The nationalist SDLP has been condemned after it threatened to
discipline its councillors in Newry who failed to support moves to
rename a park in the town named for local hunger strike hero Raymond
McCreesh.
Raymond McCreesh died on hunger strike against the policy of
criminalising republicans in 1981. On Monday, a motion calling for
Newry, Mourne and Down council to remove McCreesh’s name from the park,
failed.
Unionists had put the motion forward, but an amendment by Sinn Fein
councillors was accepted instead. It argued that the council should
continue with a review into play facilities in the district, as agreed
at a meeting in December.
Unionists stormed out of the council chamber after the vote, furious
that the SDLP had not backed their motion to remove Raymond McCreesh
from the park’s name.
Independent unionist councillor Henry Reilly bellowed as he led
unionists out: “This is a republican council for republicans.” The Sinn
Fein-SDLP amendment passed by 24 votes to 10, with three abstentions.
Senior SDLP figure Claire Hanna has hit out at her colleagues. Hanna
said: “Particularly in week reflecting on the [Good Friday] Agreement
and celebrating the values in it, saddened by the vote in Newry. This
wasn’t a time for whataboutery and rushing to repeat mistakes of the
past. It was and is wrong to name a kids playground for anyone linked to
Kingsmill.”
His family have always denied, and no proof has ever emerged, to back
unionist claims that he is linked to the 1976 Kingsmill ambush, in which
ten Protestant workmen were killed.
Saoradh’s National Spokesperson Dee Fennell condemned suggestions that
the SDLP councillors involved would be disciplined by the party, but
said he was not surprise.
“Activists in the area are well accustomed to the Castle Catholic
attitude of this party, with the anniversary of local IRA Volunteer
Colum Marks this week immediately bringing to mind Eddie McGrady of the
SDLP saying that his shoot-to-kill murder was “a job well done”.
“With this revelation the SDLP, while claiming to be a non-sectarian
party that has inherited the civil rights movement’s ethos, has again
showed itself up to be the pro-establishment party it really is. While
their leadership refuses to wear Easter Lilies, they wear poppies.
“While they refuse to attend Republican commemorations, they attend
those organised by the Royal British Legion. While supporting the
censorship of Republicans, they encourage British Army recruitment in
schools.
“While saying armed groups should be consigned to the past, they have
supported both the RUC and PSNI for decades – the largest armed group of
all.
“Now their duplicity has extended to the naming of public places. While
the SDLP leadership failed to back one of it’s own councillors who
opposed the naming of a leisure centre in Newtownards after SAS
mercenary Blair Mayne, they have now decided to embark on a
criminalisation agenda against the H-Block Martyr and IRA Volunteer
Raymond McCreesh.
“Why are the SDLP leadership not campaigning for the renaming of a
multitude of landmarks across the Six Counties that are named after
imperial and colonial figures?”
Mr Fennell said the people of Newry were overwhelmingly in support of
the name.
“They recognise the reality that Raymond McCreesh was a hero. A
revolutionary. A blanketman. An IRA Volunteer. A man who gave up his
life for his friends, opposing criminalisation by giving up his life –
and now the SDLP seek to felon set him in death.
“The SDLP is dying. Losing support rapidly, even in their traditional
heartlands where they were bolstered by the anti-Republican rants of
prominent clergy. Their elected membership is abandoning them. Their
party is rudderless, counting down the days to either amalgamation with
a Free State establishment party against the wishes of many senior
members, or simply shutting up shop. Their search for relevance sees
them take contrary positions based on location rather than ideological
consistency.
“In a few short years, if not sooner, the SDLP will be a thing of the
past while the legacy of Raymond McCreesh will live on through those of
us who share his revolutionary ethos.”
Saoradh has vowed to resist the criminalisation of republicans
following a heavy-handed police arrest operation at offices shared by
the small political party on Monday.
A number of Saoradh members were arrested at the press conference at
Junior McDaid House on Chamberlain Street in the Bogside, which they
had called to condemn PSNI operations against them, including previous
arrests at the office.
To date, ten Saoradh members have been arrested and charged in
connection with the Easter Commemoration parade in Derry, which
featured a colour party in traditional military-style dress, with
masks.
Trouble broke out during parade on April 2, and petrol bombs were
hurled at police vehicles.
