Posted by Jim on July 30, 2017
Dr Andy Bielenberg says new evidence does not support thesis that Protestants were targeted in county
Irish Times. Dublin. Sunday, July 30, 2017
New evidence from Cork does not support the thesis the IRA engaged in a sectarian campaign during the War of Independence, a history conference has heard.
Dr Andy Bielenberg of the School of History at University College Cork told the inaugural West Cork History Festival that his research with Prof James Donnelly of the University of Wisconsin on the IRA killing of suspected spies and informers in Cork did not suggest sectarianism was a factor.
Dr Bielenberg acknowledged the pioneering role of the late Dr Peter Hart in his 1998 work ‘The IRA and Its enemies: Violence and Community in Cork 1916-1923’ in setting the tone for much historical research over the past two decades but said it needed to be revised in the light of new data.
In his work, Dr Hart concluded from events in West Cork, particularly the killing of 13 Protestant men in the Bandon Valley in April 1922 after the truce, that the IRA had waged a sectarian campaign against Protestants across all of Cork, alleging that they were informers.
“Looking over the whole span of the revolution (in Co Cork) we can see that the main themes of the West Cork massacre (in April 1922)- conspiracy theories, land and sectarian vengeance were prefigured in the execution of ‘informers’ carried out in the previous two years,” wrote Dr Hart.
But Dr Bielenberg said that their research for the Cork Fatality Register into the shooting dead of 71 suspected spies by the IRA in Cork between 1919 and 1921 did not support Dr Hart’s contention that most of the suspected spies were innocent or that sectarianism was a factor in their killing.
• De Valera, Collins ‘never republicans’, West Cork History Festival told
“His conclusion in this respect depends too much on a British military assessment of one month – February 1921, the peak month of the conflict,” said Dr Bielenberg, adding they had gathered a wider range of information than was available to Dr Hart and therefore had a more rounded picture.
He explained that Dr Hart’s conclusion that the sectarianism behind the Bandon Valley killings of April 1922 was already evident in the IRA killings of suspected spies and informers in Co Cork over the preceding two years from early 1920 was not supported by their findings.
Dr Hart had concluded that Protestants, ex- soldiers and those described as tramps or tinkers made up 14 per cent of informants, 27 per cent of suspects and 67 per cent of those shot but ex-soldiers and Protestants were very different categories.
But Dr Bielenberg said his research with Prof Donnelly found that of the 71 civilian suspects killed by the IRA during the War of Independence in Cork, 40 (63 per cent) were either ex British service men or ex-RIC and that only six of these were Protestants whereas 69 per cent of those killed were Catholics.
“This prior connection with crown forces was by far the most notable feature of those targeted, rightly or wrongly, by the IRA in the War of Independence, and Protestants constituted a tiny share of this particular group, In short, this targeted group was certainly not a story about sectarianism.”
While some 10 Protestants were killed during the period in the No 3 Cork Brigade West Cork area on suspicion of being spies, by far the greatest number of spies was killed in the No 1 Cork City Brigade area where some 43 suspects (61pc) were killed and 75pc of these were Catholics.
“There is simply no basis for the sectarian argument here (Cork city) or indeed in North Cork (No 2 Brigade area) so taking the county as a whole, the sectarian thesis is simply a non-runner,” said Dr Bielenberg, adding there was a general overemphasis on the role of West Cork in the conflict.
“Hart has therefore read too much into the Dunmanway (Bandon Valley) Massacre of April 1922, and he has assumed wrongly that the killings in the preceding two years could also simply be categorised as a sectarian precursor to that event.
“The core finding of our research is that most typical type of suspected spy and informer killed by the IRA in the War of Independence were not Protestant farmers killed for agrarian or sectarian reasons but working class Catholic ex-soldiers
“It’s fair to say the conflict in Cork was certainly a fairly dirty campaign on both sides . . . but our profile of suspected spies and informers killed by the Cork IRA during the War of Independence certainly does not support the contention the IRA campaign in Cork was a sectarian one.”
Posted by Jim on
Loyalists marched through a mixed community in south Belfast on Friday
night in a show of strength in tribute to notorious UDA paramilitaries
linked to a string of sectarian atrocities.
The parade through residential streets off Ormeau Road was held for the
23rd anniversary of the death of Joe Bratty and Raymond Elder. The pair
were involved in a massacre at Sean Graham bookmakers along the same
street in 1992 in which five Catholics were killed.
The march had been restricted by the Parades Commission from several
streets including Ormeau Road. However, loyalist paramilitary flags were
flown from lampposts on Blackwood Street where the parade started –
flouting parade rules against paramilitary trappings.
