Posted by Jim on May 9, 2016
● Mary Lou McDonald TD at the centenary commemoration for 1916 leader and Proclamation signatory Seán Mac Diarmada
» Seán Mac Brádaigh
FINE GAEL AND FIANNA FÁIL need to recognise that Ireland does not stop at the Border, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald TD said on Sunday at the 100th anniversary commemoration for 1916 leader and Proclamation signatory Seán Mac Diarmada in the patriot’s home village of Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim.
The Sinn Féin deputy leader also said that the new Fine Gael-led Government had better realise that Sinn Féin aimed at tearing down the Ireland that had failed so many citizens and to building a real Republic in its place.
Mary Lou McDonald said:
“The ideals of the Proclamation will remain unfulfilled while our country is still partitioned.
“Partition has created false divisions. The artificial border – just over 100 metres from where we are standing – for decades cut the village of Kiltyclogher off from its natural hinterland.
“This border was not created by the democratic will of the Irish people, but under a threat from the British of ‘immediate and terrible war’.
“This border has separated families, farmlands and communities.
“How would Seán Mac Diarmada feel about the country he died for, still being partitioned 100 years after the Easter Rising?
“In many of the state commemorations of 1916, it seemed that for many in ‘Official Ireland’ our country ends 150 yards from the statue of Seán Mac Diarmada here in Kiltyclogher.
“Well, if we send one message from here today today to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, it is that Ireland does not end at Newry or at Kiltyclogher. Ireland is all of our 32 counties and the Proclamation of 1916 is for all of our people.”
● Seán Mac Diarmada
The Sinn Féin deputy leader told the huge crowd in Leitrim Border town that the men and women of 1916 would have readily understood the republican struggle in the North of recent decades, and would have identified with the brave men who sacrificed their all on the 1981 Hunger Strike, the 35th anniversary of which coincides with the 1916 Centenary.
Pointing to the harsh conditions in Leitrim during Seán Mac Diarmada’s youth, she said that Leitrim and other counties had continued to suffer from emigration and neglect:
“Leitrim, like much of rural Ireland, has been hard-hit in recent years by a decline in public and commercial services. Rural communities have lost local hospitals, Garda stations, post offices and vital transport links.”
This, Mary Lou said, was not the type of Ireland that those who went out in 1916 had fought for. Sinn Féin she said wished to create a new, equal Ireland and that the Government and Fianna Fáil need to realise that:
“Sinn Féin is absolutely serious about tearing down Ireland as it has been and replacing it with a real Republic of fairness, decency and equality.”
Posted by Jim on
Amnesty International has accused the Stormont Executive of denying
justice by blocking funds for a series of inquests into conflict-related
killings.
DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster confirmed she had vetoed
funds for a backlog of inquests connected to the conflict, while Sinn
Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness declined to say if he had
been aware of Foster’s action.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s director in the Six Counties, said: “Justice
delayed is justice denied.”
The inquests are connected to direct state killings such as the
Ballymurphy massacre of 1971, when British soldiers shot dead 11
civilians, the ambush of eight IRA men at Loughgall, but also many acts
of state collusion, such as the loyalist murder of GAA official Sean
Brown in County Derry
The North’s Chief Justice, Declan Morgan, signed off a request for
funding for the inquests, which cover about 80 deaths, but this request
was blocked due to DUP opposition on the Stormont executive.
Mr Corrigan criticised that decision. “Here we have scores of families
who have been denied even inquests for decades now into the deaths of
their loved ones,” he said.
“They deserve those inquests, have a right to them, and such rights
shouldn’t become bargaining chips in some kind of political game and
that seems to be what’s going on,” he added.
The issue arose in a television debate before Thursday’s assembly
elections after it became public earlier in the week.
Foster said she was surprised that the business of the Stormont
executive was being discussed in the news, but defended the decision to
block the cash for the inquests.
“There has been an imbalance in relation to state killings as opposed to
paramilitary killings,” the first minister said.
DUP Deputy leader Nigel Dodds later said the inquests would cost too
much.
“This proposal would have cost more than anticipated and would have
seriously impacted on the ability of the Executive to address the needs
of innocent victims,” he said.
FAMILIES HIT OUT
Briege Voyle, whose mother was shot by British soldiers in Ballymurphy
in August 1971, said it was “another slap in the face to victims’
families”.
“This is a disgrace. Arlene Foster is effectively preventing the truth
about 95 deaths,” she said.
“Is she now saying she doesn’t want the truth coming out about what
happened to two police officers and innocent civilians from both
unionist and nationalist communities murdered by paramilitaries?”
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said the British government has a responsibility
to fund legacy inquests.
“It needs to face up to its responsibilities and provide adequate
funding for legacy inquests and investigations so families can have
access to truth,” he said.
Among those who welcomed the announcement of the inquests at the time
was the daughter of Joseph Corr, who died in the Ballymurphy Massacre.