In his statement, spokesperson Joe Barr noted that Saoradh did not
organise the commemoration. He said that the men arrested at Junior
McDaid House on April 4 had been “charged with no evidence presented”
and now “face restrictive and draconian conditions placed on them by
the Crown Forces.
He said there had been a “provocative” approach taken by the PSNI ahead
of and during the march in Creggan. He also said that, even though the
previous year’s event had been officially notified, well marshalled and
had passed off without any incident, the Crown Forces “chose to arrest
17 Republicans for attending what was a peaceful Easter Commemoration”.
Mr Barr said questions needed to be asked about the actions of the PSNI
on the days leading up to the march and on the day itself. He noted
that a local parish priest in Creggan had been warned by the PSNI ahead
of the event that ‘if the parade wasn’t properly notified that the
Crown Forces would prevent the parade and arrest those taking part’.
Mr Barr said that this “provocative” warning coupled with a PSNI attack
two days earlier at the Republican Sinn Fein Easter commemoration in
Lurgan which also resulted in arrests “only heightened tensions on the
day in Creggan”.
He said: “The fact remains that the Crown Forces chose to ignore
neutral reasonable voices which suggested they implement a sensitive
and logical approach on the day, instead adopting a heavy and
aggressive presence which increased heightened tensions.”
However, the PSNI were clearly not listening, and Saoradh’s press
conference was only identified as an arrest opportunity. Prominent
anti-Stormont republican Thomas Ashe Mellon and another activist were
seized leaving the building and were subsequently dragged before a
court, accused of breaching previous draconian bail conditions barring
them from the office.
“Once the press conference was finished, British stormtroopers swamped
the surrounding area harassing Republicans and eventually lifting two
of those who took part in the press conference and another well
respected Republican,” Saoradh said.
They added: “Being a Republican is not a crime. Remembering Ireland’s
patriot dead is not a crime. Irish Republicans will not be
criminalised. The time is now, stand and be counted!”
In court, the PSNI described the Easter commemoration as an “unlawful
parade” and said that Junior McDaid House was “a republican base for
republican activists.”
Both men refused to recognise the court and remained seated when the
charge was read to them.
However, District Judge Barney McElholm said bail conditions had to be
“just and appropriate”, and said courts had to be aware of certain
rights like freedom of speech and assembly. He re-released Mr Mellon on
bail with his bail conditions reduced, to applause from supporters.
The headquarters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party were raided by
the PSNI police on Friday in the latest show of strength by the Crown
forces against republicans in Belfast and Derry.
Journalists and camera crews had been tipped off in advance to be on the
scene in west Belfast for the operation since early morning, as PSNI
began raiding homes and provoking members of the IRSP. A large-scale
military operation subsequently descended on the IRSP offices in full
view of the cameras, and one voluntary office worker was arrested.
Smear allegations of criminal activity against the Irish Republican
Socialist Movement were released by the PSNI to television networks and
were angrily rejected.
Accusations of prostitution and “human trafficking” were directed by the
PSNI against a Romanian man who they claim had links to the IRSM.
In a statement, the IRSP said the allegations had been concocted by
British Military Intelligence (MI5) and “designed to discredit the party
as part of recent moves to implement fresh start aims to wipe
alternative republican thinking from the political stage”.
“By mid afternoon it had become clear that a full-scale attempt to
criminalise and demonise the Irish Republican Socialist Movement was
under way,” they said.
“The Irish Republican Socialist Movement is happy to confirm that they
know nothing of this individual, nor is the movement involved in any way
shape or form, with prostitution, human trafficking or extortion.
“Tonight, the IRSP headquarters remains occupied by hostile British
troops under the guise of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, our
members have been unlawfully prevented from observing the search take
place and our solicitors have written to the office of the Chief
Constable demanding an explanation for this unlawful action. Other
members of the IRSP are in Police custody and we expect more raids to
follow.”
The party linked the raids to its recent efforts to prevent an eviction
of a single mother in the Lower Falls area.
“The Republican Socialist Movement are confident of the reasons for
today’s psychological attacks,” they said.
“The stated aim of the Fresh Start Agreement was to wipe from the stage
of Irish politics all traces of alternative republican thinking. MI5
know that the IRSP has re-organised into a vibrant and confident party
in recent years and are determined to smash that momentum.
“The IRSP state clearly that in this aim, MI5 and their stooges in the
PSNI will fail. Tonight the attacks on our party are ongoing. We will
release a full statement in due course.”
