105th REPUBLICAN SINN FÉIN POBLACHTACH ARD FHEIS : NOVEMBER 14th AND 15th 2009 , DUBLIN - brief report and a few pics.

A section of the crowd voting on a motion.

The 105th Sinn Féin Ard Fheis , at which 112 motions were discussed , debated and argued over , was held on Saturday and Sunday , 14th and 15th November 2009 , in a Dublin hotel. It marked the last Ard Fheis at which Ruairí Ó Brádaigh presided over proceedings as President of the organisation , and also the last Ard Fheis at which Des Dalton (the new RSF President) was 'only' a member of the RSF Ard Chomhairle. Congratulations are due , and were loudly offered, to both men over that weekend , and no-one knows better than Des about the standards that have to be upheld. Ruairí has built-up a tight , secure and disciplined organisation during his years in charge , and without a doubt Des Dalton has a lot to live up to but , also without a doubt , he is more than capable of continuing on from where Ruairí left off.

Ruairí Ó Brádaigh's last RSF Presidential Speech , produced in booklet form , was a much sought-after item at the Ard Fheis , and is required reading for anyone interested in Irish Republicanism.

Starting to take their seats ,waiting for the Ard Fheis to start.

The Ard Fheis itself was a 100% success : such was the numbers of delegates , supporters and visitors in attendance that the smaller hall at the back of the main venue , where the RSF shop was set-up, had to be commandeered to accomodate the crowd -indeed, on more than one occasion the entry corridor was also suggested by the RSF 'Top Table' as a location where the overflow of people could at least find standing space ,which led to a war of words between said 'Table' and the RSF security team: the security people won that particular argument , but only just!
The State political police , the 'Special Branch' , were as expected , out in force , blocking the entry/exit to the hotel itself , and trying , unsuccessfully (!) , to mingle in the bar and dining areas with the Ard Fheis crowds , but the RSF security teams were, as usual, on top of them at all times. A full report of the proceedings , including details of motions accepted and lost , will be carried in the December 2009 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday the 2nd of that month. We publish a few pics from the weekend with this brief report , and look forward to a more detailed report in the December 'paper.

'Group' photo of most of the 'Top Table'.

Breaking for lunch....

....and coming back after lunch for 'Round Two' !

POW banner on display at the 2009 RSF Ard Fheis.

A typical Ard Fheis session - standing room only!


RSF 2009 Calendar , hundreds of which were sold (€5 each!) over the weekend.

As stated , a more in-depth report , and other (better quality!) photo's will be published in the December 2009 issue of 'Saoirse'. Finally , two of us from this blog were honoured to have been given 'Visitors Passes' for that Ard Fheis , as it was such a momentous occasion , more so than usual , and we left on Sunday afternoon with no doubt but that the new people in place are of such calibre that Irish Republicanism is , again, in safe hands.
Thanks!
Sharon.

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The Patriot Game.
"This Ireland of mine
Has for long been half free,
Six counties are under
John Bull's tyranny.
And still deValera
Is greatly to blame,
For shirking his part in
The Patriot Game...."
(Lyrics here, listen here.)

Congratulations (and 'Thanks'!) to Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and to Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach.

105th Ard Fheis of Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach , November 2009.

On November 14th and 15th this year , the Republican Sinn Féin organisation will hold its 105th Ard Fheis in a Dublin venue - and will say " Slán go fóill anois" to its President , Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. Ruairi , whom we on this blog have had the pleasure and honour of meeting on countless occasions ,is a dedicated Irish Republican who is as politically honest as the day is long (a saying he uses himself in relation to other people!) and has never sought or fought for any political objective other than a 32-county socialist Irish Republic , free of British political and military interference. He - and fellow Irish Republicans - have been imprisoned , harassed and censored , amongst other disgraces , by their pro-Westminster and Leinster House enemies but have never faltered or compromised. Nor will they now , which is why this blog is so supportive of Irish Republicans of that calibre. We wish Ruairi and RSF best wishes , and offer our appreciation to them for the fantastic work they have done , are doing , and will continue to do. Ruairi will still be on the Ard Chomhairle of RSF , and has been nominated as Patron of the organisation. An Phoblacht Abú !

