Posted by Jim on March 2, 2019
The Belfast Agreement:
Twentieth Anniversary Issue
(Vol 10, No 2)
“I get down on my knees and do what must be do
And kiss Achilles’ hand, the killer of my son.”
Michael Longley, from “Ceasefire”
Our long-awaited historic issue will be released to the book trade in February. If you wish to receive it immediately, please subscribe now:
http://irishpages.org/subscribe/
Given the all-consuming Brexit crisis, the release of this issue, at this moment, seems perfect timing. Several contributors write powerfully about the interaction of The Belfast Agreement and Brexit. Further work has been sought in light of recent developments. The whole issue will be of high interest to all those in Ireland and Great Britain who are following this interlocking British constitutional crisis.
The issue consists of 42 notable literary writers, journalists and scholars commenting on the achievement of the Agreement itself as well as offering their views, feelings and experience of it over the past twenty years, including the present moment. The issue has been compiled through a mixture of invitation and public announcement, with most of the contributors from the North, or Northern-based. A certain number, however, are from outside Northern Ireland – the Republic and Great Britain – but these are writers whose work in the past has demonstrated a real interest in, and engagement with, the polity. Most of the writing is non-fiction, but a small amount of poetry, memoir and fiction directly relevant to the issue is included.
Most of the contributors are writers with a literary, journalistic or scholarly track-record, evinced by publication history and critical response. There are no politicians included, and only a number of journalists with book publication. A major consideration is careful balance: by genre of writer, gender, age, background, outlook, county and so forth. As such, given the range of the contributors, the whole issue constitutes a cultural and civic event of considerable contemporaneous relevance to the North, to the whole of Ireland, and to a Great Britain in the throes of Brexit.
Posted by Jim on
TO THE AMERICAN IRISH COMMUNITY AND THE IRISH DIASPORA WORLDWIDE
9am-10am: Dr. Miriam Nyhan hosts This Irish American Life from Glucksman Ireland House NYU on WNYE 91.5fm, irishradio.com and facebook/irishradio
10am-12.00pm: Adrian Flannelly Show on irishradio.comfacebook/irishradio
John Finucane, Finucane
Toner Law offices, Belfast, N. Ireland:
John is the son
of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane, 39, who was shot dead by loyalist
paramilitaries in front of his three children and wife Geraldine at their
home in north Belfast on February 12, 1989. In 2011, the UK Government
under then PM David Cameron finally admitted Finucane’s killers had acted
in collusion with British intelligence services, but no one has ever been
prosecuted. This week, 30 years since her husband’s murder, the
Supreme Court in London ruled that Mrs Finucane had indeed been given “an
unequivocal undertaking to hold a public inquiry into Mr Finucane’s
death”. The Investigation was “not effective”, thus paving the way for a
new inquiry.
Siobhan and Dan Dennehywill lead Peekskill’s
30th St. Patrick’s Day Parade as its Grand Marshals on Sunday March
9:
Siobhan, Director, Emerald
Isle Immigration Center has also been chosen as Aide-at-Large to Grand
Marshal Brian O’Dwyer for the NYC
St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday March 16th. Dan, a
frequent contributor to Adrian’s program, is Ancient
Order of Hibernians National Director & AOH National Immigration
Chair and Founding Chairperson of Hudson Valley Irish Center and Festival.
The
AOH, led by President Jim McKay and LAOH President Carol Sheyer, have
recently returned from a 9-day fact-finding mission to
Ireland.
Posted by Jim on March 1, 2019
FFAI report on trip to Ireland
FREEDOM for ALL IRELAND
HIBERNIAN FACT-FINDING MISSION CONCLUDES
Hibernians completed a highly publicized nine day fact-finding mission which included, a Ballymurphy Massacre Inquest session, receptions by Belfast and Derry Mayors, questioning Derry’s Unionist Deputy Mayor and eight Councillors, briefings on collusion, legacy justice, Brexit, Pat Finucane, Bloody Sunday and the Dalraidian environmental threat, as well as meetings and presentations to community groups. The Freedom for all Ireland (FFAI) delegation led by President Jim McKay and LAOH President Carol Sheyer included leading Hibernians from 13 states. They concluded in Dublin briefing Irish Foreign Service officials and making a commitment to bring the facts back to AOH and LAOH members across the country.
