 . Paul Connaughton is a member of Galway Committee of Agriculture , whose current Chairman is Patrick Ruane , also of Sinn Fein . Connaughton says he fully supports the government's position on Sinn Fein and as a Minister of State he would not meet public representatives who are members of Sinn Fein . Connaughton does not see any contradiction between this stance and his willingness to work with Frank Glynn , Sinn Fein , on Galway County Council and the Committee of Agriculture .
He distinguishes between his role as Minister and his role as a Councillor ....... ( '1169 ....' Comment - A typical 'Irish soilution to an Irish 'problem' ' : an 'issue' causes 'trouble' - the 'powers-that-be' introduce legislation to deal with that issue ; then carry-on as before . When it is pointed out to them that they have not 'solved' the problem , they point to the legislation and declare - " We have . Look - there's our solution to this problem ... !)
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Representatives of the 27 nationalists convicted last month on the sole word of self-styled former INLA member Harry Kirkpatrick have begun a hunger-strike in the H-Blocks against the corrupt paid-perjurer system .
The hunger-strikers have said that the fast will continue until they are given an early date for appeal against their sentences and an urgent review of all cases of people convicted on uncorroborated evidence of alleged accomplices . The hunger-strike began on Thursday , December 19th 1985 , hours after the 102-day show-trial ended , when 27-year-old Bobby Tohill refused breakfast . Tohill , who was sentenced to life imprisonment , is married with a four-year-old son and comes from the New Barnsley area of West Belfast .
He was joined a week later , on December 26th 1985 , by 28-year-old Gerard Steenson , from the Falls Road area , who is serving life with a recommended ' minimum' 25 years . A third defendant , un-named as we went to press , is due to join the fast today ( ie Thursday January 2 , 1986) , and others at weekly intervals .
In all , ten of the 27 defendants face life sentences and the other 17 were sentenced to savage terms of up to 20 years , after trial judge Carswell pronounced that Harry Kirkpatrick was a " ...credible.. " witness ; earlier , the Unionist judge had admitted that Kirkpatrick was "... a man of bad character and low moral standards .. " who had lied in court .......
(MORE LATER).
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
William McGrath's 'paramilitary' organisation , 'TARA' , appears to have consisted of a smallish number of 'chiefs' and no 'indians' at all ; even Roy Garland , once his deputy , admits that all its invitations to other Unionist 'chieftains' to 'pow-wow' were always refused . This fits in with the image of a psychologically dislocated dreamer . Such people are often attractive to young people .
Unionists in the early 1970's appeared to be 'girt' (ie 'be' and 'mix with' ) with cruel foes - and successful ones . The Unionist leadership did not have an idea between them . William McGrath had lots of ideas - all utterly impracticable - and the ability to put them across . Young Ulster (sic) Protestants who had not caved in to self-hatred probably momentarily enjoyed the thought that they were the Vanguard of the Chosen Race : McGrath was a British Israelite .
British Intelligence probably did know about McGrath and 'TARA' ; they probably also knew about his employment and they may have known that he was homosexual . So also did Ian Paisley , who told his informant , Valerie Shaw , that she should give thanks to God she "...was not born a pervert .. " But it required journalists working for Ireland's leading quality newspaper to turn this into something sinister .
We are asked to be outraged by the fact that Ian Paisley did not instantly assume that a homosexual must be sexually molesting his charges .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Fianna Fail's Ted Murphy was not happy with Dick Spring's 'no-show' ; he refused to meet Spring , whose letter , which expressed 'regret' at the 'annoyance' caused by the incident , was rejected at the council's next meeting . Murphy thinks the affair did not help the Labour Party locally : " I reckon they did'nt get ten votes from Midleton as a result of that . "
From bitterness to confusion : Galway County Council elected a Sinn Fein Chairman in 1979 . This election marked the installation of the first non-Fianna Fail Chairman since 1934 . To wrest this position from Fianna Fail , all the other members of the council had to band together . This alliance included members of Fine Gael , Labour , Sinn Fein and Independents , and it had a majority of one over the combined Fianna Fail vote . The alliance has since elected three Fine Gael members to the Chair .
There are two Ministers of State on Galway County Council - John Donnellan and Paul Connaughton ; Donnellan seconded Frank Glynn of Sinn Fein for Chairman in 1979 . Paul Connaughton is a member of Galway Committee of Agriculture , whose current Chairman is Patrick Ruane , also of Sinn Fein . Connaughton says he fully supports the government's position on Sinn Fein and as a Minister of State he would not meet public representatives who are members of Sinn Fein . Connaughton does not see any contradiction between this stance and his willingness to work with Frank Glynn , Sinn Fein , on Galway County Council and the Committee of Agriculture .
He distinguishes between his role as Minister and his role as a Councillor ....... ( '1169 ....' Comment - A typical 'Irish soilution to an Irish 'problem' ' : an 'issue' causes 'trouble' - the 'powers-that-be' introduce legislation to deal with that issue ; then carry-on as before . When it is pointed out to them that they have not 'solved' the problem , they point to the legislation and declare - " We have . Look - there's our solution to this problem ... !)
(MORE LATER).
HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS.
From 'AP/RN' , 2 January 1986 .
No By-Line .
Representatives of the 27 nationalists convicted last month on the sole word of self-styled former INLA member Harry Kirkpatrick have begun a hunger-strike in the H-Blocks against the corrupt paid-perjurer system .
The hunger-strikers have said that the fast will continue until they are given an early date for appeal against their sentences and an urgent review of all cases of people convicted on uncorroborated evidence of alleged accomplices . The hunger-strike began on Thursday , December 19th 1985 , hours after the 102-day show-trial ended , when 27-year-old Bobby Tohill refused breakfast . Tohill , who was sentenced to life imprisonment , is married with a four-year-old son and comes from the New Barnsley area of West Belfast .
He was joined a week later , on December 26th 1985 , by 28-year-old Gerard Steenson , from the Falls Road area , who is serving life with a recommended ' minimum' 25 years . A third defendant , un-named as we went to press , is due to join the fast today ( ie Thursday January 2 , 1986) , and others at weekly intervals .
In all , ten of the 27 defendants face life sentences and the other 17 were sentenced to savage terms of up to 20 years , after trial judge Carswell pronounced that Harry Kirkpatrick was a " ...credible.. " witness ; earlier , the Unionist judge had admitted that Kirkpatrick was "... a man of bad character and low moral standards .. " who had lied in court .......