We have obtained two 'Visitor Passes' for the 105th Ard Fheis,where political motions , such as the following examples , will be put forward for discussion and accepted or rejected , as the case may be :
"That this Ard Fheis recognises the outstanding contribution that Ruairí Ó Brádaigh has made to Irish Republicanism and commends his selfless commitment to the goal of a United Ireland."

"That this Ard Fheis acknowledges that resistance to the British presence in Occupied Ireland must continue unabated to remove that presence no matter how long it may take."

"That this Ard Fheis calls for a total British disengagement from Ireland , the release of all political prisoners and the future of Ireland to be decided by the people of Ireland acting as a whole unit (32 Counties) . "

"That we actively oppose all British Royal visits to any part of Ireland while Ireland remains under British occupation."

"That this Ard Fheis congratulates all Republican prisoners and their families in the struggle for Irish freedom."

In total , 112 motions will be discussed at this Ard Fheis and , whilst we hope to publish a general report from same , we will not be publishing a detailed report , as the matters concerned are , for now, internal RSF matters. We respect that stipulation , and wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks!
Sharon.

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THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Harry Kirkpatrick described how he himself had taken over a house to ambush the RUC - but his description was wrong . He said that his companion on that job climbed into the back yard of the house and opened the door , but that couldn't have happened : there was a wire mesh covering the back yard , and a youth who was repairing a pushbike in that small yard at that time would have seen him or heard some noise , but he didn't.

Kirkpatrick claimed that the alleyway behind the house was blocked off , but that was wrong . The defence team claimed that Kirkpatrick was recounting incidents , of which this operation was one, that he had overheard secondhand. But three men were still convicted of conspiracy on the 'strength' of Kirkpatricks claims.

Three other men were convicted of conspiracy to cause an explosion : Kirkpatrick claimed that he had driven past where a bomb had gone off , that he had seen the damage it caused. But no bomb had been detonated or found in that vicinity , and even the RUC admitted that they had no knowledge of anything like that. Kirkpatrick later changed his story , but those three men still done time.

Five other men were then to be stitched-up by Kirkpatrick over an incident in which a member of the British forces died.......
(MORE LATER).



CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.

It is doubtful that a file was opened by the CIA on State Justice Robert O hUadhaigh, for this reason : there are indications in the Mairin de Burca file of some of those on whom files have been opened and this does not apply to that State Justice.

Among the papers are some which mention de Burca just in passing - for instance , there are reports on meetings and conferences which she attended and on those reports her name is underlined , as are the names of other people who came to the attention of the 'Emboffs'.

As might be expected , the names marked for special attention contained those that would be regarded as 'the usual suspects' - and a few that the 'political establishment' would have considered to be their own people.......
(MORE LATER).



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.
From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.

Tony Barry : "Did that drug pusher have a 'heavy gang' to back him up if an addict defaulted on payments ?"

Noel Sillery: "With most of the drug addicts, they're sort of helpless - the minute they become addicted it's easy enough to intimidate them . They've got absolutely no resistance. So you don't really need heavies to ensure payment.

Anyway the question of debt would hardly ever arise . With the addicts, if they went up to look for a fix without any money there was no way they were getting it. And if they went to the pusher with only half the fix money , they only got half the fix.

Now the addicts themselves had no money to buy the junk , so they either had to go and steal from other addicts , or go snatching handbags , window-shop robbery , house break-ins and/or rob from their own family homes."
(MORE LATER).

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COMMUNITY SECTOR / CDP / JI /CE DUBLIN PROTEST , FRIDAY 6th NOVEMBER 2009.

RSF members and supporters on the CDP/JI/CE Dublin protest , Friday 6th November 2009.