FINUCANE
The 37 member Hibernian delegation stopped at the border, where “Border Communities Against Brexit” members Damien McGinnity, Declan Fearon and John Sheridan catalogued the catastrophic threat of Brexit. Judge McKay presented a copy of Congressman Brendan Boyle’s Resolution on the issue and outlined the ongoing American efforts to support these communities.
The tour them moved to Belfast, escorted by Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice, to join the Finucane family for a vigil outside Pat Finucane’s home. Here Judge McKay spoke about “the special courage of the civil rights lawyer who continued to fight for justice despite death threats until he was murdered for doing so.”
BELFAST
The next morning the delegation, joined Ballymurphy Massacre victims’ families outside Laganside Court, where Judge McKay told reporters that “Hibernians across the United States had their eyes on that courtroom and were behind these families in their long fight for justice”. FFAI Chair Martin Galvin added that “if nationalists cannot get justice in a case where 11 victims included a priest and a grandmother, how could they expect justice in any case of British Army or collusion murder?”
Hibernians witnessed a court session marked more by deliberate British Ministry of Defense delays than testimony. AOH National Director Denny Parks, a court official, said “if anyone refused to comply with court orders in an American court the way
the British had, the case would be dismissed and someone jailed for contempt!” Solicitor Padraig Murray and Barrister Michael Mansfield gave an update to the delegation on the progress and deliberate delays in the proceedings.
The FFAI delegation were welcomed at a City Hall reception hosted by Mayor Deidre Hargey, where she spoke about the role of nationalists in the city. Here Judge McKay made the announcement that the prestigious AOH-LAOH MacBride Award would be presented to Fr. Gary Donegan for his work in the Ardoyne Houben Centre.
The delegates met that evening at the Felon’s Club with a number of community groups who have been supported by the AOH-LAOH Christmas Appeal.
BALLYMURPHY
The FFAI group returned the next day to Ballymurphy where campaign leader John Teggart , Carmel Quinn and other family members pointed out locations where loved ones were murdered.
The group then toured Republican graves at historic Milltown Cemetery escorted by Joe Austin and Brendan McFarlane of National Graves.
At An Culturlann that afternoon, author Richard O’Rawe spoke about his friend Gerry Conlon of the “Guildford Four”, Niall Murphy analyzed the political implications of the recent Belfast Forum, Andree Murphy and Mary McCallan of Relatives for Justice spoke about the unique problems faced by women during the conflict. Sean Murray gave a preview showing of his film UNQUIET GRAVES, along with Anne Cadwallader and Alan Brecknell.
DERRY
The delegation then moved to Derry. At the George McBrearty Mural in Creggan, Kevin Hasson of the Bogside Artists explained the impact of political murals and art in the city. With members of the McBrearty family hosting, Martin Galvin spoke about George McBrearty’s life as an example of what Republican commemorations and murals represent to people across the north.
At the nearby Mickey Devine Mural, former H-Block Blanketman Tony O’Hara gave an emotional personal recollection of his brother Patsy O’Hara’s death on Hunger Strike, while Bobby Sands’ former cellmate Thomas “Dixie Elliot” shared his personal memories of Bobby Sands, the song “Back Home in Derry” and another Hunger Striker cellmate Thomas McElwee.
Civil Rights leader, author and journalist Eamon McCann spoke on the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday and charged that the Saville Inquiry was unsatisfactory because it did not acknowledge the systematic cover-up begun almost immediately by the British Army.
The delegation raised this issue at the Guildhall or City Hall with Derry Mayor John Boyle. The FFAI group then had a spirited session with 8 Derry Councillors , led by Unionist Party Deputy Mayor Derek Hussey presiding joined by six Sinn Fein members and an Independent Republican. Mr. Galvin began the questions by noting that last time he “accompanied an American delegation requesting a meeting with the British or Unionists he got an exclusion order in reply.” The FFAI raised the question about Bloody Sunday cover-up posed by Eamon McCann, and asked the councillors what they would like to see from meeting an American FFAI delegation. The session had been scheduled to last 30 minutes but continued for 90.
The AOH-LAOH members went to the Museum of Free Derry, for a presentation on Bloody Sunday’s continuing legacy by John Kelly and today’s legacy and justice issues by Paul O’Connor of the Pat Finucane Center. They saw an exhibition on the Great Hunger hosted by Gerry O’Hara before finishing out the evening at Derry AOH hall.
