€3118 A WEEK BUT CAN'T AFFORD THE (SECOND) ROOF OVER HIS HEAD.....

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.


I made a few trips to the District Court before I was remanded for trial at the Central Criminal Court , but it wasn't too clear to me what lay ahead. I thought it likely that somebody in a position to indulge himself lost patience with me and decided to have a go at putting me out of the way for a while. I encouraged myself that District Justice Cussen did not take too serious a view of my case.

There was, however , always that nagging thought that I could get a considerable sentence - it was not that I minded jail so much, for I can always use time usefully enough but, without me, 'An Phoblacht' might lose sight of the townlands. Therein lay my worry.

Mr Hanna was a trial judge and when I was asked how I pleaded , guilty or not guilty, I remained silent and greatly to my amusement I found that this put the State to the trouble of empanelling a jury to hear evidence to determine whether I was mute of malice or by the visitation of God. I waited until the first juryman got to his seat and I spoke across to him : "Malice" , I said, "sheer malice." The waiting jurors laughed , but the senior counsel for the State pictured me to the jury as a good bit of a scoundrel who used considerable gifts to stir up trouble. In the course of his address, he read the exchange of messages between the landlord's agent and me, quoting from 'An Phoblacht' , and he was taken aback when the jury laughed.

When the State rested its case and my turn came, I explained to the jurors that refusing to recognise the court simply meant that I didn't recognise "the lad in the wig". But I did recognise the jury, however, as they were neighbours of mine and I had a word to say to them....(MORE LATER).


THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW......

Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil". She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened, he would spit on her grave, she says.

By Sandra Mara. From 'Magill' Annual 2002.


The other named garda "then got photographs of the body of Richie Barron and started to push them into my face and made me look at them. While this was going on, 'Garda A' then started to call me "the Devil" and told me I was Satan. He also told me that Richie Barron was going to come back and haunt me and told me that my husband was having an affair with [named female]. 'Garda A' spat on the wall and he made me bless myself and pray to my dead father.

He said he would say a prayer to Richie Barron and then said to me that I ask my father to tell the truth. All this went on for about two hours between six and eight o'clock in the evening. 'Garda A' told me that I was going to get stabbed in Raphoe town and that he would come and spit on my grave. He then lifted his leg and farted."

Following her release, the custody officer asked if she had any complaints, and she complained that 'Garda A' and the other garda had assaulted her, shoving her from shoulder to shoulder around the interview room. She says the custody officer did not take any written note of her complaint but was "smirking" at the time. The female officer arranged for her to be collected from the station and that while in the room , this female officer said "For what it's worth, I believe you."(MORE LATER).


IRISH REPUBLICANS TO COMMEMORATE THE CLONMULT MARTYRS.

The 14 IRA Volunteers that died as a result of the Clonmult massacre in February 1921 will be commemorated on Sunday 24th February 2013.


On the 20th February 1921 , IRA Captain James P. Aherne and Volunteer James Glavin , two members of an IRA 'Flying Squad' that was based in Cork, watched as one of their number headed off on a short stroll from the cottage they were in to a near-by stream to collect water for the IRA Squad : a poacher , an ex-British Army man, was on the far side of the stream laying traps for rabbits when he spotted the man , whom he knew to be an IRA member, and watched as the IRA man filled as many buckets as he could carry and observed as the Volunteer headed to the near-by cottage. The poacher reported the sighting to the local RIC and they , in turn , called-in a Black and Tan murder gang. The cottage was soon surrounded by these armed pro-British thugs. Twelve I.R.A. Volunteers were killed and another two were executed later :

Captain James Aherne from Cobh County Cork was killed while jumping a fence 200 yards from the house.

Volunteer Jeremiah Aherne, from Midleton, County Cork ,was killed in action.

Volunteer Liam Aherne, from Midleton, County Cork, killed in action.

Volunteer Donal Dennehy, from Midleton, County Cork, killed in action.

Volunteer David Desmond, from Midleton, County Cork, killed in action.

Volunteer Michael Desmond, from Midleton, County Cork, was killed while attempting to fight his way back into the house.

Volunteer James Glavin, from Cobh, County Cork, was killed during the fighting.

Volunteer Michael Hallahan, from Midleton, County Cork, killed in action.

Volunteer Richard Hegarty, from Garryvoe, County Cork, killed in front of the house when attempting to go for aid.

Volunteer John Joe Joyce, from Midleton, County Cork, killed while attempting to re-gain entry to the farm house.

Volunteer Maurice Moore, from Cobh, County Cork, was captured during the Ambush,and was later executed at Cork Military Barracks on April 28th 1921.

Volunteer Joseph Morrissey, from Athlone, County Westmeath, killed during the fighting.

Volunteer Christopher O'Sullivan, from Midleton, County Cork, killed during the fighting.

Volunteer Paddy O'Sullivan, from Cobh, County Cork, was captured and was later executed at Cork Military Barracks, on April 28th 1921.

The memorial at the site of the original farmhouse.

The graves at Midleton cemetery of the men who died at Clonmult.

The Clonmult Martyrs Commemoration Committee will pay tribute to those brave IRA Volunteers on Sunday , 24th February 2013 : those attending are asked to assemble at the Courthouse , Main Street, Midleton , County Cork , at 2.30pm from where the 90-minute commemoration will begin. All genuine republicans are welcome!


SIX FOOT OF CONCRETE - 21ST FEBRUARY 1976 :

Frank Stagg's coffin was hijacked in February 1976 by the then Free State Fine Gael and Labour administration.

Exhumed in glory a November moon was drifting

And freedom’s light aglow

When some IRA had gathered in a graveyard in Mayo.

Those brave Irish Freedom fighters

Who came together in the West

Had come to fill the promise to lay Frank Stagg at rest.

Frank Stagg had begun his fourth (and final) hunger strike in late 1975 - having been convicted under the notorious British Conspiracy Laws - as it was the only 'weapon' he had at his disposal with which to impress on his British captors his desire to be repatriated to Ireland. He died, blind and weighing just four stone, in Wakefield Prison on 12th February 1976, after 62 days on hunger strike.

His remains were hijacked by suited, uniformed and armed members of the State , acting under orders from FS Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and his 'Justice' Minister, Paddy Cooney - the airplane carrying his coffin was diverted from Dublin to Shannon and, when it landed, the Special Branch surrounded it and forcibly removed the coffin and buried it, supported by an armed escort, under six feet of concrete in Leigue Cemetery in Ballina, County Mayo , in a grave purchased by the Free Staters and which was located about 70 meters from the Republican Plot in that cemetery.

For the following six months, armed State operatives maintained a heavy presence in the graveyard to prevent Irish republicans from affording Frank Stagg a proper burial but they were not the only group keeping a watch on the grave : the IRA were aware of their presence and , after the Staters withdrew, the IRA made their move: on the night of November 5th, 1976, the IRA disinterred Frank Stagg’s remains and reburied them with his comrade, Michael Gaughan.

When questioned in Leinster House about this sordid affair, its 'Director' , Paddy Cooney , stated - "The persistent attempts by members of an unlawful organisation and their associates to exploit the situation that arose are well known and, indeed, notorious. Because of this and because also of certain obligations of confidentiality, I must decline to make any comment on the question of the choice of burial place...."

The "question of the choice of burial place" was, thankfully, not one that was left to Cooney and his thugs to decide.


FINE WORDS, AND WELL-DELIVERED : IT'S THE SOURCE THAT IS SUSPECT.


Abused , exploited and escorted by the State : "residents" (inmates) from a Magdalene Asylum (as they were more commonly referred to) in Dublin, pictured whilst attending a Catholic religious festival in 1960.


Should be no need to explain this issue to any reader as it has been in the news here for weeks in relation to the 'will-he-won't-he-apologise' speculation engaged in by the media. And he did , in a well-timed and expertly choreographed move, no doubt designed by his overpaid taxpayer-funded spin doctors , whom had obviously learned a lesson from the manner in which a different Fine Gaeler had publicly treated (and threatened) another victim of the State.