Ice cold wind, heavy , torrential rain , dark watery skies - that was Friday morning , November 6th , 2009 , in Dublin : but nature isn't going to hold back this tide!
RSF people arrived at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Dublin's Seán McDermott Street at about 1.15pm , as arranged, to meet up with approximately 100 of the thousands of Community Sector workers in this State who have been notified that their jobs are to be "axed" - in a toss-up between paying these workers an average of €450 for a 39-hour week and bailing-out bankers and building speculators , the politicians decided to help their business colleagues. The Community Sector workers are to be thrown back into unemployment.

Community workers in Seán McDermott Street , readying themselves to join the protest march.

'Jim Larkin' addresses the crowd at the side of the Church in Seán McDermott Street.

CDP/JI/CE workers from Clondalkin, Dublin, on the protest march , 6-11-09.

Between approximately 50,000 and 70,000 Community Sector workers and their families protested in Dublin today against being forced to pay for the financial robbery inflicted on society in this State by the politicians in Leinster House and their equally dense-and-greedy well-fed-and suited colleagues in the 'business' establishment . Their friends in the media are , as expected, attempting to 'play down' the massive levels of support that Community Sector workers have in their communities and are attempting to present those workers as an unrepresented minority.

One of the RSF protestors , Merrion Square ,Dublin, Friday 6th November 2009.

Read the T-Shirt - "BANKS:€54 billion JOBS:€0"

Republican Sinn Féin has marched before with the Community Sectors workers , and will take to the streets again with them whenever the opportunity to do so arises : they are seen as 'the lowest of the low' by the political establishment in this State and are considered to be 'easy pickings' in regards to being sacrificed for the financial sins of others. We owe it to them , to ourselves and to common justice to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these people and we are committed to doing so.
Because it is the right thing to do.
Thanks!
Sharon.

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THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Harry Kirkpatrick named four men who he claimed were involved in "conspiracy to murder" in 1981 : however , in his earlier statement to the RUC in relation to this 'incident' , Kirkpatrick never once referred to Henry McNamee, a republican , whom he now named as being involved. A 'Mr Molloy' made a statement about the incident in which he said that the workers of the factory where the "murder" bid was to take place were lined up against a wall and that there was a British Army helicopter and a British Army Saracen outside the factory ; some of those workers were in the court and they laughed loudly at this point , as it was a complete pack of lies. Nobody was "lined up against a wall" , there was no helicopter , there was no saracen . But still four men were convicted of "conspiracy to murder" .

Kirkpatrick claimed that shots were fired at an RUC barracks on May 21st , 1981 . There was no evidence of shots being fired , or of the barracks being hit by gunfire , or even a report from the RUC themselves of coming under attack or even hearing shots. But again - on the 'evidence' of Kirkpatrick - two men were convicted of "conspiracy to murder".

Kirkpatrick then 'gave evidence' of how himself and three others took over a house to ambush the RUC.......
(MORE LATER).



CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.

Many are the remarks that have been made about State Justice Robert O hUadhaigh's conduct of his court and we are not going to make him blush with modesty by adding to them here.

Suffice it to say that if awards were to be given for liberalism , O hUadhaigh's mantlepiece would not groan with the weight of such baubles. To the spooks in the U.S. intelligence agencies , however, it would seem that if he is not actually a fully paid-up KGB man then he is not above doing a few cash-in-hand nixers for the Comrades ! The CIA file on Mairin de Burca included this bit on 'Red' O hUadhaigh-

" These extraordinary lenient sentences typify not only permissiveness with which dangerous left-wing agitators in Ireland are being encouraged but also toleration of hostile acts against the U.S. in this country which the Embassy badly needs the means to combat."
(MORE LATER).



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.
From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.

Tony Barry : "How many were pushing the heroin ?"

Noel Sillery : "In this flats complex , I would say there was only one main person in the area , plus there were three or four smaller pushers working for him. The way it was organised was that, for example, you'd see this person , the main pusher, walking across the football pitch , dropping a package , and walking on over to the corner and keeping an eye on it. Then one of the known drug pushers would come along and pick it up."
(MORE LATER).

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Congratulations (and 'Thanks'!) to Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and to Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach.

105th Ard Fheis of Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach , November 2009.

