A man who removed a loyalist hate banner which paid tribute to a
sectarian killer has been sent for trial on charges of theft.
Frank McGirr is accused of taking the banner from a street light in June
2017. He was told the banner featuring the UVF man Wesley Somerville in
the County Tyrone village of Moygashel was valued at 150 pounds.
Somerville and fellow UVF killer Harris Boyle – who were also members of
the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment – died while carrying out the
Miami Showband massacre in July 1975. They died after their own bomb
exploded, killing both, while the rest of the UVF gang opened fire on
the band members, murdering three.
In May, Mr McGirr appeared in a wheelchair at Dungannon Magistrates
Court charged with theft of the banner. At that time, he did not enter a
plea, instead electing to have the matter proceed to a higher court.
The continuing prosecution of the case against Mr McGirr comes after a
summer in which the PSNI were accused of acting in concert with loyalist
paramilitaries in other hate crimes. They helped erect banners in
support of the Bloody Sunday massacre soldier known as ‘Soldier F’.
The PSNI’s protection of the Somerville banner, an annual controversy,
is also in line with the force’s policing of this summer’s loyalist
bonfires. The PSNI caused a scandal after they backed down in the face
of UVF threats against the lives of contractors tasked with removing
bonfire material from a leisure centre at Avoniel in Belfast in July.
The PSNI agreed with loyalist figures, including one man alleged to be
the leader of the east Belfast UVF, to allow the bonfire to go ahead as
planned.
And this week, the PSNI were also seen to back away when UVF threatened
a contractor involved in work at a second leisure centre where sectarian
loyalist bonfires have taken place. The contractor was prevented from
building a perimeter fence at the site due to paramilitaty threats.
A group which claims to “mediate on behalf of ex-combatants formerly
linked to the East Belfast UVF” said they had been working find a
“solution”.
The PSNI refused to accept that threats had been made against the
contractors, even after one nationalist councillor described the
situation as “vile intimidation”.
A proposal for the current political situation by the Éire Nua U.S.
Campaign, which is seeking the support of the United States Congress and
House of Representatives to end the partition of Ireland.
The Treaty of 1921 that partitioned Ireland into two sectarian statelets
was, at worst, a betrayal of Irish aspirations and, at best, a temporary
solution to avoid an all-out war, as claimed by its signatories and
supporters. After nearly a century of political and economic chaos, it
is obvious that the Treaty was flawed, and is in fact the root cause of
the ongoing war. Therefore, it is now time to repeal the Treaty and
replace it with a new agreement wherein the British would concede Irish
sovereignty, thus clearing the way for the Irish people of both
traditions to unite in one free and independent nation.
To this end, Éire Nua is proposing the establishment of a Constituent
Assembly as the first step in the process. The proposed Assembly would
draft a new 32-county all-Ireland Constitution that would:
* establish political and popular sovereignty for the protection of
human rights and social justice;
* establish a new government structure based on a federation of the four
historic provinces of Ireland, and
* establish an independent judiciary.
The convening of a Constituent Assembly is a logical first step in a
process designed to bring peace, unity, and prosperity to Ireland. It
offers the prospect of a permanent solution, as opposed to the failed
Sunningdale, Hillsdale, GFA and St. Andrews initiatives put forward by
the British and Dublin governments. The proposal is not new, nor is it
radical. It is, in fact, similar in many respects to the 1787
Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia to draft a new
federal constitution for the emerging United States of America.
Since that time, many other emerging nations came into existence through
a similar process. A prime present-day example is South Africa, a
country where the vast majority of its people have been enslaved by a
descendant colonist minority. Many felt this situation would never
change, but South Africa today is a country in transition.
The road towards a peaceful Ireland is fraught with obstacles, inherent
and protected in the political and economic status quo. In this
climate, any proposal guaranteeing equal rights and opportunity to all
the people of Ireland is not welcome. The initiatives put forward by
the British and Dublin governments are minor revisions to the Treaty of
1921, primarily intended to perpetuate the status quo, and therefore
destined to end in failure.
The proposed Constituent Assembly would be representative of the whole
people of Ireland and would be elected by the suffrage of the adult
population. The Assembly’s sole function would be to draft a new
Constitution. The draft Constitution would then be submitted to the
people in referendum for acceptance or rejection. This open democratic
process would be more meaningful to the Irish people today than the
closed-door meetings held between the same politicians who have failed
the people so often in the past. All elements of Irish society would be
free to contest the election for the Assembly. This approach would
ensure that the relations of the Irish people with each other and with
the world at large would be determined through free an open debate.