As soon as some other issue distracts the public and the media, and the spotlight fades from the Magdalene women, this Fine Gael and Labour State coalition will quietly attempt a divide-and-conquer strategy with the women ie 'play' one off the other and place every legal obstacle they can in the path of these State victims ever obtaining proper justice. Words are cheap and, when you know you are going to get politically annihilated at the next election due to the economic terrorism you have inflicted on the electorate, you have nothing to lose by sobbingly latching-on to a 'hot topic' and promising that it is your intention to 'do the right thing'.

As with Bridget McCole, it's nothing personal : it's just business, Free State-style. Your place is at the bottom of the Ivory Tower and how dare you attempt to challenge those in it. That's just the way this place operates. Those victims of the Magdalene Asylums will come to realise that in time.


GERRY SHOULD HAVE ASKED AENGUS OR SEÁN FOR A 'DIG OUT'(....or offered them one!).......

Flies business class to America for an operation which was , he claimed, financially out of his reach whilst maintaining a holiday home he can't afford to keep.


PSF's Seán Crowe and, if you look carefully, you'll see the gravy train in the background....


Aengus Ó Snodaigh, on the ball when it comes to saving himself money - and claiming it....


In 2012 , Aengus joined an elite 'inner circle' of Leinster House reps who claimed €770 each a week in travel and expenses (on top of their salary of €1,920 a week) - Catherine Byrne (FG) , Eric Byrne (Labour) and Joan Collins (ULA).

Seán Crowe (PSF Leinster House member for the Tallaght, Dublin, area), not to be outdone in the 'I'm worth it, too...'-stakes, also pocketed €770 a week in travel and expenses (on top of his salary of €1,920 a week) in 2012: that's a drain on the State taxpayer of €2,690 a week , every week, for each of those named above and some even awarded themselves more than that, including the above-mentioned Gerry Adams who, last year, collected a taxpayer-funded weekly salary of €1,920 and also collected 'expenses' of €1,198 a week on top of that salary - a weekly total of €3,118 !

It's obviously not enough , as he's having money worries to the extent that he may not be able to keep his holiday home (despite having the financial wherewithal to remortgage the four-bedroomed property last November) and he is dependent on rich supporters to bail him out, health-wise. To ease his burden, we have set-up an account into which you, the reader, can donate (preferably US Dollars , but he won't refuse any currency) :




Those without a 'PayPal' account can click here to donate. Much appreciated.....

Also ,Mr Adams is right to say that he needs to apologise for past actions, not the least of which was his attempt to publicly hijack Irish republicanism in 1986 (he spent the three years prior to that year working towards that objective , 'inhouse') but , due to the hard work of genuine Irish republicans, Adams only succeeded in exposing himself as just another constitutional nationalist hiding under a republican banner and others of that ilk , both from within the then Sinn Féin organisation and outside of it, rushed to join him in his 'new' enterprise. Come to think of it , an apology would not suffice.


Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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HAVE TROTSKY'S AND FASCISTS 'THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD....?'

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.

The Governor of the jail, a man named Faulkner, was an understanding sort of person - I was working on a novel at the time and he made no difficulty at all about letting me send manuscripts out for typing. The prison doctor, Dr. Hackett, delayed for a chat with me, every now and then and he asked me once to promise him that when "my lot" came to power , we would not raze Mountjoy Prison to the ground but use it as a TB sanatorium.

He told me he got near-miracles of cures in the prison hospital and that some imponderable was involved - the good effect of regular hours, food and sleep incidental to jail discipline just did not explain it. The prison chaplin called on me once, but he wasn't at ease with me and all I recall of him was his intelligent , homespun sermons and a word of advice he gave prisoners one Sunday : there was no good in their coming to him to ask him to get them released and the way to get out of Mountjoy Jail was to stay out when you were out.

I did not meet the Protestant parson, although I asked one of the warders to let me know sometime he was in the wing. I wondered if he was the same, puzzled, friendly man who smuggled messages in and out for a few of us in 1922 and 1923.....(MORE LATER).


THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW......

Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil". She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened, he would spit on her grave, she says.

By Sandra Mara. From 'Magill' Annual 2002.

Roisin McConnell was then questioned by a number of other named gardai, including a female officer. She said : "These three gardai questioned me but didn't abuse me in any way." A named detective ('Detective B') then joined the three gardai and, according to her statement, 'Detective B' "said to me that my husband Mark was 'a big fat pussycat' and that him and Frank McBrearty Jnr , who he referred to as 'Rambo', went up the road that night and killed Richie Barron. He asked me a question and when I answered he said 'You are like an IRA woman'.

At around 5pm, 'Garda A' returned to the interview room : Roisin McConnell's statement says - "He said to me 'Did you not confess yet' and I just looked at him. He then said 'That murdering bitch deserves a cell'. The interview room door was left open when 'Garda A' was saying these things to me". Roisin McConnell was then taken to an upstairs interview room in Letterkenny Garda Station and, on the way there, she saw her mother, Anna Quinn, standing in the hallway. She was allowed to spend 20 minutes with her in the upstairs interview room, following which she was returned to the first interview room.

Mrs Quinn told Roisin that her sister Edel had also been arrested on the same charge. On her return to the first interview room , she was questioned by a female garda, who was then joined by 'Garda A' and another garda. Her statement to the Carty Inquiry says - " I was sitting on a chair and 'Garda A' pushed me and told me to get up. I then got up of the chair and 'Garda A' started to push me into [named garda] with his shoulder". She goes on to state that this was witnessed by the female officer, who then left the room. She says that the two men continued to "push me between them with their shoulders...."(MORE LATER).


"THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD.......



.....DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDE THE RIGHT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY."(From here.)

Following in the 'foot-in-mouth' footprints of Jack O' Connor, his colleague in the trade union leadership , the general secretary of the 'Irish Congress of Trade Union' , David Begg, has attempted to distance himself from not only the people he professes to represent but from one of the main concerns of those people - the property tax.

Mr Begg was asked if the ICTU would be campaigning against the State property tax and he replied that they would not be joining any such campaign as that tax "....is something which was enacted by the parliament....that’s a democratic decision...our business is not to interfere with that..." and went further 'native' by describing those who are campaigning against this tax as "trotskyist groups" ! Not an altogether surprising attitude, I suppose, when you take into account the fact that the man is paid a salary of €2,862 a week and is in receipt of other cash (and material) incomes.

This blog would suggest to Messrs Begg and O'Connor that, on retiring from their positions as 'leaders of the working class' they set-up a 'Government Consulting Service' through which they could sell advice to their equally overpaid colleagues in Leinster House in relation to dealing with those pesky 'fascist and trotskyist groups' whose members are trying to survive on the dole or on a wage that is just as valueless as the dole. They may not physically work out of an ivory tower (at least not in the first few months of their new adventure) but mentally and morally they are there already.


NEVER SEND A MAN OUT.....

....TO DO A WOMAN'S JOB !

Good weekend all round - us Dubs hammered Kerry , we Irish lashed the Brits out of it at the rugby and CABHAIR was the overall winner at the monthly raffle !

The hotel we were in for the raffle on Sunday 10th February last was so full of sports fans that two fairly large canopies were set-up in the car park (it never stopped raining all day!) into which large screen televisions were fitted , heaters installed and platters of food supplied to plus , of course, lounge boys and girls were jobbed to work the crowds in them. As well as the Aston Villa , West Ham , Man U , Everton , Mayo , Tyrone , Dub and Kerry fans, we raffle workers had dozens of kids to contend (!) with in our battle to hold a raffle amongst all the madness - and hold it we did, somehow, raising a decent few bob for CABHAIR in the process.