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
A GAY VIEW ON KINCORA .
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
Gay people have watched the growth of the Kincora industry with fascinated horror : a number of sordid and petty crimes perpetrated against teenage adults have been presented as atrocities on a par with Bloody Sunday , Bloody Friday and every other bloody day of the Ulster week .
Prejudices long dormant in the intelligent public have been gentled back into life ; homosexual people are underhand , sexually voracious and unusually interested in young people as sex partners , whether those young people are willing or not .
This is how the crazed notion that a boy brothel could exist in a city the size of Belfast got off the ground . It could be taken for granted that gay men in particular would find such a set-up congenial and that we would close ranks to protect the people who would try to organise such a venture . William McGrath is the central figure in the Kincora 'stew' - he had ideas which were lunatic enough to pass for fascist , he was also homosexual and subjected his charges to distressing and unwanted sexual attentions .
This , it is implied , is the crux of the matter so far as McGrath is concerned . Such an attitude is nonsensical ; William McGrath and his fellow defendants spent whole lifetimes building up images of familial rectitude . They never once said anything about their homosexual orientation . It is worth questioning whether they were entirely homosexual at all . No hint of their being gay ever seeped out into the gay community , much less the general community .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Ted Murphy , the Fianna Fail Chairman of Midleton UDC , was approached by two local Labour Party Officers , Eddie Allen and Billy Murphy , about arranging a 'Civic Reception' for Dick Spring , who was due to visit Midleton while touring the Cork area . Ted Murphy says he agreed readily .
Days before the visit , Dick Spring refused the offer of a 'Civic Reception' : the 'problem' was Charles Ronayne , a Sinn Fein member of the UDC , who would also be present . Ted Murphy was not impressed - " As an elected public representative himself it is disgraceful that Mr. Spring will not meet a fellow elected public representative . The Tanaiste (ie 'Tanaiste' - 'second-in-command' of the Free State Administration , as Dick Spring was at the time) , in refusing to meet the urban council , is acting like a dictator . "
The next day , Spring issued a statement saying - " I would not for the world have wished to offend the people of Midleton , or their elected representatives , in this way . " He pointed out , however , that for him to attend a function at which a Sinn Fein member would also be present would be in contravention of the government's decision not to deal with Sinn Fein .
He said he would be writing to the Urban District Council (UDC) to express his regret at the upset caused and to suggest a separate meeting with Ted Murphy - the latter , however , was not happy with that .......
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
At the same time as Garda Ted O'Mahony was transferred , his neighbour Stephen Moore was suing the gardai for injuries sustained while he was in garda custody . Eileen O'Mahony believes that the fact that her husband was friendly with Stephen Moore was the reason for his transfer .
When Stephen Moore was awarded £25,000 in an out-of-court settlement , the gardai immediately started an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his detention . On 19 July , Stephen Moore gave evidence of his ordeal to two Garda Superintendents ; ironically , the interview took place on a Saturday in a deserted garda building on Saint John's Road in Dublin .
The building is used mainly for scrapped garda cars ; at one point , it housed the Garda Technical Bureau , part of which includes the 'Investigation Section' from which sprung the alleged ' Heavy Gang ' of the 1973-1977 period . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - Nothing "alleged" about the 'Heavy Gang' : they did exist , and were given a free reign by the Free Staters to operate outside 'normal' practice when it came to 'interviewing' Irish Republicans . )
The file was expected to be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for 'consideration' by 1 August .
[END of 'THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ' .]
(Tomorrow - 'HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS' : from 1986.)
By Sean McGouran .
First published in 'FORTNIGHT' Magazine , May 1984 .
READERS PLEASE NOTE : This article was apparently penned by a gay supporter of McGrath / TARA / Kincora Boys Home . It is published here to give you a taste of the 'spin' which some people attempted to put on that issue ; read it with that in mind ..... Sharon. )
This is a link to the 'objectives' of the TARA loyalist paramilitary organisation with which William McGrath and Roy Garland were associated .
Gay people have watched the growth of the Kincora industry with fascinated horror : a number of sordid and petty crimes perpetrated against teenage adults have been presented as atrocities on a par with Bloody Sunday , Bloody Friday and every other bloody day of the Ulster week .
Prejudices long dormant in the intelligent public have been gentled back into life ; homosexual people are underhand , sexually voracious and unusually interested in young people as sex partners , whether those young people are willing or not .
This is how the crazed notion that a boy brothel could exist in a city the size of Belfast got off the ground . It could be taken for granted that gay men in particular would find such a set-up congenial and that we would close ranks to protect the people who would try to organise such a venture . William McGrath is the central figure in the Kincora 'stew' - he had ideas which were lunatic enough to pass for fascist , he was also homosexual and subjected his charges to distressing and unwanted sexual attentions .
This , it is implied , is the crux of the matter so far as McGrath is concerned . Such an attitude is nonsensical ; William McGrath and his fellow defendants spent whole lifetimes building up images of familial rectitude . They never once said anything about their homosexual orientation . It is worth questioning whether they were entirely homosexual at all . No hint of their being gay ever seeped out into the gay community , much less the general community .......
(MORE LATER).
SINN FEIN ALONE .......
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
Ted Murphy , the Fianna Fail Chairman of Midleton UDC , was approached by two local Labour Party Officers , Eddie Allen and Billy Murphy , about arranging a 'Civic Reception' for Dick Spring , who was due to visit Midleton while touring the Cork area . Ted Murphy says he agreed readily .
Days before the visit , Dick Spring refused the offer of a 'Civic Reception' : the 'problem' was Charles Ronayne , a Sinn Fein member of the UDC , who would also be present . Ted Murphy was not impressed - " As an elected public representative himself it is disgraceful that Mr. Spring will not meet a fellow elected public representative . The Tanaiste (ie 'Tanaiste' - 'second-in-command' of the Free State Administration , as Dick Spring was at the time) , in refusing to meet the urban council , is acting like a dictator . "
The next day , Spring issued a statement saying - " I would not for the world have wished to offend the people of Midleton , or their elected representatives , in this way . " He pointed out , however , that for him to attend a function at which a Sinn Fein member would also be present would be in contravention of the government's decision not to deal with Sinn Fein .
He said he would be writing to the Urban District Council (UDC) to express his regret at the upset caused and to suggest a separate meeting with Ted Murphy - the latter , however , was not happy with that .......
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
At the same time as Garda Ted O'Mahony was transferred , his neighbour Stephen Moore was suing the gardai for injuries sustained while he was in garda custody . Eileen O'Mahony believes that the fact that her husband was friendly with Stephen Moore was the reason for his transfer .