“The Lord Chief Justice really gave the families in the room that day
hope, and there wasn’t just the Ballymurphy families, there were loads
of victims,” said Eileen McKeown. “We really felt on a high that this
man, the Lord Chief Justice, was on our side.”
She said the news was very disappointing for the families of victims.
“People have to put themselves in our situation,” she said. “We get one
step forward and then ten steps back.
“When we saw the Hillsborough families last week on the news, as before
when we saw the Bloody Sunday families, every time we see that happening
we think our inquest is going to be next. Then the British government
steps in, and the executive, and knock it all for six.”
Joseph Corr’s son was with him on the day he was killed. He is now
seriously ill in hospital and the family fears this delay means he will
not see the outcome of the inquest.
“We don’t think he has much longer to live,” said Michael Corr. “I
always promised him that before he died, the Ballymurphy case would be
closed. Now I feel as if I am letting him down.”
Posted by Jim on
Levels of Crown force harassment have jumped in the Derry City and
Strabane area following the arrest of fifteen people at the funeral of
former republican prisoner Mickey Barr in Strabane on Thursday.
The 35-year-old, a former member of the vigilante group Republican
Action Against Drugs, was shot dead by a criminal gang in a Dublin pub
last week. The ‘new IRA’ has claimed Mr Barr was a member but have
denied he was involved in the ongoing gangland feud in Dublin, which has
so far cost six lives.
At his funeral, around a dozen men took part in a uniformed colour party
and accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church. Black
flags were also placed on lampposts along part of the route while a
black beret and gloves were placed on top of the coffin which had been
draped in an Irish tricolour.
The PSNI said the men had been detained under the ‘Terrorism Act’ and
described the funeral as a “paramilitary display”. Three cars also
seized as part of the operation, which has now also seen a number of
homes in the area raided.
Colour parties have featured at several other recent Easter Rising
commemorations, all of which were allowed to proceed without PSNI
interference. Similar funerals, both republican and loyalist, have also
taken place in the past year without direct police action.
At this week’s funeral, however, the PSNI adopted tactics more like
those witnessed during republican funerals of the late 1980s, when riot
police moved in and arrested men at the scene, provoking serious
disorder.
Jonathan Craig, a DUP representative on the Policing Board, welcomed the
PSNI’s new ‘hardline’ approach to republican funerals.
“I think is this likely to change the public’s perception. The
perception was that police were treating illegal republican parades
differently to other parades.”
HARASSMENT
There has been aggressive Crown force activity elsewhere in Derry this
week, including a failed MI5 recruitment bid that has been recorded on
video and now uploaded to the internet.
And in a separate development, a taxi driver in the city has said he has
been forced to quit his job following intense PSNI harassment.
Ciaran Hassan said that the PSNI stopped him last Monday morning as he
made his way to the Derry courthouse where he was due to take part in
jury service. It was just the latest in an ongoing campaign of
harassment which he said began six years ago, after he was arrested and
held for two days without being charged.
The 42-year-old said that over that period, he was stopped and searched
so many times by PSNI that he gave up his job as a taxi driver, as the
frequency of their detentions meant he could not do his job.
“It’s gotten to the stage where it’s just ridiculous,” he said. “On
Monday morning I was walking up Fahan Street on my way to the courthouse
and two police officers stopped under the Prevention of Terrorism Act,
and I actually started laughing, because I was on my way to be part of a
jury.”
The father-of-five added: “When I was taxiing, they would stop me all
the time when I had passengers in the car, and it was so embarrassing,
because these people would be sitting in the car watching this all going
on, and there was nothing I could do.”
A letter of complaint has now been sent to the Police Ombudsman for by
Mr Hassan’s lawyers.
Posted by Jim on
———————————————————–
A reprint of an article from The Starry Plough, detailing a historic
escape by Republican Socialists from Long Kesh prison 40 years ago this
week.
———————————————————–
“ONE OF THE MOST CAREFULLY PLANNED AND CAREFULLY EXECUTED ESCAPES IN
PRISON HISTORY ‘ is how one newspaper described the recent escape
from Long Kesh by nine IRSP members and supporters. Seven are still
free. Meanwhile massive searches and harrasment by British troops is
reported from Belfast and South Derry.
The nine men dug their tunnel from one of the four huts in Cage 5, known
as ‘mole hill’ because so many tunnels have been dug from
there. Despite vigilant warders the escapees dug a 40 foot tunnel
measuring only 18′ inches in diameter. The entrance of the tunnel
was concealed by tile glued to a block of wood.
“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN LONG KESH”!
The escapers’ first problem occurred when they emerged from the tunnel
to find that they were still inside the prison. But they were prepared
for such an eventuality. They cut through a perimeter barbed fence and
scaled a 20 foot high wall with improvised grappling hooks and ropes
made from sheets in full view of British Army observation towers. Then,
as one British soldier put it, ‘they disappeared into thin
air!’