When we eventually got things underway, our first winner , 'Top Cat' , from Dublin - who won €200 on ticket number 528 - was so delighted to have won that he immediately handed over thirty euros to Melissa, the lounge girl, who had pulled his ticket from the drum , thus causing her to scream in delight in chorus with 'Top Cat' who was loudly congratulating himself , us , Melissa and Aston Villa all at the same time! After a few false starts, we finally managed to get him to pull the second ticket for us and, amidst loud cheers, a lovely young woman from Clondalkin (....my home town, where all us young women are lovely!) , Keisha, walked slowly and shyly towards us, holding the winning ticket stub - number 120 , worth €100, which she couldn't believe , to the extent that she got a wee bit flustered and had to be 'rescued' by her brother - whom we immediately jobbed into pulling the third prize - €40 - for us : and up from the back of Canopy #2 came James H , from Athlone, County Westmeath, with the winning ticket stub (number 368) and he in turn got us to the half-way mark by picking ticket number 488 as the winner of the fourth prize , which was won by Tina N , from County Clare. A clearly delighted Tina then pulled ticket number 67 from the drum, which was sold by our Anto to a lady punter, Shauna S who, as winner of our fifth prize, collected €20 for herself.

Shauna dipped her hand into the drum and removed ticket 191 as the sixth prize (€20), which was won by David, who had bought the ticket from one of our regular sellers , Owen, and then David picked out ticket number 221 as our second-last winner , which went to another 'resident' of canopy #2 , Eileen B. from Wicklow , who assured us that that was the first thing she had ever won and that she wouldn't be opening the envelope - instead, she said, it was going to be framed behind glass and kept as a lucky charm! Before she headed off to 'Frames-R-Us', Eileen ensured that a Dublin team fan , Linda L. , from Drimnagh, had an extra €20 in her purse (to celebrate the Dubs winning!) by picking her ticket , number 119, from the raffle drum , as our last prize.

Despite the heavy rain , we managed to enjoy ourselves and have a bit of craic , make eight people a bit happier and make some money for our POW's and their families. Well done to all of us and a special congrats to the CABHAIR organisation, for putting the whole show together!


NOT A CASE OF 'BETTER LATE THAN NEVER'.

"I'll stand beside you, shake your hand, work for and with your administration in the north-east of Ireland....but I'll not share a bottle with ya!"

What a plonker !

Having surrendered his claimed political principles and, with them, his (alleged) opposition to British rule in Ireland, Martin McGuinness has been reduced to doing a 'runner' out a side entrance rather than be photographed toasting the health of the same British 'queen' he queued to meet and was proud to be seen shaking hands with.

It's far too late now for the man to try and salvage any self respect in relation to his dealings with that woman and, apart from any other considerations he may occasionally suffer from regarding (self-inflicted) situations of that nature , he should also realise that such behaviour is not approved of in the circles in which Deputy First MInister McGuinness now mixes and is unlikely to advance his political career. Drive ya to drink, so it would.....


ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE.....

Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead , Lord Sir Gerard Adams, pictured in the servants quarters of his house.....

Not to be outshone by his fellow pet rebel (reference McGuinness piece, above) , Martin's mentor, Gerry Adams , discovered that whilst Martin couldn't get out of a building quick enough, he was (apparently) unable to get into one and, just like Martin, Gerry wanted as many people/voters as possible to know about it!

In a piece which someone in the PSF PR Department (...would have been better illustrated by the use of a corgi pic - Ed) concocted, the 'Lock Out' story was used to highlight the fact that, on Wednesday 6th February last, Mr Adams opened a 'Twitter' account. However , as with his 'Locked In' story, it would be wise to sample his 'broken downpipe' discomfort with a large pinch of salt. And then slate (!) your thirst with a glass of wine....!


GAMEKEEPER TURNED POACHER - AND RIGHTLY SO.



Mary Ann Wright (above) was a US Army Colonel (and also worked, politically, for the U.S. State Department , where she received an 'Award for Heroism') until ten years ago when she lost a battle - with her conscience. She served in that military position in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia in between which she studied for, and obtained, a Master's and a law degree and was also employed by the U.S. Foreign Service.

This proud women will be in Dublin to speak about her experiences and if you can make it to the venue it would be appreciated by the lady herself and by the organisers : if you can't get there, then please spread the word about the event. You may not be afforded a second chance to see such a genuine American hero on Irish soil.

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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TRADE UNION "FASCISTS" TO MARCH IN DUBLIN ON SATURDAY 9TH FEB 2013....

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.

Within this overtone of gloom there is an alert, furtive world where men parade their vanities, indulge their truculence, bully, fawn, curse, pray ; a side-of-the-mouth existence that is unsettling. I wandered through that strange world questing, and questioning. Prisoners like having a Republican loose among them, and they say warders behave better when we are around. For their part the warders and I talked freely and they gave me word etchings of some of the prisoners that were revealing both of warder and prisoner.

The little vanities that make men important manifest themselves in a sharpened way in jails. I once hurt a young man very much by advising him to give up his silly practice of pinching things from motorcars, and other light-fingered exercises of which he boasted, on the grounds that no man should choose such a way of living unless he had gifts that would enable him to excel in it.

He could never excel in this trade, for he had not the cold nerve it called for and I was startled when he broke down and cried. My pal among the prisoners was a shapeless, poor body, so twisted by his deformity that all he had to do was sit on the pavement and money fell from heaven into his cap - he told me he took as much as thirty pounds on the day of an All-Ireland final and, once I got my ears sharpened to his half-articulated words, I often hunkered beside him to probe into the strange world of the beggar. I came on him only once afterwards in the outside world : he was sprawled on the footpath beside his cap, his pushed-out eyes fixed on me, but he did not let on to know me until I squatted down beside him, and then his whole body danced and he beat the kerb with his hand. It was just that he was glad to see me.(MORE LATER).

THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW......

Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil". She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened, he would spit on her grave, she says.

By Sandra Mara. From 'Magill' Annual 2002.

According to a statement made by Roisin McConnell, she was then driven towards Letterkenny and, on the journey, she claims that "Garda 'A' (a named garda) started to roar in my face that 'it was a vicious murder' and 'it was animals done it' ." She said - "When we arrived at Letterkenny Garda Station I got out of the car and Garda 'A' asked me if I believed in God and I said I did." Mrs McConnell says that at the station, she was taken to an interview room by Garda 'A' and another named garda.

She claims that after an hour , Garda 'A' wrote out a statement detailing her whereabouts on the night Richie Barron died. Following this, McConnell's solicitor was allowed a visit and in her presence he asked Garda 'A' for a copy of both this unsigned statement and an earlier statement made by Roisin McConnell on the day Richie Barron was buried. Initially, Garda 'A' agreed to provide the solicitor with copies of the statements but following his return to the interview room he refused to do so, giving no reason, according to McConnell.

When her solicitor left , McConnell remained in the interview room with Garda 'A' and another named garda. In a statement later made to the Carty Inquiry , McConnell said - " Garda 'A' then said to me 'You are going to do seven years in jail if you don't tell me what happened that night'. " McConnell also stated that "...they also told me that my child would be taken off me and put into custody. He also told me that Frank McBrearty was sitting back and laughing at all of us that was arrested....."(MORE LATER).

6TH FEBRUARY 1971 - 6TH FEBRUARY 2013.

"And the radio said, 'There's another shot dead, and he died with a gun in his hand....' "

British Army Gunner Robert Curtis.

On 6th February 1971, the British Army entered the New Lodge area of Belfast in County Antrim to 'assert their authority' by raiding houses and stopping and searching people in the streets. The residents defended themselves as best they could but it was not until (P)IRA operatives in that area challenged them that they stopped harassing the civilians. During one gunfight between the British Army and the (P)IRA, BA Gunner Robert Curtis (20), from 156 (Inkerman) Battery (94 Locating Regiment) of the British Royal Regiment of Artillery, was shot dead and four of his armed colleagues were wounded.