On November 14th and 15th this year , the Republican Sinn Féin organisation will hold its 105th Ard Fheis in a Dublin venue - and will say " Slán go fóill anois" to its President , Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. Ruairi , whom we on this blog have had the pleasure and honour of meeting on countless occasions ,is a dedicated Irish Republican who is as politically honest as the day is long (a saying he uses himself in relation to other people!) and has never sought or fought for any political objective other than a 32-county socialist Irish Republic , free of British political and military interference. He - and fellow Irish Republicans - have been imprisoned , harassed and censored , amongst other disgraces , by their pro-Westminster and Leinster House enemies but have never faltered or compromised. Nor will they now , which is why this blog is so supportive of Irish Republicans of that calibre. We wish Ruairi and RSF best wishes , and offer our appreciation to them for the fantastic work they have done , are doing , and will continue to do. Ruairi will still be on the Ard Chomhairle of RSF , and has been nominated as Patron of the organisation. An Phoblacht Abú !

We have obtained two 'Visitor Passes' for the 105th Ard Fheis,where political motions , such as the following examples , will be put forward for discussion and accepted or rejected , as the case may be :
"That this Ard Fheis recognises the outstanding contribution that Ruairí Ó Brádaigh has made to Irish Republicanism and commends his selfless commitment to the goal of a United Ireland."

"That this Ard Fheis acknowledges that resistance to the British presence in Occupied Ireland must continue unabated to remove that presence no matter how long it may take."

"That this Ard Fheis calls for a total British disengagement from Ireland , the release of all political prisoners and the future of Ireland to be decided by the people of Ireland acting as a whole unit (32 Counties) . "

"That we actively oppose all British Royal visits to any part of Ireland while Ireland remains under British occupation."

"That this Ard Fheis congratulates all Republican prisoners and their families in the struggle for Irish freedom."

In total , 112 motions will be discussed at this Ard Fheis and , whilst we hope to publish a general report from same , we will not be publishing a detailed report , as the matters concerned are , for now, internal RSF matters. We respect that stipulation , and wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks!
Sharon.

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THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Two men, Fitzpatrick and Power , were convicted of the 'murder' of an RUC man , based on an alleged conversation that one of those men had with Harry Kirkpatrick. Gerard Steenson was convicted of conspiracy to cause an explosion along the route of a British 'Royal' wedding in 1981 ; Kirkpatrick recounted meetings with an American and an Englishmen about that operation, but he couldn't remember their names. Also , Kirkpatrick was a year in custody before he mentioned the incident. But Steenson was still convicted.

Kirkpatrick claimed there was a plan to blow up a civil servants car and six people were thus convicted of conspiracy to cause an explosion. However , in his first statements to the RUC re that operation , Kirkpatrick never implicated a man named Jimmy Brown , who was one of the six . And Kirkpatrick got the make of the watch used in the device wrong and did not know exactly where the alleged target lived.

Kirkpatrick claimed that six .303 rifles were brought to Belfast from Dublin whereas another RUC informer , Rabbie McAllister, said they had come from Dundalk. Kirkpatrick then claimed that the six rifles had come from somewhere in the State - on the basis of that 'evidence' , three men were convicted of possession.......
(MORE LATER).



CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.

Richard Milhaus Nixon smiled and waved at the Dublin crowd . Then he ducked - an egg had been thrown at him , as his motorcade was winding its way along Merchant's Quay . There was little excitement generated by Nixon's visit and only those determined to express some outrage at the continuing obscenity in Vietnam got anything out of the visit. Mairin de Burca took the opportunity to throw an egg at 'the leader of the Free World' , which was not as 'effective' as the napalm he was dropping on the Vietnamese , but it made the point. As a result , de Burca appeared in the Dublin District Court on November 17th 1970 to answer three charges arising from the incident.