When Stephen Moore was awarded £25,000 in an out-of-court settlement , the gardai immediately started an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his detention . On 19 July , Stephen Moore gave evidence of his ordeal to two Garda Superintendents ; ironically , the interview took place on a Saturday in a deserted garda building on Saint John's Road in Dublin .
The building is used mainly for scrapped garda cars ; at one point , it housed the Garda Technical Bureau , part of which includes the 'Investigation Section' from which sprung the alleged ' Heavy Gang ' of the 1973-1977 period . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - Nothing "alleged" about the 'Heavy Gang' : they did exist , and were given a free reign by the Free Staters to operate outside 'normal' practice when it came to 'interviewing' Irish Republicans . )
The file was expected to be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for 'consideration' by 1 August .
[END of 'THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ' .]
(Tomorrow - 'HUNGER-STRIKING AGAINST SHOW-TRIALS' : from 1986.)
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE .......
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
One of the defendants , Guiseppe Conlon , was a particularly pathetic figure - aged fifty-two , he suffered from Chronic Tuberculosis and had not worked for eleven years .
He arrived at the Maguire house only hours before the police raid , on his first visit to England for seventeen years . He had come to inquire about his son Gerry , who had just been arrested . He died in prison in 1980 and on his deathbed asked Gerry Fitt to clear his name . Fitt promised that he would try .
The campaign to clear the Maguire's family name , and to achieve a posthumous pardon for Guiseppe Conlon , goes on . In a sense those jailed were victims of the IRA , for their 1974 bombings led to a great wave of anti-Irish hysteria in England and tremendous pressure on the police to catch the bombers . ( ' 1169 ..... ' Comment - Unfortunately , the fact that the police made a mistake in this case did not ensure that "tremendous pressure" was brought to bear on them to stop it happening again . )
Meanwhile , it stands to reason that the authorities will resist with determination any attempt to reopen any of these cases , for to do so would run the risk of having to grant up to seventeen pardons : such an admission of injustice would be to much for the system to bear . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - ....and that remains the prevailing mindset within the British 'Establishment' regarding this country - its last colony . )
[END of '17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE' .]
(Tomorrow - 'A Gay View On Kincora' - from 1984.)
SINN FEIN ALONE .
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
During the last election , Patsy Wright , a Sinn Fein member of Athy UDC , met Alan Dukes (FG) and they had an argument about Section 31 of The Broadcasting Act : according to Patsy Wright , Dukes told him that Sinn Fein could go on the radio whenever they handed up their guns - Wright argued that Sinn Fein had no guns : " Would you ever fuck off , " Alan Dukes replied .
Six months later , however , in June 1983 , Joe Bermingham , (FS) Minister of State , invited Patsy Wright to the opening of a new Garda Station in Athy ; Wright declined the invitation . He said that he would not attend such an opening until there was a thirty-two county Republic . The Government's attitude towards Sinn Fein has hardened considerably over the past eight months . This hardening followed the Dublin Central by-election , the deaths at Ballinamore and the Harrods bombing .
The main result of this tougher approach is the embargo on dealings with elected public representatives who are members of Sinn Fein - this embargo was started by Labour Party Ministers and became Government policy on February 21 . It has caused intense bitterness and confusion .
There was , for example , the proposed Civic Reception for Dick Spring in Midleton , Cork , during the Euro elections .......
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Doctor Michael Moloney found a two-inch bruise on John Milne's chest and left shoulder , and found that he was mildy agitated . Milne also complained of back pain and pain in his leg from time to time . A jury heard the case in November 1983 and after a two-and-a-half-hour deliberation , found that the two named gardai had assaulted John Milne . They made a £51,900 award , plus costs .
Stephen Moore was arrested a third time under Section 30 of The Offences Against The State Act : in June of 1984 , he became one of 2,216 people arrested under that Section , that year ! He was held for nine and a half hours - there was , this time , no questions , no interviews , no charges . He was fingerprinted and photographed . He lost a day's wages - at that time he started work at 4.30 pm and finished at 3am . He was arrested by his next door neighbour at 2.30pm - his neighbour , Garda Ted O' Mahony , had gone on duty half an hour earlier , and had been ordered to carry out the arrest .
The O'Mahony's and the Moores had been neighbours for eight years ; the two households got on well together . Last August , Garda O'Mahony was told that he was being transferred to Gorey , in Wexford , within two weeks . He appealed the decision to Commissioner Lawrence Wren - the appeal was turned down . He then appealed to the Garda Tribunal . Garda O'Mahony was well liked locally . He asked for an explanation as to why he was being moved , and was told that it was in the interests of the Garda force .
He was forced to take up duty in Gorey , by May 1 . He had spent 15 years in the gardai , almost eight of them in Clones , County Monaghan - he had never been disciplined . According to his wife , "...all he ever wanted was a reasonable explanation .. " ( ' 1169... ' Comment - The "explanation" was , obviously , that a 'cover-up' had begun , and people were being moved into , or out of , place . ) .......
(MORE LATER).
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
One of the defendants , Guiseppe Conlon , was a particularly pathetic figure - aged fifty-two , he suffered from Chronic Tuberculosis and had not worked for eleven years .
He arrived at the Maguire house only hours before the police raid , on his first visit to England for seventeen years . He had come to inquire about his son Gerry , who had just been arrested . He died in prison in 1980 and on his deathbed asked Gerry Fitt to clear his name . Fitt promised that he would try .
The campaign to clear the Maguire's family name , and to achieve a posthumous pardon for Guiseppe Conlon , goes on . In a sense those jailed were victims of the IRA , for their 1974 bombings led to a great wave of anti-Irish hysteria in England and tremendous pressure on the police to catch the bombers . ( ' 1169 ..... ' Comment - Unfortunately , the fact that the police made a mistake in this case did not ensure that "tremendous pressure" was brought to bear on them to stop it happening again . )
Meanwhile , it stands to reason that the authorities will resist with determination any attempt to reopen any of these cases , for to do so would run the risk of having to grant up to seventeen pardons : such an admission of injustice would be to much for the system to bear . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - ....and that remains the prevailing mindset within the British 'Establishment' regarding this country - its last colony . )
[END of '17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE' .]
(Tomorrow - 'A Gay View On Kincora' - from 1984.)
SINN FEIN ALONE .
As Sinn Fein has become more active , members of the government parties have sought to isolate the Provos politically .