(P)IRA member Billy Reid.

Billy Reid (32) of 'C Company', Third Battalion , Belfast Brigade (P)IRA , is reported to have shot and killed BA Gunner Curtis and was himself shot dead by the British Army on 15th May 1971.

The difference between both men , apart from their age, of course, is the objective they were fighting for : the foreign gunman (Curtis) was part of an unwanted occupying army in a country which, other than the political and military requirements of his superiors, he had no link to whereas the soldier who killed him , Billy Reid, was engaged in a battle to defend his community and his country. And although some of those that once supported the methods and objectives of that Irish soldier have now 'engaged' the enemy in a manner dictated (and favoured) by that enemy, there are, thankfully, others who continue their opposition to that unwanted presence. This blog has no time for the former -we have seen their type come and go (with a State pension) over the years- but we are firmly in support of the latter. Billy Reid's objective remains to be fulfilled.

TRADE UNION "FASCISTS" TO MARCH IN DUBLIN AGAIN !

THIS -

- IS WHAT'S NEEDED BUT.....

....THIS IS ALL THE TRADE UNIONS ARE DOING.

This whole country, north, south, east and west, should be brought to a standstill regularly by the trade union leadership in opposition to the cutbacks imposed on the workers and the unemployed by those in Leinster House and Stormont : holding street protests every so often is a welcome development but it's not enough. As stated before, such protests, necessary as they are, are not in themselves enough and are used by the TU leadership as a means by which they can project themselves as 'doing their bit' and, in the process, secure their own cushy and overpaid positions. They have a history of leading their people up the hill only to march them back down again but they will, hopefully , only get away with that for so long. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary people are now having the ground - the 'hill' - pulled from under them by the savage cuts and extra taxes imposed on them by both Leinster House and Stormont and - again, hopefully - when they have no more 'ground' to give they will be forced to make a stand. With TU support or not.

'WORK' FOR A LIVING.....

.....WHAT 'FORE' ?

Disastrous news for democracy and a killer-blow to freedom-loving people the world over : a true champion of the underclass, 'Peacemaker' Martin McAleese, has decided to revert to his role as a 'shadow' and give up his job (!) as a 'senator'. He will receive a severance lump sum payment of just under €11,000 which his wife , Mary (pictured here - the 'royal' on the left. In picture only...) could barely manage to exist on - she is in receipt of a State pension of €13,562 a month (€3,390 a week) for the rest of her life , in payment for lighting candles in the window of a big house whilst ensconced in same as 'First Citizen' of this bankrupt wee Statelet.

Martin has decided to spend some time - possibly a year - in Rome, with his wife, because he feels "drained" after doing paperwork for a year-and-a-half. Poor man. Anyway - we doubt whether two such high-maintenance people will be able to get by on €3,390 a week between them (after the 'lump sum' is gone) and, with that in mind, we have set up this account through which you can contribute to the (continued) financial well-being of this deserving couple. They, in turn, will light a candle in a window in your honour......

YOU ALMOST HAVE TO BE IN THE 'CLICK' TO GET A TICKET !

....no, don't bother : the 'click' doesn't work and anyway there ARE no tickets left !

Another 'Second Sunday' Irish republican 650-ticket raffle looms this coming weekend (Sunday 10th) and the last 30 tickets for it were left with the floor manager in the hotel venue on Sunday 3rd, as requested by the man himself - having already sold his regular supply of 40 !

And he was decent enough to let us know that they are expecting a good crowd because of the sports fixtures taking place that day - Aston Villa are taking on West Ham and then Manchester United will be kicking balls at Everton and then all those teams and their fans will be playing against some outfits from Bord Na Mona in finals after which some lads from Mayo will be doing battle against a team from Tyrone , the winners of which will take on Kerry. Or maybe it was Dublin he said ? Something along those lines, anyway, but it means a packed house and the usual chaos for us !

So even if these matches are dodgy, you can rest assured that the raffle isn't and,as always, we will post the results here as soon as we can and let you know what happened when Man U came up against Kerry in a Bord Na Mona field in Mayo. Or whatever......!

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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'POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN DECIDING AND PRIORITISING HOSPITALS....'

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.

I was brought before District Justice Cussen and I observed the usual IRA formula - I refused to recognise the court. The State asked for a remand for a week and Cussen, the kindly man, took the unusual step of asking to see my wife after the court adjourned to say he didn't like the idea of sending me to Mountjoy Jail and would she please explain to me that all he wanted from me was my word that I would turn up there that day week. No bail , just my word.

I could not avail myself of this neighbourly offer, so Mountjoy Jail again it had to be , and ghost-rich 'D Wing' at that : it was to this Wing that the Four Courts Garrison was brought in 1922. I found the experience of sharing the prison van that shuttled from the jail to the district court and back , with men on remand on a great variety of charges, intensely interesting ; occasionally strangely disturbing. Scared men are pathetic and the man in trouble for the first time for an act not sanctioned from within himself is a scared man.

There were those who took things lightly , of course, but each man was pretty well alone with his thoughts , and there was no buoyancy left in any of them to sustain him in the presence of the jailer. By and by they would find odd ways of sharing life together , but the numbness of the early days had to wear off first , as there is a climate of oppression which derives from the sense of defeat in the prisoners themselves.....(MORE LATER).

THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW......

Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil". She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened, he would spit on her grave, she says.

By Sandra Mara. From 'Magill' Annual 2002.

Roisin, wife of Mark McConnell , was also arrested , despite the fact that several gardai at a pre-arrest conference in Letterkenny Garda Station had expressed their concern about their powers of arrest of the wife of a suspect "after the fact" and indeed, about the legality of her arrest.

On the morning of the 4th December 1996 , Roisin McConnell , the 36-year-old mother of a young baby, left home at Tullyvinney, Raphoe, to go to work. A workmate, Lorna O' Donnell from Rusky, gave her and another friend, Marie Pearson, a lift. All three women headed off to work at the 'Fruit of the Loom' factory in Raphoe and, as they drove along the road they approached Raphoe Garda Station, close to the McConnell family home.

They were surprised to see around 20 gardai and detectives on the roadway. Lorna O'Donnell's car was stopped and Garda 'A' told Roisin McConnell , who was seated in the back of the car, - "You're under arrest for the murder of Richie Barron." She was taken from the car and put into the back of a Garda car, surrounded by four gardai. Garda 'A' sat in the back with McConnell and another garda.......(MORE LATER).

30TH JANUARY 1972 - 30TH JANUARY 2013.

Derry, 1972 : seeking only civil rights as opposed to a British withdrawal...

According to British Army 'evidence' , 21 soldiers fired their weapons on 'Bloody Sunday' and shot 108 rounds between them. Two soldiers were responsible for firing a total 35 bullets - Soldier 'F' fired 13 shots and Soldier 'H' fired 22 shots and both soldiers were in the area of Glenfada Park at the time of the shooting.

The fatal shooting on 'Bloody Sunday' began at approximately 4.10pm when soldiers entered the Rossville Street area of the Bogside. However, before the fatal shooting began two people were shot and wounded in William Street at about 3.55pm. The two people were Damien Donaghey (15) and John Johnson (59). The soldiers involved, Soldier 'A' and 'B', claimed that they had come under attack from nailbombs. No other witnesses, civilian or military heard any nailbombs explode at 3.55pm. Johnson was shot twice in the incident and died on 16th June 1972. His family is convinced that he died prematurely and that his death was due to the injuries received and trauma he underwent on 'Bloody Sunday'.

Most of those shot dead on 'Bloody Sunday' were killed in four main areas: the car park (courtyard) of Rossville Flats; the forecourt of Rossville Flats (between the Flats and Joseph Place); at the rubble and wire barricade on Rossville Street (between Rossville Flats and Glenfada Park); and in the area around Glenfada Park (between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park). The following accounts look at the shootings in each of these areas in turn. It is not possible to give the exact time of any particular shooting or the exact order in which all 13 people were shot dead.