Two of those charges were dismissed immediately and she was fined two pounds for throwing the egg. Cheap at the price. However - that 'Egg' incident is one of the convictions in her file and it is gone into in great detail under the heading ' Dublin Egg-Throwers Gently Treated' , and a US Department of State confidential telegram in the file reports back to Washington on the case , noting that a CIA agent took notes in court and was identified in the file as 'Emboff' - code for 'Embassy Officer' or 'Embassy Official' . The telegram itself stated -

" Judge O hUadhaigh dismissed first two charges and fined Miss de Burca two pounds sterling (4.80 dollars) for throwing a missile." The 'Emboff' , in filing the report, was careful to use great precision of words : as in "...throwing a missile.." [ie an egg!] . It was also recorded , by that person - " Emboff present at trial noted sympathy displayed towards Miss de Burca by Judge , who made sarcastic remarks about the word "motorcade" and peroration about freedom of expression and the right of protest." Strange , then , that this same State Judge is known to be very pro-establishment in his outlook.......
(MORE LATER).



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.
From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.

We sent one of our reporters , Tony Barry , to talk to Noel Sillery, Chairperson of Dolphin House Community Development Association, about the heroin problem in that area.

Tony Barry : " How bad was the problem before the community organised itself to fight heroin?"

Noel Sillery : " Well you're talking about around the summer of 1983, and at that stage you had drug addicts lying all over the place - they were 'shooting up' with heroin in the fields at the back of the flats complex , in the stairways in the different blocks of flats, and over in the football field.

It was all quite open. They were getting sick all over the place , and hassling everybody , the old people especially . Young kids were seeing what they were doing and some were taking example from it. You'd have about 300 people coming in here on a daily basis , looking for 'junk' . Taxis were coming in at all hours of the day and night bringing people to get their fixes. It got so bad that people were coming in , getting their fixes and 'shooting up' immediately , where they stood. There were used syringes all over the place......."
(MORE LATER).

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33 YEARS UNDER WATER........


It began - properly structured and organised - in 1976 ,as a ‘fundraiser with a difference’ combined with the need to gain extra publicity for a situation which was then - as now - making world headlines . Those that sat down together in early September 1976 to tighten-up the then ‘hit-and-miss’ affair were a dedicated team who fully understood that to fail in their business would not only bring derision on them and the issue they sought to highlight , but would give their enemy a publicity coup which they would exploit to the fullest extent . With that in mind , the team persevered - favours were called-in , guarantees were secured , provisions obtained and word dispatched to like-minded individuals in the near-locale . At the appointed time on the agreed day - 12 Noon , Christmas Day 1976 - a soon-to-be 33-years-young event was ‘born’…….
The CABHAIR Christmas Day Swim is , thankfully , still going strong and will be , as mentioned , 33-years-young on December 25th next!

Annual CABHAIR Christmas Morning Swim : 12 Noon , Grand Canal , 3rd Lough , Inchicore , Dublin 8.

Photographs of last years event can be viewed here and , if you can’t make it to the actual swim itself , you might consider posting a donation to the following address (please note that all monies raised goes to the republican prisoners themselves and to their families - no expenses or admin fees etc are removed) :
CABHAIR
Irish Republican Prisoners Dependants Fund
223 Parnell Street,
Dublin 1,
Ireland.
Thank You,
Go Raibh Maith Agat.
Sharon.

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THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Harry Kirkpatrick claimed that a two-door car had been hijacked for a killing in 1981 and that it had been dumped in the Markets area of Belfast afterwards. It was a two-door car , but had been left back to its owner after the operation, and a witness description of the gunman involved corresponded more to Gerard Barkley , a friend of Kirkpatricks and his brother-in-law, than it did to the man named by Kirkpatrick, and Seanie McConkey , another RUC informer, claimed that different people altogether had taken part in that job. However , Gerard Steenson and two other men, Fitzpatrick and Power, were convicted of 'murder' .

Kirkpatrick had claimed that himself , Carroll , Grew and Steenson planned to kill a man in Armagh in 1981 ; he said they waited for twenty-five minutes before calling the operation off even though he had previously stated that they had allowed for a four hour wait. Kirkpatrick claimed that Grew had held a full household of people hostage as part of that operation , even though he admitted that Grew was not armed. Grew and Steenson were reluctantly acquitted.