The record shows , however , that some of those politicians have for years sought support from Sinn Fein - and some continue to do so in so far as it is politically expedient .
By JOHN McHUGH .
First published in ' MAGILL ' Magazine , September 1984.
During the last election , Patsy Wright , a Sinn Fein member of Athy UDC , met Alan Dukes (FG) and they had an argument about Section 31 of The Broadcasting Act : according to Patsy Wright , Dukes told him that Sinn Fein could go on the radio whenever they handed up their guns - Wright argued that Sinn Fein had no guns : " Would you ever fuck off , " Alan Dukes replied .
Six months later , however , in June 1983 , Joe Bermingham , (FS) Minister of State , invited Patsy Wright to the opening of a new Garda Station in Athy ; Wright declined the invitation . He said that he would not attend such an opening until there was a thirty-two county Republic . The Government's attitude towards Sinn Fein has hardened considerably over the past eight months . This hardening followed the Dublin Central by-election , the deaths at Ballinamore and the Harrods bombing .
The main result of this tougher approach is the embargo on dealings with elected public representatives who are members of Sinn Fein - this embargo was started by Labour Party Ministers and became Government policy on February 21 . It has caused intense bitterness and confusion .
There was , for example , the proposed Civic Reception for Dick Spring in Midleton , Cork , during the Euro elections .......
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Doctor Michael Moloney found a two-inch bruise on John Milne's chest and left shoulder , and found that he was mildy agitated . Milne also complained of back pain and pain in his leg from time to time . A jury heard the case in November 1983 and after a two-and-a-half-hour deliberation , found that the two named gardai had assaulted John Milne . They made a £51,900 award , plus costs .
Stephen Moore was arrested a third time under Section 30 of The Offences Against The State Act : in June of 1984 , he became one of 2,216 people arrested under that Section , that year ! He was held for nine and a half hours - there was , this time , no questions , no interviews , no charges . He was fingerprinted and photographed . He lost a day's wages - at that time he started work at 4.30 pm and finished at 3am . He was arrested by his next door neighbour at 2.30pm - his neighbour , Garda Ted O' Mahony , had gone on duty half an hour earlier , and had been ordered to carry out the arrest .
The O'Mahony's and the Moores had been neighbours for eight years ; the two households got on well together . Last August , Garda O'Mahony was told that he was being transferred to Gorey , in Wexford , within two weeks . He appealed the decision to Commissioner Lawrence Wren - the appeal was turned down . He then appealed to the Garda Tribunal . Garda O'Mahony was well liked locally . He asked for an explanation as to why he was being moved , and was told that it was in the interests of the Garda force .
He was forced to take up duty in Gorey , by May 1 . He had spent 15 years in the gardai , almost eight of them in Clones , County Monaghan - he had never been disciplined . According to his wife , "...all he ever wanted was a reasonable explanation .. " ( ' 1169... ' Comment - The "explanation" was , obviously , that a 'cover-up' had begun , and people were being moved into , or out of , place . ) .......
(MORE LATER).
Monday, August 29, 2005
17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE .......
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
The defence called John Yallop OBE , an internationally-recognised authority on explosives ; he had spent thirty-two years as a (British) 'Home Office' explosives expert and was a former head of the British government's explosives laboratory .
He had written more than sixty scientific papers on explosives and related topics , and appeared in the courts as an expert witness on more than 400 occasions ; and he had actually invented the ' Thin Layer Chromtography ' (TLC) test !
The 'gist' of John Yallop's evidence was that the test , as conducted , had not conclusively proved the existence of nitroglycerine . He suggested that other substances could produce the same results in the test - household substances might do it .....
One of the defendants , Guiseppe Conlon , was a particularly pathetic figure ; aged fifty-two , he suffered from Chronic Tuberculosis and had not worked for eleven years .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
'MAGILL' Magazine : " Is it still seen within the Republican Movement as a long war , another twenty years ? "
Danny Morrison : " There was some Republican criticism that the 1978 declaration of a long war actually led to some demoralisation and deterred people from joining the Republican Movement because they thought , " Gee , there's not going to be an amnesty for Christmas , if I go to jail I'm not getting out for Christmas , I'm going in for a long time . "
That's possibly true . The point is , I think , that the IRA has to say what it believes , it has to tell the truth of how it sees things . The fact is that the Brits are'nt going to get out tomorrow or next year . It is going to be a long struggle , and people who join the Republican Movement obviously are entitled to be acquainted with that belief .
It's only fair on them . I would say , yes - still in terms of five to ten years . "
[END of 'THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO' .]
(Tomorrow - 'Sinn Fein Alone' - from 1984 .)
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Dr. Caraher examined Stephen Moore on three occasions while he was in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station ; on the first occasion , there were no abnormalities present in the patient , on the second occasion he appeared to be anxious and he had burns to the hair and he was complaining of pains . On the third occasion , the burns were still present and he had extensive bruising to the groin and thigh .
But this was not the first time that a detainee at Monaghan Garda Station had been awarded damages as a result of injuries sustained in garda custody -
- on 6 May 1978 , there was a Long Kesh protest march in Monaghan . As the protestors were dispersing , two squad cars loaded with gardai arrived on the scene and proceeded to make arrests under Section 30 of The Offences Against The State Act 1939 ; John Milne was amongst those arrested - he was taken to Monaghan Garda Station where he said that he was kicked , punched and beaten for about fifteen minutes by Detective Garda John McCoy and Garda Eamonn Flynn .
He said he was frightened and speechless ; his wife saw him in a cell and called for a doctor . A local Priest , Reverend Kevin Cassidy , said in court that he visited John Milne in the garda station but that he got no reply when he tried to speak to him . Doctor Michael Moloney saw John Milne on May 8 , 1978 , two days after his arrest , and he said that Milne was complaining of headaches and a sore neck .......
(MORE LATER).
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
The defence called John Yallop OBE , an internationally-recognised authority on explosives ; he had spent thirty-two years as a (British) 'Home Office' explosives expert and was a former head of the British government's explosives laboratory .
He had written more than sixty scientific papers on explosives and related topics , and appeared in the courts as an expert witness on more than 400 occasions ; and he had actually invented the ' Thin Layer Chromtography ' (TLC) test !
The 'gist' of John Yallop's evidence was that the test , as conducted , had not conclusively proved the existence of nitroglycerine . He suggested that other substances could produce the same results in the test - household substances might do it .....