As soldiers of the Parachute Regiment entered the Bogside a number of their Humber Armoured Vehicles ('Pigs') drove into the car park (courtyard) of Rossville Flats. Alana Burke (18) and Patrick Campbell (53) were run down by two different Army vehicles as they fled across the car park. In addition to Jack Duddy (17), who was shot dead in the car park, four people were wounded by shooting: Margaret Deery (37, the only woman shot and injured on 'Bloody Sunday'), Michael Bridge (25), Michael Bradley (22) and Patrick McDaid (24).

John 'Jack' Duddy (17): Jack Duddy was killed by a single shot that passed through his upper chest from right to left and slightly forward. Four witnesses, Edward Daly, then a Catholic priest, Mrs Bonner, Mrs Duffy and Mr Tucker, all stated that Duddy was unarmed at the time he was shot and that he was running away from soldiers when he was shot. Three of these witness stated that they saw a soldier take deliberate aim at Duddy as he fled across the courtyard of Rossville Flats. Jack Duddy was probably the first person to be shot dead on 'Bloody Sunday'.

As the shooting intensified a group of people became caught in the area between Rosville Flats and the maisonnettes of Joseph Place. Pat Doherty (31) was among them and was shot as he tried to crawl to safety. Barney McGuigan (41) heard the calls of Doherty and left the relative safety of the side of Rosville Flats to go to his aid but McGuigan was shot dead within a couple of paces of where he had been. Two other people were shot and wounded in this area, Daniel McGowan (37) and Patrick Campbell (53).

Patrick 'Pat' Doherty (31): Patrick Doherty was shot from behind while trying to crawl to safety in the vicinity of the forecourt of Rossville Flats, between the Flats and Joseph Place. He was shot once and died at the scene. The bullet entered his right buttock and travelled forward and upward through his body before exiting from the left of his chest. Patrick Doherty was photographed by Gilles Peress moments before he died. The photographs showed that he was not armed. Lord Widgery concluded that he had probably been shot by Soldier 'F' (who was in Glenfada Park at the time) who claimed that Patrick Doherty had a pistol in his hand. The Saville Inquiry concluded: "3.65 ... We are sure that Lance Corporal 'F' fired at and shot Bernard McGuigan and Patrick Doherty and it is highly probable that he was also responsible for shooting the other two casualties."

Bernard 'Barney' McGuigan (41): Barney McGuigan was going to the aid of Patrick Doherty and was signalling with a white handkerchief held in his hand when he was shot dead by a single bullet through the back of his head. The bullet entered close to his left ear and exited through his right eye travelling forward and upward through his skull. He died where he fell near the corner of Rossville Flats between Rossville Street and Joseph Place. A number of eyewitnesses stated that he was unarmed.

Hugh Gilmour (17): Hugh Gilmour was shot by a single bullet that passed through his body and through his left forearm as he was running away from soldiers in Rossville Street. The bullet travelled from right to left through his chest travelling horizontally and slightly forward. A photograph of Gilmour, taken seconds after he was hit, showed that he was unarmed a fact confirmed by a number of witnesses. Gilmour was shot close to the rubble barricade but managed to run for several meters before falling to the ground at the side of Rossville Flats.

Kevin McElhinney (17): Kevin McElhinney was shot from behind, probably by Soldier 'K', as he was attempting to crawl to safety in the Rossville Flats. The bullet entered his left buttock and travelled up through his body exiting near his shoulder. Two eyewitnesses, including a Catholic priest, testified that McElhinney was unarmed. He was shot close to the front entrance of Rossville Flats, near to the rubble barricade, and was dragged inside by some people who were already sheltering there. He died almost immediately.

Michael Kelly (17): Michael Kelly died from a single shot to his abdomen, probably fired by Soldier 'F'. The bullet entered from the front and travelled backward and downward. He died within a few minutes of being shot. He was shot near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Lord Widgery accepted that Kelly was not armed but concluded that he must have been standing close to someone who had discharged their weapon because of lead particles on Kelly's right cuff. This finding ignored the strong likelihood of contamination from soldiers who handled the bodies when they were taken to the morgue (this was true in the case of many of those killed).

John Young (17): John Young was killed by a single shot to the head at the rubble barricade on Rossville Street. The bullet entered close to his left eye and travelled backward and downward before exiting through his ribs on the left side of his back. Two eyewitnesses gave evidence to the Widgery tribunal that Young was unarmed when he was shot.

William Nash (19): William Nash was killed by a single shot to his chest near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. The bullet entered his right upper chest from the front and travelled backward and downward exiting from his lower back. He was possibly shot by Soldier P. He was killed at almost the same time and in the same circumstances as John Young. Eyewitness accounts state that Nash was unarmed and was going to the aid of someone else when he himself was shot.

Michael McDaid (20): Michael McDaid was killed by a single shot to his face at the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. He probably died immediately he had been shot.

James Wray (22): James Wray was shot dead in Glenfada Park. James was shot twice, the first bullet travelled 'superficially' from right to left across his body, the second bullet entered his back and travelled from right to left. Two eyewitnesses gave evidence to the Widgery Tribunal that Wray was shot and wounded and then was shot dead, from close range, while he lay on the ground. A number of people, who were not called to give evidence to the Widgery Inquiry, stated that Wray was complaining that he was unable to move his legs when he was shot a second time and killed.

Gerald Donaghey (17): Gerald Donaghey was shot once in the abdomen, probably by Soldier 'G', but did not die at the scene. He was trying to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park when he was shot.

Gerald McKinney (35): Gerald McKinney was also shot dead in Glenfada Park. He had been part of the group of people who were caught in Glenfada Park and who were trying to get to safety towards Westland Street. He decided to make a run for it at the same time as Gerald Donaghey who was just ahead of him. Donaghey was shot and McKinney must have seen the soldier. Two eyewitnesses stated that McKinney then raised his arms in surrender and shouted, "Don't shoot!, Don't shoot!". The trajectory of the bullet through his chest from left to right is consistent with this evidence. Had McKinney's arms not been raised the bullet would have passed through one or both arms.

William McKinney (26): William McKinney was shot dead after he left the safety of cover to try to assist Gerald McKinney (not a relation) who had been shot moments before. He was shot from behind, as he was bent over Gerald McKinney, and the bullet travelled through his chest from right to left and then through his left wrist.

As stated in the caption of the picture at the top of this piece, that Derry march was held seeking civil rights, not a British withdrawal : the former request is acceptable to some whilst others rightly demand a more sustainable solution - that of a British withdrawal.

DOLOURS PRICE 1951-2013.

REST IN PEACE.

"It is not enough to say we were born to be Republicans, it’s more precise to say Republicanism is part of our DNA....." - Dolours Price.

I met Dolours three times in the past number of years - once in Dublin , once in her native Belfast and once in Derry - and , on each occasion, I was in the company of different members of the Republican Movement and we bumped-into each other at protests/pickets in connection with three separate issues. But the one 'constant' was Dolours : a deeply committed and resolute republican activist with a sharp instinct and a genuine grá for her passion - Ireland.

The sentiments I was going to express here have already been expressed in a far more eloquent manner by another stalwart supporter of Irish Republicanism , Ruairí Ó Brádaigh , and I am proud to re-post them here :

"The untimely passing of Dolours Price is a moment in Republican history. Born into a staunch Republican household in Belfast she came under the influence of her father, Albert Price, who was active in the 1940s and was imprisoned, and her aunt Bridie Dolan who was severely injured when a grenade she was handling exploded prematurely.