In order for this process to succeed all politicians and political
parties, expressing an interest in or concern for Ireland’s future must
put aside their differences and participate for the common good. In
addition, all those individuals and political parties now excluded must
be included in the process and allowed access to the media. If for no
other reason, the Irish people deserve the opportunity to participate in
such a process.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians will join with Gaelic
Societies, great local Irish community
groups and parishioners in the strongly Irish Woodlawn-McLean area to host an
Irish language Mass on Saturday, September 7th, at noon. Fr. Brendan Fitzgerald,
will celebrate the Mass in Gaelic, followed by a brief installation ceremony
for newly elected Bronx County officers and refreshments.
Last year, under an initiative by New York State AOH
President Vic Vogel, the Bronx AOH hosted an Irish language Mass for the first
time. This year Irish-English translations of the liturgy will be made
available, so that anyone can read the prayers in English as they hear the Mass
said in Irish. A special musical program will include Sean Ruane, Doherty and
Lauren Tuffy. A representative of the Ladies AOH,Mary Hogan, will be available
to speak about reorganizing the LAOH in the Bronx.
The
Mass will be dedicated to all those who have kept the Irish language and
culture alive. To symbolize this theme, the AOH flyer depicts a Mass Rock where
Gaelic speakers gathered in
secret
to hear outlawed Masses said by outlawed priests in defiance of English penal
laws.
Bronx County AOH President Martin Galvin noted:
“The
Irish language is an important and indestructible part of our Irish heritage.
Measures to wipe out the Irish language began even before penal laws to wipe
out the Catholic religion in Ireland. Ireland’s cherished landmarks include Mass
Rocks, where Gaelic speakers risked death or imprisonment simply to worship.
Even today a simple Irish language Act is denied to six county nationalists.
”
As an organization formed to promote Irish ideals, culture, history and
national freedom, we can think of no more fitting way for AOH members to honor
Irish heritage than an Irish Mass embodying all of these themes.”
“There
has been a great response from AOH officers, Gaelic clubs, community groups and
individuals who would just like to hear the Mass said in the language of our
ancestors. St. Barnabas is fortunate enough to have a pastor like Fr.
Fitzgerald who can say the Mass in Gaelic.”
The
Mass will be held in the St. Barnabas High School Chapel,425 East 240TH Street
near the Bronx River Parkway, Deegan Expressway or Metro-North Railroad, on
Saturday September 7th at 12 noon. Everyone welcome!
A former British soldier accused of killing Aidan McAnespie more than 30 years ago has appeared in court.A hearing began this week to determine if David Holden, a former Grenadier Guardsman, is to stand trial. He is charged with unlawfully killing Mr McAnespie at a checkpoint in County Tyrone on February 21 1988.
The former soldier has appeared at Dungannon Magistrates Court for the first time. Seated behind him in the public gallery were around 50 family and friends of Mr McAnespie.
A man accompanying the accused was wearing a British military regimental blazer, and there was a heavy PSNI presence both inside and outside.
Mr McAnespie was shot as he walked through a British Army checkpoint in Aughnacloy on his way to a Gaelic football match. Three bullets were fired from a British Army machine gun.
A Preliminary Investigation is now underway and is being heard by District Judge Amanda Brady.
The contents of the hearing cannot be reported at this time. The McAnespie family have urged the public to refrain from making any public comment about the case on social media as to do so could affect the outcome of the upcoming trial.JOHNSON CRITICISED
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has challenged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to outline what steps he and his government are taking to implement agreements made on dealing with the legacy of the past.
She was speaking after calls by some unionists and Tories to change the definition of a victim in the north of Ireland, and to end prosecutions of members of the Crown Forces.
Ms O’Neill said the British government had failed to fully implement the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.
“Recent comments from Boris Johnson around investigations into the activities of current or former British state forces have caused great hurt to those bereaved by state violence,” she said.
“I have now written to Boris Johnson calling for the implementation in full of the Stormont House Agreement as a matter of urgency and making it clear that there can be no statute of limitation or amnesty for British state forces. No one can be above the law.”
She also said that politically partisan attempts by some unionists and Tories to change the definition of a victim were “a full frontal assault” on the Stormont House Agreement.
“In order to help those struggling with the legacy of the conflict, I also have made it clear once again to the British prime minister that a pension for all those seriously injured should be provided immediately and which contributes to healing all the wounds of the past.
“A collective focus on healing the wounds of the past is required and now is the time for action from the British government to make it happen.”