LIAM RYAN
In Tyrone, the group, escorted by AOH County President Gerry McGeough climbed to the historic Mass Rock at the controversial Dalraidian gold mine site in the Sperrin Mountains. They visited the Republican Garden of Remembrance at Carrickmore with special mention of AOH member Ed Walsh who was killed in the 1916 Easter Rising and was affiliated with the American AOH Alliance and Hibernian Rifles.
At the Battery Bar Ardboe, the delegation saw the site where American citizen, and tour member Martin Galvin’s close friend, Liam Ryan, was murdered by off duty members of the British Army’s Ulster Defense Regiment in 1989, got a report about the investigation conducted into the case by Relatives for Justice and heard from Martin Mallon about the murder of his aunt Roseann Mallon with the same weapons. Francie McGuigan one of the Hooded Men spoke about what happened to him on beginning on the same day as the Ballymurphy Massacre.
The second day in Tyrone began with a tour of the historic Hill of O’Neill, stops at the Dungannon offices of the Republican ex-prisoner support group EALU and Relatives for Justice, and a discussion of legacy justice at Galbally Community Centre where relatives outlined a British strategy of “deny, delay and die.”
Tyrone AOH then hosted the delegation to a night that included two pipe bands, other musicians and presentations to several delegates.
DUBLIN
The FFAI spent its final two days in Dublin, participating in a 1916 Easter Rising Walking Tour with Lorcan Collins, and a talk on 1916 evening with author and historian Ruan O’Donnell at Pearse House. Independent TD Peadar Toibin was given an opportunity speak to delegates on his newly formed political party. The AOH-LAOH members were then hosted at Leinster House by Senator Billy Lawless before being welcomed to give a full briefing at Iveagh House to Irish Foreign Service officials in meetings organized by National Director Dan Dennehy and Treasurer Sean Pender.
AOH Freedom-for -all-Ireland Chair Martin Galvin noted:
” As many delegates said, the end of this tour is just the beginning of a greater national campaign. Members of this delegation from across the United States saw just how much American help is needed by those still denied freedom from British rule and suffer injustice. We were told again and again across the north that they count on Irish America and see the AOH-LAOH as their voice, in America.
“It is crucial now more than ever that we bring the facts we have seen back across America and do more nationally to support those still denied justice and freedom.”
Posted by Jim on February 28, 2019
“Sir Jeffrey Donaldson as a public representative is an absolute disgrace with the comments he made regarding the Finucane judgment in the Supreme Court. Once again, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refuses to back a victim of another State-backed murder.For the DUP, it does not matter if the victims are Unionist or Nationalist.
When the State is involved in collusion, the only Dup policies are to silence criticisms of victims and to provide no support for victims. When has the DUP called for a public inquiry into murders? When has the DUP supported Nationalist victims? When has the DUP supported Unionist victims of the State? Let’s not forger DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to release the money for inquests into legacy cases. The Finucanes and my family have fought for many years for truth and justice with no support from the DUP. Sir Jeffrey, please do not insult grieving families with your disgusting, pathetic remarks when families have the courage to stand up against the State and those who commit murder. My family learned a long time ago that the DUP does not care about victims, equality or truth and justice. As a father from the Unionist/Protestant community, whose eldest son, Raymond Jr., was murdered by UVF agents of the State, I ask:when if ever, will the DUP discard their sectarian brand of politics and their total lack of support of truth and justice for all victims?”
—Raymond McCord Victims campaigner North Belfast…. END OF McCORD STATEMENT.
DUP MP refuses to say if Pat Finucane family badly served by justice system – ‘Why give one case special attention over the rest’? Jonathan Bell. Belfast Telegraph. Thursday, February 28, 2019
The DUP’s Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dodged a question on if the Finucane family had been “badly served” by the justice system over investigative failures into the loyalist killing, saying he did not see why “one case should get special attention over and above any other”.
He was speaking a day after the Supreme Court ruled investigations into the 1989 shooting had not been effective in establishing the full facts of the case ruling they had not been compliant with human rights.
The court, however, did not recommend a public inquiry be held into the death.
Mr Finucane was gunned down as he sat with his family for Sunday lunch in his north Belfast home. An investigation by a former UN war crimes prosecutor Sir Desmond de Silva QC found “shocking” levels of state collusion involving the Army, police and MI5 but ruled out an “overarching state conspiracy”. Something the family described as a “whitewash”.
On the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was asked if the Finucane family had been “badly served” by the justice system.
He said: “Clearly the Finucane family feel very strongly about this.”
Pressed again on the matter, he added: “I think they have had much more opportunity to access justice than the vast majority of families.”