With the birth of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, Dolours was to the fore in all activities. When the struggle escalated and internment without trial was brought in, she and her sister Marian joined the Republican Movement. There followed activity in London and prolonged imprisonment and hunger strike. This last development was met by force-feeding for more then 200 days until demands for relocation to the Six Counties were met, but were not implemented for more than two years.

It is certain that the brutality of the protracted force-feeding had grievous effects on Dolours both mentally and physically. It surely brought about an early release for both sisters. Dolours rejected what she saw as a ?surrender process? from the outset. When the Stormont Agreement was signed in 1998, she visited the Ard-Oifig of Republican Sinn Féin in Dublin and made her position clear. By attending the subsequent Ard-Fheis of Republican Sinn Féin she nailed her colours to the mast.

When attending the 25th anniversary in Ballina of the death on hunger strike of Frank Stagg in 2001, she spoke at the grave of an old friend and comrade, Jackie Clarke. Here she made her stand once more.

In more recent times she publicly attacked what she saw as deceit, hypocrisy and public lying in high places. She exposed it relentlessly. She saw all that as a contradiction to the mountain of sacrifice that had been made over the decades. She herself had contributed more than her share and she was outraged at the developments. Never did she participate in deceit, hypocrisy or public lying. She will be remembered : cuimhneofar ort, a Dholours.You have triumphed in the end. Sincere sympathy is expressed to her sisters Marian and Clare and to her two sons, Danny and Oscar." Slán go foill anois, a Dholours.

' THERE WAS POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN DECIDING AND PRIORITISING HOSPITALS....'

But how much does he charge for journeys to hospitals....?
Oh Really Reilly : we have mentioned the antics of Mr James Reilly before (as have others) but it seems the man still has a reckless desire to pad-out his own future by (ab) using not only his political position but taxpayers money, too. It has been remarked in some left-wing political circles that the man's political desire and his machinations to further secure his own financial future in so blatant a manner is puzzling considering that he is already a millionaire but the only element of it that I find 'puzzling' is why anyone of a socialist inclination would find it surprising that a millionaire Fine Gael/right wing politician would seek to increase his 'stakeholding' , thus ensuring an even more luxurious lifestyle and retirement for himself than he had already secured ?

The answer , in my opinion, is because of an absence of ethics on the part of the afflicted person ie greed , described by theologian Thomas Aquinas as "...a sin directly against one's neighbour, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches without another man lacking them..." . Mr Reilly probably never heard of Thomas Aquinas as there is no profit to be gained by him in doing so. We live in a sad society , as is so remarkably demonstrated by Mr Reilly and his ilk.

DEMOCRACY AT WORK : MORE OF THIS IS NEEDED.

Taxpayers in Cork demanding a voice in how their tax money is spent.

Better late than never : hopefully this protest is a sign of things to come and it will become a regular occurrence to witness citizens directly challenge their employees (ie politicians) in regards to the manner in which they pompously and arrogantly waste taxpayers money on themselves and only then consider using the left over coin to supply public services. Until such time as the corrupt political system in this State is changed for the better we need to do this. Congratulations to the organisers and to all those who took part - to quote Oscar Wilde : "Yes , I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

It would be reassuring to think that this protest and, hopefully, future protests like it, will herald a 'new Dawn'.

HORSE AND BULL FROM A COLOUR-BLIND SHIT STIRRER !

Not 'FAIR' , Willie - inverted flag and Balaclaved Burgers conspire against our Hero....

This wee blog wishes continued success (!) to the (much-deserved) misunderstood Champion of All that is Good and Proper , Willie Frazer, whom we have mentioned before in this lil' corner of cyberspace. In an attempt to capitalise on 'BurgerGate' .....

......our Willie claimed that the PIRA was ultimately responsible for that culinary terrorism (...and for a lot of other things, too, apparently..) - Interviewer : "The (P)IRA were involved with putting horsemeat into beef products?"

Willie Frazer : "Yes. Basically old fat cows that are 30 months old have been put into the food chain because the republicans have the means of getting it in....." (From here)

It was probably whilst choking on one of the offensive burgers that poor Willie confused his colours and almost set his gang of thugs on the teachers , staff and pupils of a school which he described as "....the junior headquarters of IRA youth..." . If nothing else, in securing the headlines that he does, Frazer is a prime (!) example of the embarrassing human flotsam left behind when a wreckage of an 'empire' seeks to extract itself from an area in which it can no longer use barbarism to control without having its use highlighted. His 'Best Before' date is long gone.

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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DUBLIN PICKET TO MARK THE 41ST ANNIVERSARY OF DERRY'S 'BLOODY SUNDAY' .

'BLOODY SUNDAY' PICKET , DUBLIN , SATURDAY 26TH JANUARY 2013 : BRIEF REPORT AND PICS.

Some of those on the picket in Dublin , on Saturday 26th January 2013.

Under the watchful eyes of six uniformed Garda members and at least three armed members of the 'Special Branch' political police, the RSF-organised picket in commemoration of the 1972 'Bloody Sunday' massacre in Derry was held on Saturday 26th January 2013 in Dublin , on the traffic isle facing the GPO in O'Connell Street.

At 11.30am that morning, RSF members began handing out leaflet 'packs' at three locations in the city centre - at the GPO , in the vicinity of the O'Connell Bridge area and in and around Parnell Square. In total , 1,200 republican leaflets (350 leaflet 'packs/booklets') were distributed in a period of 135 minutes and each of the three leaflet teams reported that they could have distributed even more, had they had them to hand.

Two of the banners displayed at the picket.

RSF President Des Dalton and Dublin PRO , John Horan , both delivered in-depth speeches during which the name and age of each of the 13 men and teenagers that were massacred that day by the British Army Parachute Regiment was read out in O'Connell Street , and a brief description of the wounds inflicted on each person was given. Also mentioned was the fact that the only female victim of those shootings , Margaret Deery, was a then-37-year-old mother of 13 children who was left crippled for life after being seriously wounded in the leg. This lady was shot by a British Army Para from a distance of 25 yards after he calmly took aim at her.

Two of the posters on displaty at the picket.

An intercepted letter to the commander of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment , Lt. Colonel Derek Wilford , which was printed on the front page of 'The Sunday Press' newspaper on the Sunday following the massacre in Derry was read out at the Dublin picket - the letter was written on February 1st , 1972, by Brigadier F.P. Barclay , DSO , MCDL , Colonel , The Royal Norfolk Regiment , and stated -

'1/2/'72.

Dear Wilford ,

As an ex-parachute Brigade Commander I write to say how proud it made one feel to see the way , on TV , which your lads went into action against those blighters last Sunday . They looked splendid and , as usual , bang on the ball.

It seems to me and many others that prompt retaliatory action such as this is long overdue . It will have , I've little doubt , a most salutory effect . Should have happened long since!

I sincerely trust you successfully weather those thoroughly unjustified but seemingly inevitable brickbats and recriminations emanating mostly from those who either have no sense of law and order , duty or perspective , or who are spineless . With best wishes to you and yours ,

Sincerely ,

Peter Barclay , Little Dunham Lodge ,

Kings Lynn , Norfolk.'

As stated at the Dublin picket, those on that day in 1972 who obviously lacked a "sense of law and order , duty and perspective and who were spineless..." were the foreign gunmen who opened fire on unarmed Irish civilians.

A full report and more pics will be published in the February 2013 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday 6th of that month.

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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A MAN-CHILD TRYING TO LIVE IN (AND WITH) THE REAL WORLD.

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.

I took it for granted McCool asked a few men of a local unit to go with him and that so neat a raid would be well protected by secrecy. It turned out, however , that in his anxiety to keep to the pattern of an affair of neighbours, he gathered round him a mixed group who took it all light-heartedly, so that the countryside soon knew all there was to know. The police had no trouble in getting evidence enough to make arrests - it was not so easy to expect people to believe I had no finger in it , when one of the arrested men was my brother, Brian.