One of the defendants , Guiseppe Conlon , was a particularly pathetic figure ; aged fifty-two , he suffered from Chronic Tuberculosis and had not worked for eleven years .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
'MAGILL' Magazine : " Is it still seen within the Republican Movement as a long war , another twenty years ? "
Danny Morrison : " There was some Republican criticism that the 1978 declaration of a long war actually led to some demoralisation and deterred people from joining the Republican Movement because they thought , " Gee , there's not going to be an amnesty for Christmas , if I go to jail I'm not getting out for Christmas , I'm going in for a long time . "
That's possibly true . The point is , I think , that the IRA has to say what it believes , it has to tell the truth of how it sees things . The fact is that the Brits are'nt going to get out tomorrow or next year . It is going to be a long struggle , and people who join the Republican Movement obviously are entitled to be acquainted with that belief .
It's only fair on them . I would say , yes - still in terms of five to ten years . "
[END of 'THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO' .]
(Tomorrow - 'Sinn Fein Alone' - from 1984 .)
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Dr. Caraher examined Stephen Moore on three occasions while he was in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station ; on the first occasion , there were no abnormalities present in the patient , on the second occasion he appeared to be anxious and he had burns to the hair and he was complaining of pains . On the third occasion , the burns were still present and he had extensive bruising to the groin and thigh .
But this was not the first time that a detainee at Monaghan Garda Station had been awarded damages as a result of injuries sustained in garda custody -
- on 6 May 1978 , there was a Long Kesh protest march in Monaghan . As the protestors were dispersing , two squad cars loaded with gardai arrived on the scene and proceeded to make arrests under Section 30 of The Offences Against The State Act 1939 ; John Milne was amongst those arrested - he was taken to Monaghan Garda Station where he said that he was kicked , punched and beaten for about fifteen minutes by Detective Garda John McCoy and Garda Eamonn Flynn .
He said he was frightened and speechless ; his wife saw him in a cell and called for a doctor . A local Priest , Reverend Kevin Cassidy , said in court that he visited John Milne in the garda station but that he got no reply when he tried to speak to him . Doctor Michael Moloney saw John Milne on May 8 , 1978 , two days after his arrest , and he said that Milne was complaining of headaches and a sore neck .......
(MORE LATER).
Friday, August 26, 2005
17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE .......
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
Unless Annie Maguire is one of history's great mistresses of disguise and deception , she does not fit the bill as a terrorist . She and her husband had left Belfast twenty years earlier and took no interest in Irish politics or the 'Troubles' .
She , her husband and her son Vincent were all members of Paddington Conservative Club : a bust of Winston Churchill stood on her mantlepiece . In the children's bedroom two Union Jacks were pinned on the wall . The family had never been in trouble with the police ; indeed , her son Vincent , one of those jailed , had earlier applied to join the police cadets , and been turned down only because of his eyesight .
The Conlon-Hill trial took place first , and the 'popular' papers carried headlines such as ' Auntie Annie's Bomb Kitchen ' when their statements were read out in court . Even before her own trial , in other words - she had been publicly named as a terrorist . And she was tried before the same judge who put Conlon and Hill into the guinness book of records . With all the defendants pleading not guilty - and all recognising the court , which the IRA at the time did not do - the prosecution case rested on the forensic evidence of nitroglycerine traces .
This evidence was highly controversial : the test - 'Thin Layer Chromtography' (TLC) - had been carried out by an eighteen year old apprentice with only three months' experience . This youth had forgotten to photograph the evidence , as was normally done . The amount of nitroglycerine which he said he had detected was minute - equivalent to one millionth of a grain of sugar . And this amount was so small that it had been destroyed by the test itself meaning that the result could not be checked .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " There is no peaceful way of getting the Brits out of Ireland . There is no constitutional way . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - Now Mr. Morrison and his colleagues in the Provisional political party assure us that there is no other way to remove that British presence other than the 'constitutional way ' . ) We are told to do it by the ballot box . Harold McCusker said in January of last year , whenever he was examining the demographics , the increasing numbers of Catholic school children at primary school level - don't worry if the Catholics get a majority in the six counties , we will just re-partition !
Even if nationalists got into a majority in the six counties and tried to vote it into a united Ireland , we still would not get a united Ireland . The loyalists would merely re-partition ; they did it before - they were going for nine counties and went for six , they can go for three . And unfortunately that's why the IRA exists . The IRA has to fight the Brits , has to wear down the will of the British to remain in Ireland . And I have absolutely no doubt that they will be scccessful in inflicting a political defeat - not a military defeat on the British Army but a political defeat on the British government .
The British will have examined everything - internal settlements , assemblies , constitutional conventions , everything , until their last option : and it will be their last option , because the Brits will not examine it until that day . And that option will be British withdrawal and reunification . "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Fintan MacPhillips's father has since died . His brother Leo says that they both went down to visit him and that he said that he had been beaten . His father suggested that they get a doctor , and they phoned Dr. Quinn and Dr. McGoldrick , but neither doctor was in a position to come to the police station .
Dr McGoldrick said that he had examined people in custody in the station on previous occasions and that he had got "...hassle .." from the gardai . Dr Adrian McGoldrick says he examined a Lou Ginley after he had emerged from garda custody ; he had a broken tooth , his body was bruised and his blood pressure was up . He was afterwards not in a position to take a civil action . However , Dr. McGoldrick gave evidence in the Special Criminal Court at the trial of another man , Seamus Soraghan , who was tried and convicted under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act . According to Dr. McGoldrick , the medical evidence he gave was "... totally disregarded .. " .
It was after that case that he was in a toilet of a pub when a Special Branch man came up to him and said that in future , when he examined IRA suspects , he should see no injuries . Dr. McGoldrick was of the opinion that the Special Branch man might have drink taken and did'nt consider the matter of any relevance . Nonetheless , he took the step of informing the garda authorities of what had happened ; Dr. McGoldrick says that he would not have felt intimidated by this .
He says also that one of the main reasons that he did less of these cases was that he received very little notice when he had to appear in the Special Criminal Court to give evidence and his routine was unpredictable . In the case of Fintan MacPhillips , the doctor says that he was off the weekend , as far as he can remember , and that he was going away on the Sunday . He would therefore not be in a position to do a follow-up examination in the case , as is desirable . One year later , Dr. Adrian McGoldrick moved to Newbridge in County Kildare .......
(MORE LATER).