Before the march began, two photographers standing on the street were
pushed and threatened by men who told them to leave the area and not to
take pictures.
The police, who were stationed at several points along the parade route,
made no attempt to intervene.
About ten bands took part in the march, which set off shortly after
7.15pm and finished on Haywood Drive at a controversial memorial garden
funded by the Housing Executive.
The parade was first held in 2014 after the housing body spent eleven
thousand pounds building the monument. A plaque bearing Bratty and
Elder’s names was subsequently fixed to the memorial. The Housing
Executive has since rejected calls to remove the structure.
The organiser of the latest march admitted a tribute to Bratty and Elder
was again taking place at the memorial.
SDLP South Belfast MLA Claire Hanna had branded the parade “offensive”,
while Alliance councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown called it a
“coat-trailing exercise”.
FASCISTS JOIN LOYALIST PROTEST
A far-right group meanwhile said it intends to join loyalists in a
‘counter-protest’ against a civil rights parade in Belfast city centre
next weekend.
A loyalist “anti-terrorism march” is due to take place at the same time
as the anti-internment parade is being organised by republicans and
progressivists.
The organisers of the annual anti-internment parade, the Anti-Interment
League, plan to march from north Belfast through the city centre on
Sunday August 6 before making their way to a rally at Dunville Park in
the west of the city. Up to 5,000 people are expected to take part.
A rival event is to be addressed by Britain First leader Paul Golding
and his deputy Jayda Fransen, who promote themselves as “pro-British,
anti-Islamic, anti-immigration”.
Golding was jailed for eight weeks last year after breaching a High
Court ban on him entering any mosques in England and Wales.
One of the group’s founders was Jim Dowson, a Scottish loyalist who
lives in the North and at one time was close to Golding. Dowson and
Golding were also linked to the Protestant Coalition, which emerged from
the loyalist flag protests.
Anti-Internment League spokesman Dee Fennell met with the Parades
Commission, which has the power to adjudicate on contentious parades and
is still considering both events.
He said that parade organisers have voluntarily agreed to start earlier
and have reduced the number of bands taking part to five.
He expressed concern at the possibility of a “perverse situation where
republicans marching on a human rights issue will be banned” while
far-right leaders are “seemingly able to travel to Belfast from Britain
and have a free rein”.
Posted by Jim on
By Cait Trainor (for Damn Your Concessions)
Over the last few months I think we have all noticed the upsurge in IRA
membership charges facing Republicans in the 26 Counties, it seems every
other day someone is up in the Special Criminal Court; and this year
alone we have seen a number Republicans convicted and sent to Portlaoise
prison to serve sentences of a few years or more.
As Republicans we keep a keen eye on such developments, many of the
people facing these charges will be friends of ours, for some of you,
they may even be your family. The general public is apathetic towards
such things and is not aware of the high number of people charged, in
their mind the war is over, the jails are full of criminals, there are
no Political Prisoners. How the truth would shatter their illusions.
In the 32 Counties of Ireland, we have over 70 current Political
prisoners; this does not take into account the scores of people on bail
awaiting trial. Within this number we have people such as Tony Taylor,
interned without trial, no charges levied at him at all, and also the
widely accepted miscarriage of justice which is the Craigavon two. What
I don’t see being spoken about too much is the onslaught of IRA
membership charges; surely this is a campaign in itself?
A few weeks back I decided to look into the volumes of people facing IRA
membership charges, active cases not those who have already been
convicted. I found over 20 individuals who had active cases pending.
This shocked me, I like to believe that I am very up to date on all
cases, I knew about them individually but when they were put together as
a group the sheer volume was startling.
It is clear to me that IRA membership charges are being brought against
Republican activists in an attempt to censor them, in an attempt to
hamper the good work they are doing. Any Republican can be arrested and
charged with IRA membership, all it takes is the “belief” of a Chief
Superintendent. No evidence need be provided just simply the “belief” of
one person. When the charged person eventually gets to court; and the
Superintendent is questioned on their “belief” they have in the past
used privilege, in other words, secret information. Essentially you can
be arrested, charged and convicted of IRA membership without having any
specific allegation or evidence ever given to justify it.
If any such evidence did exist it would, of course, be provided by
informers, these class of people who are open to the highest bidder and
will say anything a person wants to hear in order to get paid. When
information, if it exists at all, is secret, it removes your fundamental
right to defend yourself; you cannot address what you do not know.
To add insult to injury the Court used for IRA membership is not a
normal court, these cases are heard in the Special criminal court, which
is a non-jury Diplock court presided over by 3 judges.