I got a whisper that my own arrest was not far off and I spent all the time I could spare in the townlands getting ready for it. I followed my usual plan of giving a lot of time to the individuals I thought best fit to hold the townlands together. There was no recrimination among us on the raid which, by now , had back-fired badly. Members of the committee had encouraged it , and for the reasons I suspected - they felt people needed some evidence that they had at least hidden friends, somewhere.

At a gathering of the committee and townland delegates I gave the clearest statement of my views I had so far submitted at a formal conference. This skirmish we were conducting could lead into a land war which could restore the independence movement that the Treaty had wrecked. I was arrested in due course and charged with a number of offences, all rising out of the agitation - I do not remember the exact wording of the charge and I think it unlikely I even read it at that time for in any case I must refuse to plead.....(MORE LATER).

THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW.

Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil". She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened, he would spit on her grave, she says.

By Sandra Mara. From 'Magill' Annual 2002.

Of the increasing number of cases against the State as a result of claims in respect of some Garda activities in Donegal, the case of Roisin McConnell, a young Donegal mother arrested in the Richie Barron inquiry, is one of the most shocking.

In documents seen by Magill , the young mother claims she was subjected to treatment amounting to mental torture , was physically pushed around by gardai and had photographs of a dead body pushed into her face. During this time, Roisin McConnell claims she was abused, called "a murdering bitch" , "Satan" and "the Devil" . She claims gardai told her that her child would be taken away, that her husband was having an affair, that she would "do seven years in jail" and that she was "going to get stabbed". A named garda told her that when this happened , he would spit on her grave, she says.

As a result of this, Roisin McConnell suffered a chronic nervous breakdown and spent nine weeks in Letterkenny General Hospital under the care of a psychiatrist.

In a wave of arrests following the death of Raphoe man Richie Barron in October 1996, gardai picked up local publican Frank McBrearty and his son Frank Jnr , together with Roisin's husband, painter and decorator Mark McConnell , and brought them to Letterkenny Garda Station for questioning. Initially believed to have been a hit-and-run, gardai were now treating the Barron death as a murder inquiry, with Frank McBrearty Jnr and Mark McConnell as their prime suspects.....(MORE LATER).

KINCORA AND (OTHER) BRITISH CHILD ABUSE CASES.

William McGrath (left) , a man now synonymous with the KIncora Boys' Home.

"A list of names seized by police probing allegations of child abuse includes ministers, members of the royal household and a world-famous pop star....all were recorded as visitors to a suburban guest house that operated as a gay brothel..." (from here) - the latest (...at the time of writing, anyway..) 'sex scandal' to center around the British 'Establishment' , following hot on the heels of the Jimmy Savile disgrace.

Administrations the world over have made an art form of using what it would coyly term 'human nature' to keep its 'interests' secure and/or as a reason for disposing of those 'interests' (when the time suited it to do so, of course) and you would have to be extremely naïve (and not only politically) to believe otherwise.

However , despite what is at times overwhelming evidence , there are those who seemingly refuse to accept that those they support(ed) are/were 'like that' ("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 ....... " - from here, post dated August 31, 2005 , and they do that for reasons best known to themselves. Regular readers will know that this blog constantly questions the actions and inactions of various administrations - Leinster House , Stormont and Westminster , for instance - but we do so from what we believe to be a yardstick of common sense , and not from a position of being an almost blind follower of either the administration(s) or that which it (they) rail against. In short , we haven't been 'bought' by one side or the other and we intend to stay that way!

A MAN-CHILD TRYING TO LIVE IN (AND WITH) THE REAL WORLD.

"Take a life to save a life. That’s what we revolve around, I suppose....if there are people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of the game.....I  am one of these people who like playing Play Station and Xbox,  so with my thumbs I would like to think that I am quite useful...."
- Britain's 'Prince' Harry , as quoted here, on a rare moment when he wasn't using his thumb to cover his modesty. Or sucking it. His thumb, that is.....

Never dawning on him for one moment that he and his type are "....the people trying to do bad stuff..." , this half-idiot sits in his Apache helicopter , wired into it like a Borg (and with as much free-thinking as same) firing Hellfire missiles and rockets at 'the enemy' , from a safe distance, before training his 30mm gun on what remains of them. He then heads back to base at 200mph to play war games : " It's a joy for me because I'm one of those people who loves playing Playstation and Xbox so, with my thumbs, I like to think that I'm probably quite useful...." (from here)

He's a "useful" idiot, to the 'Establishment' and the tabloids,  but not half as much an idiot as are the millions of people in 'Great Britain' that, financially, keep him and his 'royal' family insulated from real people. He doesn't have any experience of what goes on in real people's lives and is more at home 'whacking the bad dudes' on his Playstation or from the comfort of his Apache helicopter , interrupting same occasionally to party with his Chelsea-type friends. Had he not been born into a life of privilege he would have been dead by now as he is incapable of making his own way in this world and, indeed, I doubt whether he can walk and chew gum at the same time. And the gum would have more intelligence.

1200 (250X4 + 100X2) 4 26TH.....

These four different RSF leaflets will comprise the 'packs' for distribution in Dublin city center on Saturday 26th January 2013.

RSF Head Office has organised a total of 1,200 leaflets for distribution at the 'Bloody Sunday' picket in Dublin on Saturday 26th January 2013 : these will be 'formed' into two different types of booklets/packs , 250 of which will contain four leaflets and 100 of which will contain two leaflets. This method of distributing political leaflets has been used by RSF for years now (if, indeed, not actually pioneered by them) and has proved to be very successful.
The 'Four Pack' contains a 'Bloody Sunday' leaflet , a Martin Corey leaflet, an RSF 'Youth' leaflet and an 'anti-household tax/septic tank/water charge' leaflet, whilst the 'Two Pack' contains one each of the first and third of those leaflets. If you are in Dublin city centre on Saturday 26th January 2013 between 11.30am and 1.45pm , I'll be on one of the leaflet teams at the O'Connell Bridge and/or Ambassador end of O'Connell Street - come over, take a 'pack' and say Hello!

"HAVE YOUR PEOPLE CONTACT MY PEOPLE.....!"

I'll have to hire a Secretary if this keeps up !

Earlier on this month (January 2013) a London-based journalist contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing a short piece for them for publication. We discussed the issue and a brief on the type of article required (political) was given to me and, after more discussion between us (during which payment to me was offered but which I refused - although I will be getting a free copy of the publication in question in the post!) I threw a few aul (!) words together and these will , I'm told, shortly be gracing the pages of the publication in question!

I'll say no more for now , except to state that my evil plan to take over the print world as well as this interweb-blog yoke is running to plan and you , dear reader, will (hopefully!) soon be able to declare "....ah sure I knew her when she was a nobody.." !

'MORE LATER' , as they say on an 'almost famous' blog..... ;-) !

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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TRADE UNIONS ACTING AS STATE 'SAFETY VALVES' .

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....' By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.

My first startled reaction was that IRA repudiation of the raid would take the heart out of the resistance ,for , in however vague a way, they must have encouraged themselves to believe they were not without some support from that body. Fortunately Agent Sweeney called the raiders "Republicans" so that the word "official" had no meaning.

On the level of Republicans the raid was an affair of neighbours , but what was I to do about this telegram ? Had the police come to challenge me on the raid, I should have refused to discuss it or, maybe, in order to lessen the challenge that was in it , and the excuse it gave for vigorous government action. I might have said I was certain the committee had nothing to do with it but I could not dodge this cheeky, impertinent message, so I replied that I would not use my influence to have the books returned nor even to have the landlord's agent returned should he happen to serve a useful purpose by following the books, and I published both messages in that week's 'An Phoblacht'.