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
Unless Annie Maguire is one of history's great mistresses of disguise and deception , she does not fit the bill as a terrorist . She and her husband had left Belfast twenty years earlier and took no interest in Irish politics or the 'Troubles' .
She , her husband and her son Vincent were all members of Paddington Conservative Club : a bust of Winston Churchill stood on her mantlepiece . In the children's bedroom two Union Jacks were pinned on the wall . The family had never been in trouble with the police ; indeed , her son Vincent , one of those jailed , had earlier applied to join the police cadets , and been turned down only because of his eyesight .
The Conlon-Hill trial took place first , and the 'popular' papers carried headlines such as ' Auntie Annie's Bomb Kitchen ' when their statements were read out in court . Even before her own trial , in other words - she had been publicly named as a terrorist . And she was tried before the same judge who put Conlon and Hill into the guinness book of records . With all the defendants pleading not guilty - and all recognising the court , which the IRA at the time did not do - the prosecution case rested on the forensic evidence of nitroglycerine traces .
This evidence was highly controversial : the test - 'Thin Layer Chromtography' (TLC) - had been carried out by an eighteen year old apprentice with only three months' experience . This youth had forgotten to photograph the evidence , as was normally done . The amount of nitroglycerine which he said he had detected was minute - equivalent to one millionth of a grain of sugar . And this amount was so small that it had been destroyed by the test itself meaning that the result could not be checked .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " There is no peaceful way of getting the Brits out of Ireland . There is no constitutional way . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - Now Mr. Morrison and his colleagues in the Provisional political party assure us that there is no other way to remove that British presence other than the 'constitutional way ' . ) We are told to do it by the ballot box . Harold McCusker said in January of last year , whenever he was examining the demographics , the increasing numbers of Catholic school children at primary school level - don't worry if the Catholics get a majority in the six counties , we will just re-partition !
Even if nationalists got into a majority in the six counties and tried to vote it into a united Ireland , we still would not get a united Ireland . The loyalists would merely re-partition ; they did it before - they were going for nine counties and went for six , they can go for three . And unfortunately that's why the IRA exists . The IRA has to fight the Brits , has to wear down the will of the British to remain in Ireland . And I have absolutely no doubt that they will be scccessful in inflicting a political defeat - not a military defeat on the British Army but a political defeat on the British government .
The British will have examined everything - internal settlements , assemblies , constitutional conventions , everything , until their last option : and it will be their last option , because the Brits will not examine it until that day . And that option will be British withdrawal and reunification . "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Fintan MacPhillips's father has since died . His brother Leo says that they both went down to visit him and that he said that he had been beaten . His father suggested that they get a doctor , and they phoned Dr. Quinn and Dr. McGoldrick , but neither doctor was in a position to come to the police station .
Dr McGoldrick said that he had examined people in custody in the station on previous occasions and that he had got "...hassle .." from the gardai . Dr Adrian McGoldrick says he examined a Lou Ginley after he had emerged from garda custody ; he had a broken tooth , his body was bruised and his blood pressure was up . He was afterwards not in a position to take a civil action . However , Dr. McGoldrick gave evidence in the Special Criminal Court at the trial of another man , Seamus Soraghan , who was tried and convicted under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act . According to Dr. McGoldrick , the medical evidence he gave was "... totally disregarded .. " .
It was after that case that he was in a toilet of a pub when a Special Branch man came up to him and said that in future , when he examined IRA suspects , he should see no injuries . Dr. McGoldrick was of the opinion that the Special Branch man might have drink taken and did'nt consider the matter of any relevance . Nonetheless , he took the step of informing the garda authorities of what had happened ; Dr. McGoldrick says that he would not have felt intimidated by this .
He says also that one of the main reasons that he did less of these cases was that he received very little notice when he had to appear in the Special Criminal Court to give evidence and his routine was unpredictable . In the case of Fintan MacPhillips , the doctor says that he was off the weekend , as far as he can remember , and that he was going away on the Sunday . He would therefore not be in a position to do a follow-up examination in the case , as is desirable . One year later , Dr. Adrian McGoldrick moved to Newbridge in County Kildare .......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, August 25, 2005
17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE .......
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
Closer examination of the facts surrounding the Guildford and Woolwich bombings raised enough doubts to lead even Sir John Biggs-Davidson , a 'pillar of the Establishment' who does not lightly criticise the courts , to conclude that a miscarraige of justice took place .
Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill , who allegedly confessed to the Guildford and Woolwich bombings and implicated Conlon's Auntie Annie , were later jailed for sentences which stand in the 'Guinness Book Of Records' as the longest ever handed down in Britain - natural life and thirty-five years , respectively .
Yet doubt was cast on this conviction too when four admitted IRA men , on trial for other bombings and killings , said they had bombed Guildford and Woolwich too . This was clearly un-welcome news to the authorities , for when the IRA men were tried they were simply not charged with the Guildford and Woolwich killings .
Why should first Gerry Conlon and then Paul Hill have implicated Annie Maguire ? Patrick Maguire , just out of prison , said last month that he had met both men in jail , and that they told him they would have named anybody to stop the police beating them . The police were certainly looking for a woman bomber at that stage , and may have been pressing for the name of a woman . The Maguire family advance the theory that Gerry Conlon may have named Annie Maguire in the belief that nobody could possibly believe she was a bombmaker .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " Sinn Fein sympathises with the difficulties that the IRA has , and that will always be our position . We're painted as extremists for saying that , but there's one thing about republicans ; republicans speak their minds . Free State politicians won't speak their minds . They won't say , for example , that they don't want a united Ireland . They pretend that they want it . Why don't they get up and say - " We don't want a united Ireland , right , because I don't want to lose my job , I don't want to lose my power and prestige . " All the parties in the 26 counties have a vested interest in the Free State continuing to exist forever .
The problem which the Dublin government has , which the SDLP has , is that they can't guarantee that their approach is going to deliver an end to second-class citizenship and civil rights for the nationalists in the North . Because the achievement of civil rights is directly related to the achievement of national rights . The way to get our civil rights is to get our national rights , which means that Britain has to go , the loyalist veto has to be ended . "
'MAGILL' Magazine : " And the loyalists ? "
Danny Morrison : " The people who are presently tied to loyalism can become whatever political power they want in a new Ireland , nobody wants to drive them out . We don't want civil war , we don't want to create a 'Protestant Republican Army' , we have no interest in any of that ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
In his own words , Fintan MacPhillips , a friend of Stephen Moore , describes what happened him in garda custody -
" I was made to sit down and stand up repeatedly . I was put into a corner and my arm was twisted behind my back . A uniformed garda put his head around the door and it stopped for a while . Between 8.30 and 9 my father and my brother , Leo , came in . I told them they were beating me and said to get a doctor . I was brought back up to the room and got a similar going over again .