Kirkpatrick claimed that Henry McNamee was involved in an attempted killing of a UDR soldier in 1981, but McNamee was in jail at the time and couldn't have been involved - but Kirkpatrick was dogmatic about McNamee , to the extent that British Judge Carswell stepped-in to declare that Kirkpatrick was obviously "mistaken" rather than it being a case of him "deliberately falsifying" his 'evidence' . A man named Molloy was supposed to have given an account of the operation to Kirkpatrick , but that account was inaccurate . British Judge Carswell couldn't resolve whether that was the fault of Kirkpatrick , Molloy or another man , named Fox - but nonetheless he convicted Steenson and a man named Power of 'attempted murder' on the 'strength' of that 'evidence' !
(MORE LATER).



CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.

One section of the CIA file on Mairin de Burca (it should be noted that the FBI deals only with occurrances within the USA , whereas the CIA deals with 'enemies' abroad) is composed of a number of newspaper clippings , one of which - from 'The Baltimore Sun' of April 1972 - carries an interview with Thomas MacGiolla, President of Official Sinn Fein . MacGiolla remarks that the party's recent activities included sending its Secretary , Mairin de Burca , "...to the Middle East to attend some big conferences organised by Al Fatah last year..." Five months later , this turns up in de Burca's file as - "...has several times visited Arab guerrillas in the Middle East , presumably for training in revolutionary tactics.."

From such little acorns grow the oaks of visa refusals , phone tapping , special courts and the like. It is important to remember that when the cops here stand up in court and swear that "to my knowledge" so-and-so has done this or that , their knowledge is like as not gathered on the same basis as the above !

5th October 1970 , Dublin : Richard Milhaus Nixon waved and smiled , waved and smiled , smiled and waved and smiled . Then he ducked as an object came hurtling towards his head.......
(MORE LATER).



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.
From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.

The frustration existing on this score can be well illustrated , however, by the State Customs and Excise Union's submission to the State Oireachtas Select Committee on Crime , Lawlessness and Vandalism in April 1984 : they pleaded for the provision of such basic drug detection facilities as sniffer dogs, baggage x-ray equipment and vehicle examination bays . Virtually every customs service in the world possesses such facilities , yet with a major drugs importation problem this State does not !

In addition , the CPAD groups have called for the provision of drop-in centres in each drugs-affected community to give kids who have kicked the drugs habit the encouragement to stay clean : at present there are only two such centres in Dublin.

These demands were put by the CPAD groups to Fianna Fail opposition spokesperson on health , Michael Woods, in September 1984 and he at least listened to them - but then he would , wouldn't he , as he's not in power and can't actually do anything! The person who could do something is the State health minister , Barry Desmond. And he wouldn't even listen to them.......
(MORE LATER).

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(NOTE - CLONDALKIN CDP/JI/CE PROTEST, MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 2009: WRITE-UP AND PICS HERE.)

4......13......79......200...... - BRIEF REPORT AND A FEW PICS RE THE 79'r BALLAD SESSION...

Padjo 'warming up' the crowd...

Stage spotlight on the new RSF Cumann banner....

Stage back-drop: the new Maire Drumm/Kevin Barry RSF Cumann banner....

Beer Mats on stage....

Padjo and Padráig playing 'The Lonesome Boatman'.....

4 - the number of members in the group , 'The Beer Mats' ; Colm, Brian, Tony and Francis . Thanks , lads - ye were fantastic !


The thirteen raffle prizes , all won on the night.....

Raffle prizes - "Ya have a winner , ya pick yer prize....!"

13 - the number of prizes on offer - and won - in the raffle on the night , including two Republican bodhráns , four Republican mirrors, three woodburn Republican prints , a framed 1916 Proclamation and a framed Irish National Anthem. A lot of prizes , sure enough , but not near enough for everyone in the audience! Also , as stated on the night, most of the prizes were made by Republican POW's in Maghaberry and Portlaoise Prisons.