The following morning their fellow prisoners refused to leave their huts
to delay the discovery of the escape. It was only when CHARLES O’DOHERTY
from Old Park, Belfast was caught by the RUC in a field eight miles away
and checked out as routine, that the RUC discovered that they were
supposed to be in Long Kesh! They immediately contacted Long Kesh
Concentration Camp. It was only then that the escape was discovered.
The following day GERARD STEENSON of West Belfast was recaptured on the
M1 Motorway. The Northern Ireland Office then began to issue statements
in an attempt to discredit the escape and save face. They claimed that
if the escape had been better planned there could have been a mass break
out, which is, of course, rubbish. Then they warned the public to be on
the lookout for the escapers “some of whom are dangerous”. They may be
dangerous to British imperialism and its allies in Ireland but they are
the friends of the people. They are not criminals but political
prisoners. Of the escapers three were serving sentences, three were on
remand and three were awaiting trial, all for either political
‘offences’ or because of frame ups.
In the past there have been other escapes from Long Kesh. November 1974
saw 30 Provos tunnel their way to the perimeter wire, only a few got
away. One, HUGH CONEY was murdered by British troops, who could have
easily captured him. There is some fear that the same could happen to
the IRSP escapers, particularly if they should be discovered by the
sectarian UDR which is made up of ex-B Specials.In 1972 FRANCIS MCGUIGAN
walked out of Long Kesh dressed as a priest. JOHN FRANCIS GREEN did the
exact same in September 1973.
Since Long Kesh was opened in 1971, 48 prisoners have escaped. Since
they are political prisoners they usually continue to be active in
opposition to British imperialism in Ireland whereas if they were mere
criminals they would presumably leave the country altogether. This fact
accounts for the recapture of 35 of the 48 escapers. There are over 1200
political prisoners in Long Kesh.
HENRY DOGHERTY, BRENDAN MCMANUS, HAROLD FLYNN, (all from Belfast),
GERALD CLANCY (Tyrone), JOHN KELLY, JOHN EDDIE MCNICHOL and SEAMUS
O’KANE (all from South Derry) are still at liberty as we go to press. We
salute their ingenuity, courage and skill and hope that their freedom
will be long and fruitful to the struggle against British imperialism in
Ireland.
TWO ESCAPED BEFORE
Two of the men who are still free, ‘Hen’ DOGHERTY of Dock Row, Belfast
and Harry Flynn of Springhill Avenue, Belfast, have escaped before and
were only a few months in Long Kesh. Last May, while appearing in the
Crown Court in Crumlin Road they stood on each others shoulders to reach
the ceiling of their cell. They broke a hole in the skylight with a
bench from the cell and went onto the roof. From there they entered the
nearby firestation and nonchalantly four of them walked out the front
door. Unfortunately, the last man out didn’t knowit was intended to walk
out as the escape was an impromptu affair, and ran full speed up the
Crumlin Road. The RUC saw him and shouted “halt”, so that the other four
scuppered up the road after their comrade with bullets whistling around
their ears. They all got away. Dogherty and Flynn were recaptured about
three months ago in Belfast.”
Posted by Jim on May 6, 2016
“These inquests into some of the most controversial killing of the Troubles were recently the subject of a major review by Lord Justice Weir who was scathing about the way in which the PSNI and military authorities have dealt with these cases.”
Irish News Editorial. Friday, May 6, 2016
Once the votes are counted and the successful candidates declared, the new assembly will have a long list of pressing matters to consider and hopefully expedite in a timely fashion.
In particular, relatives who have lost loved ones in the conflict will be urging the fresh batch of ministers to reach urgent agreement on how we move forward on dealing with the past, an issue that continues to cause deep hurt and division.
Certainly, it is a matter that is exercising the highest levels of the judiciary in Northern Ireland with Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan making a surprise intervention this week on the matter of funding for legacy inquests.
These inquests into some of the most controversial killing of the Troubles were recently the subject of a major review by Lord Justice Weir who was scathing about the way in which the PSNI and military authorities have dealt with these cases.
Sir Declan outlined a plan in February that included setting up a special Legacy Inquest Unit that would deal with all outstanding cases within five years.
He said he had been ‘given to understand’ that if the executive asks for resources for legacy inquests the request would be given very serious consideration by the secretary of state.
However, this week the Lord Chief Justice expressed disappointment that the executive has not yet submitted a bid for funding to Theresa Villiers and said this would affect the timeframe for the establishment of the new legacy unit.
This is all deeply concerning and will add to the sense of frustration and dismay felt by families who have waited far too long for hearings into their cases.
It is also unusual for the most senior judge to make his views known in such a direct way so we can assume he shares this sense of frustration.
A new assembly means a fresh beginning and we must hope the post-election executive shows a determination to resolve these difficult issues once and for all.