Plunkett Taaffe , my solicitor , came in and I told him what had happened . He seemed furious . I made a statement to the effect that I did not want to make a statement now or in the near future . I was brought back to the same room and there was a new fellow there . The first thing he did was to knee me in the groin . He did it again a short time later . Of the three Detectives , one did'nt beat me . My brother and father came back . They said that the doctors could'nt come to see me .
I was photographed on Sunday . My flat in Dublin was also raided . I talked to Plunkett Taaffe on Sunday as well . I was released at 12 noon on Monday . I went to Taaffe and he told me that in the absence of any medical evidence , there was nothing I could do . That it was one word against the other . I was beaten on the Saturday night . I was 21 at the time and working in Dublin . I was arrested once before , two years previously . I was held for four hours . The gardai took all my clothes (the second time) and I got clothes from home . They took books from my flat in Dublin . " .......
(MORE LATER).
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
Closer examination of the facts surrounding the Guildford and Woolwich bombings raised enough doubts to lead even Sir John Biggs-Davidson , a 'pillar of the Establishment' who does not lightly criticise the courts , to conclude that a miscarraige of justice took place .
Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill , who allegedly confessed to the Guildford and Woolwich bombings and implicated Conlon's Auntie Annie , were later jailed for sentences which stand in the 'Guinness Book Of Records' as the longest ever handed down in Britain - natural life and thirty-five years , respectively .
Yet doubt was cast on this conviction too when four admitted IRA men , on trial for other bombings and killings , said they had bombed Guildford and Woolwich too . This was clearly un-welcome news to the authorities , for when the IRA men were tried they were simply not charged with the Guildford and Woolwich killings .
Why should first Gerry Conlon and then Paul Hill have implicated Annie Maguire ? Patrick Maguire , just out of prison , said last month that he had met both men in jail , and that they told him they would have named anybody to stop the police beating them . The police were certainly looking for a woman bomber at that stage , and may have been pressing for the name of a woman . The Maguire family advance the theory that Gerry Conlon may have named Annie Maguire in the belief that nobody could possibly believe she was a bombmaker .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " Sinn Fein sympathises with the difficulties that the IRA has , and that will always be our position . We're painted as extremists for saying that , but there's one thing about republicans ; republicans speak their minds . Free State politicians won't speak their minds . They won't say , for example , that they don't want a united Ireland . They pretend that they want it . Why don't they get up and say - " We don't want a united Ireland , right , because I don't want to lose my job , I don't want to lose my power and prestige . " All the parties in the 26 counties have a vested interest in the Free State continuing to exist forever .
The problem which the Dublin government has , which the SDLP has , is that they can't guarantee that their approach is going to deliver an end to second-class citizenship and civil rights for the nationalists in the North . Because the achievement of civil rights is directly related to the achievement of national rights . The way to get our civil rights is to get our national rights , which means that Britain has to go , the loyalist veto has to be ended . "
'MAGILL' Magazine : " And the loyalists ? "
Danny Morrison : " The people who are presently tied to loyalism can become whatever political power they want in a new Ireland , nobody wants to drive them out . We don't want civil war , we don't want to create a 'Protestant Republican Army' , we have no interest in any of that ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
In his own words , Fintan MacPhillips , a friend of Stephen Moore , describes what happened him in garda custody -
" I was made to sit down and stand up repeatedly . I was put into a corner and my arm was twisted behind my back . A uniformed garda put his head around the door and it stopped for a while . Between 8.30 and 9 my father and my brother , Leo , came in . I told them they were beating me and said to get a doctor . I was brought back up to the room and got a similar going over again .
Plunkett Taaffe , my solicitor , came in and I told him what had happened . He seemed furious . I made a statement to the effect that I did not want to make a statement now or in the near future . I was brought back to the same room and there was a new fellow there . The first thing he did was to knee me in the groin . He did it again a short time later . Of the three Detectives , one did'nt beat me . My brother and father came back . They said that the doctors could'nt come to see me .
I was photographed on Sunday . My flat in Dublin was also raided . I talked to Plunkett Taaffe on Sunday as well . I was released at 12 noon on Monday . I went to Taaffe and he told me that in the absence of any medical evidence , there was nothing I could do . That it was one word against the other . I was beaten on the Saturday night . I was 21 at the time and working in Dublin . I was arrested once before , two years previously . I was held for four hours . The gardai took all my clothes (the second time) and I got clothes from home . They took books from my flat in Dublin . " .......
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
17 VICTIMS OF BRITISH JUSTICE .......
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
In the 'Auntie Annie' case , Patrick Maguire , his wife Annie , two of their teenage sons , two other relatives and a friend were all jailed . Only Annie herself now remains in prison and although she is due for release next year the momentum of the campaign to clear the names of those found guilty seems to be growing .
The story began in late 1974 , following IRA bombs at pubs in guidford and Woolwich which killed seven people and injured a hundred more . The police picked-up two young Belfastmen , Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill , and interrogated them . Conlon is said to have confessed to bombings , adding that Annie Maguire , his aunt , showed him and others how to make bombs in the kitchen of her London home . Paul Hill is said to have confirmed this .
The police raided the Maguire house , arrested the occupants and searched the place : nothing was found in the search and none of the people would admit to knowing anything about bombs . But forensic tests on the fingernails of six of the people , and on a pair of kitchen gloves used by Annie Maguire , were said to have yielded traces of nitroglycerine . On this 'evidence' , the seven defendants were found guilty of handling explosives .
Patrick and Annie Maguire were sentenced to fourteen years , the judge remarking that he wished he could jail them for life . Annie's brother , Sean Smyth , also got fourteen years . Annie's sixteen year old son Vincent got five years , and her thirteen year old son Patrick got four years . Her brother-in-law , Guiseppe Conlon , and a family friend , Patrick O'Neill , both got twelve years .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " Now , the way to get rid of the IRA is to solve the problem , not try and crack down on the IRA . Because the IRA is popular , it has support , and the Free State government needs to recognise that . Otherwise they would have beaten the IRA twelve years ago . But the IRA continues to exist .