The townlands were delighted with the raid, and I soon had encouraging reports that people hitherto hesitant were now coming our way. I urged on Phil McCauley that this was a time to win new townland delegates and impress on everybody that the townlands were their own weapon against the bailiff. It should not be possible for the bailiff to drive cattle out of the area without finding himself and his escort driving through a storm - but I had no great success along this line. The government could strike back with a lot more confidence at a movement that left most of its chores to small groups moving in the dark. Phil reported that for the moment the bailiff seemed to have passed out of the picture and that the townlands were now infested with plain-clothes policemen, looking for evidence to pin the raid on local people.(MORE LATER).

FEAR AND LOATHING IN SOUTH ARMAGH......

The inside story of a personal feud that has left one man dead and tarnished the reputation of the PIRA's most fearsome brigade.

From 'Magill' magazine , April 2003.

By John Keane.

Should the generals be simply ordered to dump arms - the 'pike in the thatch' solution - or should the army be stood down and the generals retired? The (P)IRA statement condemning the killers of (P)IRA Volunteer Keith Rodgers was signed "P O'Neill, Runai" , the traditional imprimatur of the chief of staff but, if the (P)IRA is formally stood down, then that signature can no longer be used as a flag of convenience to drape the coffins of the victims of vendetta. Slab Murphy may just have shot himself in the foot.

[END of 'FEAR AND LOATHING IN SOUTH ARMAGH......']

(Next : 'WRONG ARM OF THE LAW' , from 2002.)

HOIST THE BUTCHERS APRON.....

Even the now-decreed 18 days is too long to fly that soiled rag in any part of Ireland.

When the Stormont Treaty was being spawned in 1998 by most of the political parties in the Six Counties and the Westminster and Leinster House administrations , one of the 'terms and conditions' that almost closed it down was the demand from the so-called 'republican' element, Provisional Sinn Féin, that 'policing powers' be gifted by Westminster to the Stormont Six-County Assembly and, after many tantrums were played-out in front of the cameras, the wish was granted , prompting 'Lords' Adams and McGuinness to declare that they could now "put manners" on the RUC(/PSNI).

The on-going (six-week old, at the time of writing) 'Flag protest' in the Six Counties has put paid to that lie : the 'unmannered' RUC(/PSNI) paramilitary 'police force' , renowned for moving against Irish republican street pickets , demonstrations and protest marches has, as expected by republicans, donned the kid gloves in relation to their fellow pro-union colleagues and even Provisional Sinn Féin members and supporters - and voters - must now be asking themselves where the 'impartial police force' is that they were promised in that 1998 Treaty - where is 'the manners' that was supposedly imposed on that pro-British 'police force' as a part trade-off for voting in favour of that Treaty ?

The reality , as stated at the time by the Republican Movement, is that that Treaty was but yet another stop-gap by Westminster and Leinster House to be used to buy time re 'the Irish Question' and to use that bought time to convince those that wanted to believe it, that 'the conflict is at long last resolved'. That claim, like the 'now-mannered RUC(/PSNI)' , is nonsense : there is no such solution possible as long as Westminster continues to interfere in Irish affairs and the reason for that is clear - it is that very act of interference that is causing the problem. Remove the interference - rather than 'tweak' it - and the problem will be removed. And that is the objective of this Movement.

"AND NOLAN AND MAHON BOTH SCORE IN A THRILLING FIRST-OF-SEASON CONTEST....!"

Mr.Nolan (or is it Mahon?) poses for a pic on hearing that he's 'scored' but freezes in sheer terror on realising that his wife is aware that the ticket cost him only €2 and not "the shirt of my back.." !

Those bleedin' GAAaaa and soccer supporters just can't take no for an answer!

As hoped for, we received 23 unsold raffle tickets back but, by the time they were delivered to us, we had €70 (enough to buy 35 tickets!) in the 'stand-by' dish from wannabe punters , 12 of whom we had to give money back to - plus, of course, we had the usual couple of dozen punters call over to our table between 12 noon and 2pm, looking for tickets , all of whom we had to disappoint :-( !

One person who was LOUDLY not disappointed was Tony Nolan , from the Dublin 10 area, who was sold ticket number 181 by one of our regular ticket sellers , bus-driver Anto - Tony won first prize , €200, and himself and Anto immediately retired to the bar after booking a taxi for 4pm to take them both back home! But before he left our table, Anto pulled-out the second prize - ticket 449 - €100, which our Gerry had sold that very afternoon to local man Alex , who promptly disappeared to the 'winners enclosure' to join an exclusive club! We found Alex (under a table!) and managed to calm him down enough to pull-out the third prize (€40) for us, and he removed ticket stub 125, which elicited a loud 'YES!' from Kildare resident Cameron , who had bought her ticket from Darren, who was rewarded with a pint and a big sloppy gooser from the Diaz look-a-like. Darren was later heard crying hysterically, lamenting the fact that he hadn't sold her the first prize lol!

Cameron put her delicate hand in the raffle drum and removed stub 014 - 4th prize , worth €20 - which was won by Robert, from Dublin city centre, who was sold the ticket by Owen and, in Robert's absence, Owen pulled the fifth prize , (€20) for us - and 'JR' , from Wexford, stub number 380, was a few bob richer for it. Sixth prize went to a Wicklow man , Pat Keogh (388) who then pulled the second-last prize (also €20) which was won by Tommy D , who bought the ticket (495) from our Jeff , one of the lads who works that hotel for us regarding ticket sales. Tommy had the honour of pulling out the 8th and last prize of €20 which was won by Jimmy Hughes from Roscommon on stub 475.

Apart from the football madness and the packed house (and the never-ending requests for non-existent tickets!) the day , and the raffle, was great craic and a huge success : and we are fully confident that we can do the same again next month, but will ask Mr Nolan(/Mahon ?) to keep his shirt on.....!

'BLOODY SUNDAY' PICKET , DUBLIN , JANUARY 2013.

RSF 'Bloody Sunday' placard which will be on display in Dublin on Saturday 26th January 2013.

After a peaceful Civil Rights march on January 30 , 1972 - from Creggan to Free Derry Corner, in Ireland - units of the British army Parachute Regiment opened fire with automatic rifles and shot dead 13 unarmed civilians , injuring many more . It was later revealed that some days prior to the massacre , the British soldiers involved had been briefed to "...shoot to kill.." at the march.

"This Sunday became known as 'Bloody Sunday' and bloody it was . It was quite unnecessary . It strikes me that the (British) army ran amok that day and shot without thinking of what they were doing . They were shooting innocent people . They may have been taking part in a parade which was banned , but that did not justify the troops coming in and firing live rounds indiscriminately . I would say without reservations that it was sheer unadulterated murder. It was murder , gentlemen." - the words of British Major Hubert O'Neill , Derry City Coroner, at the conclusion of the inquests on the 13 people killed that day by the British Army.

On Saturday 26th January 2013 , a picket to mark the Anniversary of that massacre will be held at the GPO in Dublin , from 12 Noon to 2pm . All genuine republicans welcome!

TRADE UNION-ORGANISED 'SAFETY VALVE'.

THIS WAY - to blow off steam....

An ICTU protest against wage and welfare cutbacks, in which SIPTU, amongst other trade union groups will take part, has been organised in this State for Saturday 9th February 2013 : street protests will be held in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo and Waterford and, no doubt, hundreds of thousands of people will take part, and rightly so. And, again without a doubt, the trade union leadership will be given a loud 'welcome' - and rightly so.

This blog has posted before on this issue and we will be taking part in that protest on 9th February next but will be doing so to voice our objection against those in Leinster House more so than as a show of support for the leadership of the trade union movement in this State. And Mr O'Connor and anyone else beside him , on or off the Dublin stage, can again call me and other workers and the unemployed "fascists" if he wants and/or he can again speak over us but that won't change the fact that he is emotionally and morally closer to those he is allegedly protesting against than he is to those on whose behalf he claims to be protesting. And no amount of waffle or fist-shaking can change that.

Thanks for reading, Sharon.

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