79 - the name of the pub where the event was held. The staff and management extended every courtesy to us , and were a great help to the RSF organising committee on the night , and in the days before the event was held. They played a major part in ensuring that the night went without a hitch!


A section of the crowd.....

...more of the crowd....

...and our final crowd scene.



200 - the number of tickets sold for the event and , it seems, the actual amount of people that attended! It was standing room only , so much so that extra chairs and high stools had to be carried up , on more than one occasion, to the function room from the bar and lounge areas downstairs. At one stage the organisers were talking about having to close the doors , and refund people in the queue their money back although , thankfully , it never actually got to that point, but it came very close to it!

The RSF organisers thanked the pub staff and owners , the audience and the group , for the great night that all three combined to make happen. An RSF representative also mentioned that the Beer Mats will , as usual, be making an appearance at the annual 'Hope And Remembrance' Mass , to be held this year on Tuesday 20th October in Fettercairn Community Centre in Tallaght at which, amongst other things, those who died from the misuse of drugs will be remembered. Also mentioned was the proposed loss of over 6,500 jobs in the Community Sector and this protest march against same but the biggest cheer - a standing ovation - was received when the speaker talked about "...the biggest scourge and disease in Ireland :the continuing British military and political presence in six of our counties which will never be accepted by Republican Sinn Féin..."
Finally - special thanks to Phyllis and Angela Nolan , who flew in specially (!) from Australia for the gig , to Bernadette and her fella , to Matt , Mags , Liam , Robbie , Andy , Barney , Frankie , Des from Limerick , Dan from Crumlin - and apologises to those who I don't mention. The damn cider was very tasty and distracted me...
Thanks!
Sharon.

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BEER MATS - FOUR FOR A FIVER !

The Beer Mats in action : catch them in Dublin on Saturday 17th October 2009....


In their more-than 15 years together ,they have performed with groups like The Dubliners,The Fureys, The Wolfe Tones, The Dublin City Ramblers and Tommy Sands , in countries such as Ireland , Britain , Switzerland , Spain and America.

.....in a Ballyfermot pub!

The Beer Mats gig will be taking place tonight (Saturday 17th October 2009) in the 79'r pub in Ballyfermot , Dublin ; doors open at 9pm , admission is €5 per person and the usual raffle will be held , with raffle tickets selling for five for two Euro and/or fifteen for a fiver. The organisers have reported that all distributed entry tickets have been returned , sold, and that they have held back 30 such tickets for sale at the door on the night so , as we say here in Dublin - " First up, best dressed..." / "Longest arm, best fed..." In other words - if you're going to the gig , but haven't got a pre-paid entry ticket , be there between 9pm and 9.30pm and you should still get in!
Thanks!
Sharon.

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THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.......
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty') . Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Harry Kirkpatrick gave 'evidence' about a post office robbery in 1980 in which he claimed to be involved ; he said he wore a scarf and his companion wore a mask , but witnesses contested this. So Kirkpatrick changed his 'evidence' saying that he was wearing nothing on his face and that the second man was wearing the scarf !

One woman claimed that one of the robbers had put his arm around her neck and that the burglar alarm had gone off , yet Kirkpatrick never mentioned these incidents - so British Judge Carswell ruled that the woman was mistaken. Gerard Steenson and two other men , Conway and McGrann , were nevertheless convicted.

Kirkpatrick said that the Carroll brothers and Oliver Grew were involved in the killing of a British Army 'Territorial' soldier in Armagh in 1980 , but then Kirkpatrick forgot all about the involvement in this incident of Oliver Grew in subsequent statements he gave to the RUC and, when this was brought to his attention, he simply said that he forgot about his involvement! The forensic evidence did not tally with the account given by Kirkpatrick of that incident , but Gerard Steenson was still convicted , while Oliver Grew was acquitted.......
(MORE LATER).



CIA SLAMS IRISH JUDGE.......
A Dublin District Justice was accused by American embassy intelligence personnel of encouraging left wing agitators and tolerating hostile acts against the United States.......
From 'MAGILL' magazine, 'Christmas Special' 1980.