Let us look for a moment at the Garda Siochana, the police force who
brings these charges, the people who we are supposed to believe act with
such integrity that their word should be taken on accusations without
evidence.
This Police force has been dogged by scandals in recent years,
information from Whistle-blowers have exposed their blatant abuse of
power, from annulling thousands of penalty points for influential people
to recording nearly 1 million phantom alcohol breath tests on the
system, just to be clear recording test results that never actually
took place.
In the not so distant past, the Morris Tribunal was set up to
investigate Garda The tribunal investigated allegations of wrongdoing
and corruption in the Donegal division and ran from 2002 to 2008. It
concluded that Gardai in Donegal had fabricated explosives finds and had
planted firearms in order to justify the arrests of targeted people. It
also found some members had fabricated informants and intelligence
received.
This is just a brief mention of some of the more familiar scandals that
have emerged about an Garda Siochana, these are the same people who
arrest Republicans and put them on trial, the only thing needed is the
Word of a Garda Chief Superintendent. Now ask yourself is the “belief”
of a Superintendent in this force reputable? If they are prepared to lie
about breath tests, they are surely prepared to lie in high profile
court cases.
It would appear to me that the onslaught of charges against Republicans
is more corruption from the Gardai; they are once more abusing their
position of power to put away those who challenge the status quo, those
who are seen to be “dissidents”, those who are seen to be a problem. In
the recent and ongoing Jobstown Trial, had the defendants been subject
to the same kind of trial as those on IRA membership charges; Paul
Murphy and others would most certainly be in jail.
We must now look at these cases collectively, the people charged may be
from different organisations, indeed some are independent Republicans,
all, however, are victims of a corrupt Police force intent on quashing
any kind of Political dissident.
As more and more cases come to Court I believe we must up the ante in
our support, we have to be more vocal and expose what is going on, at
any time it could me you or me facing these charges, if we can do
nothing for the people currently facing charges, at least we can let the
state know we are aware of what is happening and that the jig is up!
Posted by Jim on
The widow of murdered defence lawyer Pat Finucane has been granted
permission to take her bid for a public inquiry into his death to the
highest court in England.
The 39-year-old Catholic was shot by loyalist paramilitaries, operating
in collusion with the British state, in front of his young family at
their home in Belfast in February 1989.
Geraldine Finucane is challenging former Prime Minister David Cameron’s
decision not to hold a public inquiry. She has described a 2012 report
commissioned by the British government as a “whitewash” and has pointed
out that a previous administration – Tony’s Blair’s Labour government –
had promised a public inquiry would be held.
Earlier this year, her long-running legal challenge was dismissed by the
Court of Appeal in Belfast. It ruled ministers were entitled to ignore
the promises of previous governments.
But on Wednesday afternoon, the family were notified that a committee of
Supreme Court Justices have granted Mrs Finucane permission to appeal
against the Tories refusal to honour their commitment to a public
inquiry.
Peter Madden, of Madden and Finucane, said: “The only way that the full
truth about Pat’s murder can be firmly established, and the extent to
which a policy of extra-judicial assassination of which Pat was a victim
was authorised by government, is by a full transparent public inquiry
where witnesses and documents are subject to intense scrutiny.
“We will seek to persuade the Supreme Court at the hearing of this
appeal that David Cameron acted unlawfully in refusing a public inquiry
and that the court should quash his decision.”
John Finucane said the family was delighted with the court’s “very
significant” decision.
“Our argument has obviously resonated with the court that they feel
these questions do warrant a full hearing and our family’s position is
very clear,” he told BBC radio.
“We believe there remain many unanswered questions into the
circumstances surrounding the murder of my father. The entire
methodology of [the 2012 de Silva report] is something that should
rightfully be criticised.
“What we were promised by the British government, along with other
families, was that if a judge found that there was enough evidence to
warrant a public inquiry, the relevant government would conduct and
enact that inquiry.”
He pointed out that promised public inquiries had gone ahead in other,
less controversial cases. “The only case that sits on the shelf is that
of my father,” he said.
MOUNT VERNON COLLUSION
The PSNI meanwhile have been given a final deadline to disclose all
relevant police files in a major High Court action over alleged
collusion with a loyalist paramilitary agent suspected of up to 15
murders.
The agent is identified in the case only as ‘Informant 1’.
A judge warned that failure to adhere to deliver the files by October 1
will result in him striking out the PSNI’s defence to a claim brought by
a north Belfast man who survived two attempts on his life by a police
agent who was acting in collusion with the unionist paramilitary UVF.
John Flynn, 57, is suing the PSNI over murder bids carried out by the
agent who operated in the Mount Vernon area of Belfast. Mr Flynn’s
action was triggered by the findings of Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan
that some Special Branch officers colluded with loyalist killers.