RADIO FREE EIREANN will broadcast this Saturday APRIL 14th on WBAI Radio 99.5FM or WBAI.ORG at 12 noon-1pm New York time or 5pm-6pm in Ireland, or anytime after the program on WBAI.ORG – Archives
Twenty years after the Good Friday agreement, architects including, George Mitchell,former President Clinton and Tony Blair gathered in Belfast for a week long series of celebratory events. ANTHONY McINTYRE,author of GOOD FRIDAY-The Death of Irish Republicanism will look back on his predictions at the time and give analysis of what the agreement and ceremonies mean today.
GEORGE McLAUGHLIN,will recount the amazing story of American organized Catalpa escape and rescue of Irish Fenian prisoners from Australia in 1876 back to safety in the United States,and the successful campaign to put headstones on the graves of two of these rescued Fenians , THOMAS DARRAGH and ROBERT CRANSTON,which will be unveiled on May 5th in Philadelphia.
We will have another update information on the April 24th event in ALBANY, which will now include formal resolutions in the New York State Senate and Assembly honoring the centennial of Ireland’s 1918 Vote for Freedom which gave a democratic mandate to the Easter Rising and Proclamation as well as announcements about other Easter Commemorations.
Irish superstitions. It may be silly, but there are precautions you can take to ward off bad luck – and the Irish are big believers in this kind of caution.
Superstitious or not, almost everyone takes note when it’s Friday the 13th. People are more careful crossing the road, pouring hot coffee, or walking down the stairs. It may be silly, but it’s all to ward off bad luck, and the Irish are big believers in this kind of caution.
On Friday the 13th some people even take to their beds or refuse to leave the house. Believe it or believe it not this behavior is actually a diagnosed phobia of Friday the 13th called “Paraskevidekatriaphobia.”
It’s not certain where the superstition about Friday the 13th comes from, but one of the most common theories is that there were 13 people at the Last Supper and Christ died on Good Friday, hence Friday the 13th. There are also Spanish, Norse and Old English theories, but this is one of the most quoted.
There’s not much you can do about Friday the 13th, but there are some old Irish superstitions you can take note of to avoid some bad luck. You never know but they might come in handy and allow you avoid a little extra pain coming into the weekend.
Superstitions on death
– If you trip and fall in a graveyard you will most likely die by the end of the year.
– If you meet a funeral on the road you must turn and walk with the funeral party for at least four steps to ward off bad luck.
– If you open your front door and are greeted by a magpie and it looks at you there is absolutely nothing you can do – this is a sure sign of death.
Animal superstitions
– A black cat crossing your path is very bad luck. To counteract this make a triangle shape using your thumbs and forefingers and spit at the cat through the hole. This will also work when you accidentally walk under a ladder.
Rawr!! A black cat crossing your path is very bad luck.
– If a rooster comes to the threshold of your house and crows then you can expect visitors.
– If you see three magpies on the road it is very unlucky, but if you see two of them on your right-hand side then that it’s good luck.
If you kill a robin redbreast you will never have any good luck again.
– If the first lamb of the year is black then someone in the family will die within a year.
– If you meet a magpie, a cat or a woman with a limp while you’re on a trip it is bad luck.
– Never ask a man going fishing where he is going.
– If you find a horseshoe and nail it to the door it will bring good luck. This will not work if the shoe is bought or given as a gift by someone else.
If you find a horse shoe and nail it to the door it will bring good luck.
Random superstitions
– It is not safe to pick up an unbaptized child unless you make the sign of the cross.
– If you stand up and your chair falls over you’re in for bad luck.
– If you own a four-leafed clover you will have good luck in racing, and witchcraft will have no power over you. However, you must always have it with you. You cannot pass it on to another owner, and under no circumstances should you show it to anyone.
f you own a four-leafed clover you will have good luck in racing, and witchcraft will have no power over you.
– If the palm of your hand itches you’re going to come into some money. If it’s your elbow you will be changing beds. If your ear feels hot someone is talking about you. If it’s your nose that’s itchy you are going to have a fight with the person nearest to you. To remedy this punch them in the arm and shake them by the hand. Fight over!
– Handing someone a knife is bad luck. Always put it on the table in front of them never in their hand.
– If you get your shirt wet while you’re washing the dishes you will marry a drunk.