The original refusal to give Mairin de Burca a visa to enter America is understandable in the light of the information in her file , on which that decision was based . It would appear, from this file, that as a danger to society as we know it , de Burca ranks about equal with the destruction of the ozone layer !

The file lists , from information supplied by the Gardai, a number of convictions - all minor and stemming from demonstrations against the Vietnam War , the housing scandal and other such occasions of 'sin' . Given the contemporary view of that period, such convictions can be proudly regarded as 'campaign medals' in the fight for a less murderous world , but in that file they amounted to 'proof' of the "moral turpitude" of a person who was "...a well known fanatic agitator who was once described in a local press interview as "sracastic (sic) , sharp tounged (sic) , stubborn gritty and sometimes severe..." "

"Sracastic" and sharp "tounged" , and even 'sarcastic' and sharp 'tongued' , Mairin de Burca may be on occasion but anyone with more than a gnat's knowledge of Irish politics knows that she was never involved with the militarist aspects of republicanism. It is interesting , however, to see how a case is built up by the 'spooks'.......
(MORE LATER).



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEROIN IN DUBLIN....... The drugs crisis is one of the major problems facing young people in Dublin today. In large areas of the city it has now reached massive proportions , while in the inner city there is estimated to be a higher percentage of drug addicts and drug abusers than in Harlem in New York . But it has been only recently - 5 years after this epidemic began in earnest - that any notice has been paid to the problem. And even now the Free State government has failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way . Tony Barry of Na Fianna Eireann has been looking at the issues for 'IRIS' magazine.
From 'IRIS' magazine, December 1984.

What is very clear , however, is that Barry Desmond's 'concern' with the heroin crisis, like the 'concern' of many other establishment politicians , has cynically manifested itself only in the wake of the establishment's very real concern about (P) Sinn Féin's growing popularity within Dublin's working-class communities.

Barry Desmond has consistently directed his hostility against the Concerned Parents Against Drugs group and what he terms republican/'subversive' involvement in the fight against heroin. Instead of genuinely trying to combat a problem that has killed young people and ruined the lives of hundreds more, and torn families and whole communities apart , Barry Desmond has instead played party politics and refused to meet delegations from the various 'Concerned Parents' groups which contained individual (P) Sinn Féin members.

The 'CPAD' movement, representing groups in 24 Dublin communities , has identified the importation of drugs as the key problem to be dealth with ; individual CPAD groups can rid their own communities of drug pushers , but as long as heroin is available the problem will only shift elsewhere. The State Customs service is aware of that fact , but the politicians in Leinster House will not listen to them , either.......
(MORE LATER).

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BEER MATS.....AND DEALING WITH SLOP.



As well as other spot prizes to be raffled off at the ballad session this weekend, the two items pictured - a Bodhrán , made this year by the Republican POW's in Portlaoise Gaol and a framed Irish National Anthem - are bound to be two of the most sought-after prizes. And, as with the low cost of entry to the gig (€5 per person) , the price of the raffle tickets has been kept down by the organisers - five raffle tickets for €2 or fifteen for a fiver! 30 entry tickets have , as usual , been held back for sale on the night , and all entry tickets which were distributed have been returned paid in full : see you in the 79'r pub in Ballyfermot , Dublin, on Saturday 17th October 2009 . Doors open at 9pm , and all are welcome!



THE SLOP :



One down , 165 more to go. Because there are 166 political wasters , robbers and useless tax fleecing non-productive time-servers in Leinster House , not just the one who resigned today. However - par for the course for this pig ignorant waster, Lord O'Donoghue couldn't just admit that he had been caught with his hand deep in the taxpayers pocket : amongst other claps on the back that he gave himself , he declared that he had "...no regrets..... I am not guilty of any corruption, I never took money or have used my office for my own enrichment......" Like Hell you didn't, O'Donoghue - the only people who gave you a round of applause today were your crooked colleagues in that corrupt institution , and they done so because they recognise that there but by the grace of God , go I. Our only regret is that you were not forced to pay the stolen loot back to the taxpayers and then imprisoned alongside other common criminals.
Sharon.

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