Even if they introduced internment , even if they introduced capital punishment , even if they rounded up everybody , the problem still would'nt go away . They have to face up to the problem - and the problem is that in this country Britain claims that it has the right to occupy a certain amount of the territory on behalf of the national minority , the loyalists . Now , it would be quite different if loyalist politicians were very , very broad-minded , decent people who wanted to share power , give us jobs , give us decent housing - ( ' 1169 .... ' Comment - ...that 'stay if you want , just treat us better' attitude is now in control of Provisional Sinn Fein . Republicans , on the other hand , are opposed to the jurisdictional claim from Westminster over six Irish counties ) as it is the loyalists are sectarian , almost racist - when you consider George Seawright , who was only speaking his mind , he's being an honest man .
Britain is in here with guns , with finances , protecting the national minority , which is screwing and trying to make second-class citizens of us . And what does Dublin do about it ? Dublin , which has a constitutional claim , a territorial claim , over the North , Dublin which claims to be the inheritors of the 1916 men - it does nothing , except collaborate and perpetuate the problem . That is why you get the IRA , out of desperation , raising finances , using the methods that it does , in the 26 counties . And that is the tragedy of the situation . I would prefer that the IRA was handed money from somewhere else , that it did not have to go out and carry out armed raids - it would certainly make life easier for Sinn Fein ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Stephen Moore was again arrested in 1984 . Of a total of three Section 30 arrests , no charges were ever preferred . Neither were any charges brought against Fintan MacPhillips . He and Stephen Moore were friends ; MacPhillips was also arrested on 12 March 1983 , six hours before Stephen Moore . Both were 21 years old at the time .
Fintan MacPhillips was arrested around 12.45 pm that afternoon by two uniformed gardai ; he was taken to Clones Garda Station and his pockets were emptied . He was placed in a cell and a couple of hours later , two gardai interviewed him . They accused him of having been involved in hi-jacking the Post Office van in the North ; he was 'pushed around' slightly and then put back in his cell . Around 5.30 pm he was taken out and photographed and swab tested .
He was put back in his cell and then taken out to a different room . He was interviewed there by two Detectives : in his own words , this is Fintan MacPhillips' description of what happened then ... " A Detective hit me a box on the shoulder and started a tirade of abuse . I was hit in the stomach and there were thumps to the back of my head ....... "
(MORE LATER).
Last month PATRICK MAGUIRE was released from an English jail after serving 10 years for a 'terrorist' crime he insists he did not commit . A wide range of prominent people , from Cardinal O'Fiaich to Sir John Biggs-Davison , believe him .
DAVID McKITTRICK , London Editor of 'The Irish Times' newspaper , re-examines the evidence .
From 'Fortnight' magazine , May 1984 .
In the 'Auntie Annie' case , Patrick Maguire , his wife Annie , two of their teenage sons , two other relatives and a friend were all jailed . Only Annie herself now remains in prison and although she is due for release next year the momentum of the campaign to clear the names of those found guilty seems to be growing .
The story began in late 1974 , following IRA bombs at pubs in guidford and Woolwich which killed seven people and injured a hundred more . The police picked-up two young Belfastmen , Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill , and interrogated them . Conlon is said to have confessed to bombings , adding that Annie Maguire , his aunt , showed him and others how to make bombs in the kitchen of her London home . Paul Hill is said to have confirmed this .
The police raided the Maguire house , arrested the occupants and searched the place : nothing was found in the search and none of the people would admit to knowing anything about bombs . But forensic tests on the fingernails of six of the people , and on a pair of kitchen gloves used by Annie Maguire , were said to have yielded traces of nitroglycerine . On this 'evidence' , the seven defendants were found guilty of handling explosives .
Patrick and Annie Maguire were sentenced to fourteen years , the judge remarking that he wished he could jail them for life . Annie's brother , Sean Smyth , also got fourteen years . Annie's sixteen year old son Vincent got five years , and her thirteen year old son Patrick got four years . Her brother-in-law , Guiseppe Conlon , and a family friend , Patrick O'Neill , both got twelve years .......
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
Danny Morrison : " Now , the way to get rid of the IRA is to solve the problem , not try and crack down on the IRA . Because the IRA is popular , it has support , and the Free State government needs to recognise that . Otherwise they would have beaten the IRA twelve years ago . But the IRA continues to exist .
Even if they introduced internment , even if they introduced capital punishment , even if they rounded up everybody , the problem still would'nt go away . They have to face up to the problem - and the problem is that in this country Britain claims that it has the right to occupy a certain amount of the territory on behalf of the national minority , the loyalists . Now , it would be quite different if loyalist politicians were very , very broad-minded , decent people who wanted to share power , give us jobs , give us decent housing - ( ' 1169 .... ' Comment - ...that 'stay if you want , just treat us better' attitude is now in control of Provisional Sinn Fein . Republicans , on the other hand , are opposed to the jurisdictional claim from Westminster over six Irish counties ) as it is the loyalists are sectarian , almost racist - when you consider George Seawright , who was only speaking his mind , he's being an honest man .
Britain is in here with guns , with finances , protecting the national minority , which is screwing and trying to make second-class citizens of us . And what does Dublin do about it ? Dublin , which has a constitutional claim , a territorial claim , over the North , Dublin which claims to be the inheritors of the 1916 men - it does nothing , except collaborate and perpetuate the problem . That is why you get the IRA , out of desperation , raising finances , using the methods that it does , in the 26 counties . And that is the tragedy of the situation . I would prefer that the IRA was handed money from somewhere else , that it did not have to go out and carry out armed raids - it would certainly make life easier for Sinn Fein ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Stephen Moore was again arrested in 1984 . Of a total of three Section 30 arrests , no charges were ever preferred . Neither were any charges brought against Fintan MacPhillips . He and Stephen Moore were friends ; MacPhillips was also arrested on 12 March 1983 , six hours before Stephen Moore . Both were 21 years old at the time .
Fintan MacPhillips was arrested around 12.45 pm that afternoon by two uniformed gardai ; he was taken to Clones Garda Station and his pockets were emptied . He was placed in a cell and a couple of hours later , two gardai interviewed him . They accused him of having been involved in hi-jacking the Post Office van in the North ; he was 'pushed around' slightly and then put back in his cell . Around 5.30 pm he was taken out and photographed and swab tested .
He was put back in his cell and then taken out to a different room . He was interviewed there by two Detectives : in his own words , this is Fintan MacPhillips' description of what happened then ... " A Detective hit me a box on the shoulder and started a tirade of abuse . I was hit in the stomach and there were thumps to the back of my head ....... "
(MORE LATER).
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