As part of the lawsuit Mr Flynn’s lawyers are continuing to seek access
to PSNI documents. They argued a police admission of partial liability
was a tactical move to avoid handing over all files on the informant and
cover over the full extent of alleged collusion.
An affidavit filed by Mr Flynn claimed the RUC/PSNI either failed to
arrest the agent for the murders and other crimes or else conducted
“sham” interviews, despite knowing he was a leading UVF figure.
Rejecting a police application for more time to meet discovery
obligations, Mr Justice Stephens said: “Years have passed without
compliance and there is no clear acceptable plan for future compliance.”
Posted by Jim on
Police chiefs frustrated investigation into Glennane Gang killings, Belfast court rules
Irish Times. Dublin. Friday, July 28, 2017
Police chiefs unlawfully frustrated any chance of an effective investigation into suspected state collusion with a loyalist gang behind more than 100 murders, the High Court in Belfast ruled today.
A judge held that victims’ families were denied in their legitimate expectation that the now-defunct Historical Enquiries Team (HET) would publish an overarching thematic report on the so-called Glennane Gang’s killing spree throughout the 1970s.
Among the crimes attributed to the Glennane Gang include some of the most notorious killings of The Troubles committed in the Republic, most notably the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974 that killed 33 people, including a woman who was nine months pregnant.
A draft HET report into alleged security force collaboration with the killers was said to have been 80 per cent finalized before being shelved. Relatives want to have police compelled to complete the full investigation and publish the findings.
Mr. Justice Treacy said: “The chief constable in halting that process which had been openly promised and which was acknowledged to be essential to the HET’s purpose has turned his back on a potentially rich source of evidential opportunities.
“The decision frustrates any possibility of an effective investigation which would fulfil the Article 2 (of the European Convention on Human Rights) duty which now arises and has foreclosed any possibility that the Artile 2 duty will be fulfilled.”
Lawyers were given until the start of September to try to agree on the appropriate form of relief in the case.
Up to 40 bereaved relatives packed into the courtroom to discover they had won their case. Judicial review proceedings were brought in the name of Edward Barnard. Mr Barnard’s 13-year-old brother Patrick was among four people killed in a St Patrick’s Day bomb attack on the Hillcrest Bar in Dungannon in March, 1976. Five years later Dungannon UVF member Garnet James Busby was convicted after admitting his role in the attack.
The gang, based at a farm in Glenanne, Armagh allegedly contained members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Defense Regiment. Up to 120 murders in nearly 90 incidents in Mid Ulster and Irish Border areas are under scrutiny.
Miami Showband Massacre
They include murders such as the 1975 Miami Showband Massacre, when three members of the popular group were taken from their tour bus and shot dead on a country road in Banbridge, Co Down; and the Step Inn pub bombing in Keady a year later, which claimed the lives of two Catholics.
The gang is also suspected of bombing Kays Tavern on Crowe Street in Dundalk that killed two men in December 1975, the explosion outside the Three Star Inn in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan in March 1976 that left one man dead and the murder of IRA man John Francis Green in January 1975.
A draft HET report into alleged security force collaboration with the killers was said to have been 80 per cent finalized before being shelved.
Mr. Barnard and other relatives want to have police compelled to complete the full investigation and publish the findings.
During the hearing his barrister said documents in the case revealed Busby named two other suspects who allegedly took the bomb to the bar. He argued that the development represented fresh evidence in the case.
Counsel for the chief constable insisted it would be an unnecessary step to force police to finalize an overarching report he claimed had yielded no new investigative opportunities.
In his judgement the judge held that a package of measures for ensuring the independence of the HET, agreed by a Committee of Ministers in 2009, began to be “dismantled” a year later. In 2010 operation of the HET — which had its own £34 million budget — and all cases with potential evidential opportunities was transferred to the PSNI.
Four years later the PSNI established its Legacy Investigations Branch (LIB) to take over from the HET amid severe budgetary pressures. The LIB’s ability to continue its predecessor’s work is undermined by reduced resources, significantly reduced scope and lack of independence, according to the judge.
He pointed out how the HET had repeatedly pledged to analyze the Glenanne series of atrocities separately and complete a report. “The unfairness here is extreme — where the applicant had believed that the murder of his brother would finally be considered in context for the purposes of discovering if there was any evidence of collusion in the murder, that process is now completed and will not be taken up by any other body,”
The judge said: “It has completely undermined the confidence of the families whose concerns are not only still unresolved but compounded by the effects of the decisions taken by the then chief constable.”