He was asked for a “simple answer” on the matter to which Sir Jeffrey said the system of justice had offered the family an inquiry under the inquiries act and which they had rejected.
We are entitled to say, what of all the other deaths?
He said he “did not accept” the family’s argument that offer did not go far enough in that it would possibly restrict the disclosure of information and on the calling of witnesses. Sir Jeffrey said the the family were “wrong” to refuse that offer.
“In the troubles in Northern Ireland there were over 3,000 deaths and the vast majority of people feel that they haven’t had the opportunity under the legacy process to have those deaths properly investigated or reviewed,” he said.
“Therefore we are entitled to say, what of all the other deaths? What of all the people who still haven’t had their cases reviewed? We need to look at this in the context of the legacy process itself.
“We believe it would be wrong to give one particular death special privilege or attention over all of the other deaths that have occurred.
Why this one and not others?
“What we need is agreement on how we move the legacy process forward and of course the death of Pat Finucane will be examined in that context just as will all of the other deaths.”
The MP was asked it was not important to highlight one case to demonstrate the failures and potentially encourage other probes into deaths.
“Why this one and not others?,” Sir Jeffrey asked.
“I could give you many, many other examples where families have so far been denied to have the opportunity to have the death of their loved ones reviewed under the legacy process.
“We are not going to get 3,000 public inquiries, with respect. In that case the legacy process would be unending and that is not what it proposed.”
It was put to him it would not be possible to hold investigations or inquiries into terrorist-related deaths as there would not be as much documentation or evidence as security forces related deaths would have.
Sir Jeffrey said some of those “arguing loudest” for an inquiry into the death of the solicitor – while making clear he was not talking about the Finucane family – “are people who have information that could help families of the victims of terrorism to get justice and they are denying it by withholding information”.
He was asked one final time if he he felt the family had been badly served by the justice system.
“I think the Finucane family have been offered the opportunity of an inquiry, under the inquiries act, they have declined that opportunity and I don’t see and I am not convinced and do not see the argument that says this case should be given the special attention over and above any other case.”
Posted by Jim on
NOTE ON MSKCC MALE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH STUDY
In regard to the recent Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center research program, please only call MSKCC for the study if you have been previously diagnosed with breast cancer. This study is only for patients with breast cancer. They are seeking diagnosed patients only to volunteer for the “Make-An-IMPACT” research initiative. To participate, please visit the website below and their clinical team will contact you. The goal is to understand how these rare cancers develop to accelerate medical care for the male breast cancer community. Sign Up: https://www.mskcc.org/research-programs/molecular-oncology/make-impact-volunteer-form. Contact Make-An-IMPACT Staff for questions and more information regarding the study: Bernadette Wolff, RN at 1-646-888-3886 or wolffb@mskcc.org.
FINDING JOHN BOOK PRESENTATION/SIGNING WITH AUTHOR AND FDNY L20 CAPTAIN ANDREW SERRA + FRIENDS OF FIREFIGHTERS RAFFLE
Join Friends of Firefighters (199 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231) on Tuesday, March 5, from 7:00-9:00 PM, for a FREE presentation and book signing with FINDING JOHN author and FDNY L20 Captain Andrew Serra. Part memoir, part investigative history, FINDING JOHN is the poignant, emotional story of Andrew Serra’s life in the months and years after September 11. Enjoy refreshments and raffle prizes, including the chance to win an iPad Mini! Click here to purchase a raffle ticket and your name will automatically be entered into the drawing. (Winner need not be present at the time of drawing.) Books sold at this event will go directly to supporting the important work being done at Friends of Firefighters and The Ray Pfeifer Foundation.
FREE MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP WITH RETIRED FDNY FF JON HENDERSON
“I highly recommend Jon’s class to anyone needing any sort of stress relief or a mild form of exercise to help them feel better.” -Sheliz Salcedo, Active FDNY FF. Join retired FDNY firefighter and certified Qigong instructor Jon Henderson for a FREE Mindfulness Workshop, held at Friends of Firefighters’ historic Red Hook firehouse (199 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231) on Thursday, March 14, from 7:00-9:00 PM. Jon will be sharing seated, standing and slow movement practices combined with deep breathing techniques to help quiet the mind. No experience or prior training needed, methods are designed for beginners and beneficial to all. Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and flat closed-toe shoes or sneakers. As space is limited, please RSVP with Friends of Firefighters by emailing info@friendsoffirefighters.org or calling 718-643-0080.