Posted by Jim on October 21, 2014
Victims of Northern Ireland’s bloody conflict have staged a protest at Stormont to pressurise politicians into dealing with the past.
They want the Executive, British and Irish governments to implement proposals agreed during the failed Haass talks last year.
John Teggart, whose father was shot dead by soldiers in 1971 during an incident referred to as the Ballymurphy Massacre, said: “We are here as a reminder to the politicians that there are real people involved.
“We need to let the politicians know that whatever they decide to do, we need to accept it and they need to know that we will continue until we get our just demands.”
The day of action was organised to coincide with a new round of political talks aimed at tackling controversial legacy issues as well as the current financial difficulties facing the Stormont administration.
Among those taking part were families of people killed in the Dublin, Monaghan, Dundalk, and Castleblaney bombings.
They joined relatives of those killed as a result of State and paramilitary violence in Belfast and Londonderry including the Bloody Sunday, McGurk’s Bar, Ballymurphy and Loughinisland families.
In a symbolic move the bereaved campaigners placed victims’ shoes at the steps of Parliament Buildings with a note or photograph detailing their loved one’s murder.
Paul O’Connor from the Pat Finucane Centre, which helped organise the event, said: “We are calling on the British government to directly fund all legacy investigations through a unit independent of the PSNI.
“The collapse of the Victims and Survivors’ Service, the cuts to the Police Ombudsman’s office and the proposal to move historic investigations to the PSNI following the demise of the HET have left victims feeling vulnerable and angry.”
Special measures set up to deal with the past have been badly affected by budget cuts in recent weeks.
Last month the PSNI announced it was axing the Historical Enquiries Unit (HET) which was set up to investigate unsolved Troubles killings. The Police Ombudsman has also reduced resources dedicated to examining historic allegations of police misconduct during the conflict.
The Coroners Service is also struggling to find the resources to deal with a series of long delayed inquests from the Troubles.
And although a £100 million Treasury loan secured by the powersharing Executive has temporarily alleviated the financial problems at Stormont, it has effectively only pushed the issue back to next year, when the loan has to be repaid.
Earlier this year Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers refused to set up an independent review to probe the shooting dead of 10 civilians by soldiers from the parachute regiment in west Belfast more than 40 years ago.
Mr Teggart added: “We are here and the Government need to take on board our proposals.”
“My father was shot 14 times and he deserves justice.”
Posted by Jim on October 20, 2014
by Friends of Sinn Fein
Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy has said that British Secretary of State Theresa Villiers needs to stop pandering to Unionists and realise the Good Friday Agreement cannot be rewritten.
Speaking after Theresa Villiers addressed the Ulster Unionist Party Conference Mr Murphy said,
“The statement that by British Secretary of State Theresa Villiers that the Irish Government will play little role in the political settlement of the North runs contrary to the Good Friday Agreement.
“The Irish Government is a key player and signatory to the Agreement on par with the British Government so the British Secretary of State has no power to change that unilaterally.
“Her contention that the Ulster Unionist Party has a long and distinguished history of doing the right thing for the people of the North also rings hollow for the Nationalist population who had to live under 50 years of misrule based upon sectarianism and discrimination.
“To date the contributions of Theresa Villiers on the issue of welfare cuts, the executive budget, parades and other unionist demands draws into question her political judgement and ability to command the respect necessary to reach agreement.
“Theresa Villiers needs to realise that pandering to Unionism will not resolve the current issues and that the talks will only succeed if everyone enters without preconditions and honouring the Good Friday Agreement commitments.”
Posted by Jim on
In a few short weeks, millions of Americans, particularly children, will be engaged in the joyous celebration that is Halloween. This festive holiday is another of the gifts that Irish Immigrants have brought to America; its origin and customs dating back to the ancient Gaelic holiday of Samhain, which was not only the start of that culture’s new year, but had as its central message the struggle between the forces of light and darkness. It is with this in mind that the Ancient Order of Hibernians asks that all its members, their families and friends to boycott Spencer’s Gifts affiliate Spirit Halloween stores when making their Halloween purchases.
Spencer’s Gifts has a long and well established history of exploiting negative stereotypes and tropes targeting Irish Americans. Among the items recently sold at Spencer’s were clothing emblazoned with such phrases as “F**K Me, I’m Irish”, “Irish Girl Wasted” and a shamrock festooned shirt with “Everyone Loves a Drunk Slut” among other items denigrating Irish Americans. Spencer’s Website is currently selling an “Irish Chug O Meter” beverage bottlewith the settings “Sober, Buzzed, Drunk, Wasted, Irish”, another cup emblazoned “Drink Til You’re Fu**n Irish”, and perhaps the winner in setting a new low “Your Mom is not Irish, but I F**KED her anyway”. All Americans should be outraged at such ethnically based stereotypes, but additionally outraged that at a time when our nation is having serious discussions regarding sexual abuse and domestic violence Spencer’s products are promoting a message conflating binge drinking and an abhorrently demeaning image of women.
When in the past called to account for this promulgation of bigotry and defamation in pursuit of profit, Spencer’s spokesmen have often invoked the “It’s only a joke” defense. It is interesting to note that it appears to be only the Irish that Spencer’s Gifts singles out for such “humor”; it appears to be only our proud heritage that is profaned for profit. Spencer’s has dismissed the protests of the Hibernians as we attempt to defend our culture and our heritage by saying we are not reflective of their demographic; i.e. that since most Hibernians have too much taste and sense to shop in Spencer’s they can ignore our just and valid concern as they pursue their target audience of 18-24 year olds (half of whom are under age yet are being targeted by Spencer’s binge drinking message). It is with this in mind that we ask you to boycott Spencer’s affiliated Spirit Halloween stores.
Spencer’s Spirit Halloween stores, which pop up in unused retail space in shopping malls during the month of October, account for fifty percent of Spencer’s annual revenue of $250 million dollars. No doubt some of the profits earned this October will be used to purchase the merchandise that will be for sale in Spencer’s in March denigrating our noble heritage. While we may never shop in Spencer’s, we likely do, particularly as parents and grandparents, make Halloween purchases. Sending a message that their defamation of the Irish in March hurts their bottom line in October at their lucrative Spirit Halloween shops should cause Spencer’s to rethink their St. Patrick’s Day merchandise choices as they place their orders now for March.
We ask that you make an informed decision to not subsidize defamation of Irish Americans in March by patronizing Spencer’s Spirit Halloween Stores in October, and ask your friends, irrespective of their heritage, to join us in saying there is no room in 21st Century America for the bigoted “Know Nothing” stereotypes of the 19th Century by choosing another retailer for their Halloween purchases.
In the ancient Gaelic spirit of Halloween join us in the light of sending a message of respect for all heritages and to reject the darkness of defamation and denigration that Spencer’s promotes for profit
Neil F. Cosgrove, Anti-Defamation Chair
Posted by Jim on
by Irish Central
Former Senator Gary Hart is expected to be named as the US government peace envoy to Northern Ireland this week and to leave soon for talks there.
The 77-year-old former Colorado senator and presidential candidate will work closely with Secretary of State John Kerry and will report to the State Department.
Kerry and Hart are close and Hart endorsed him for president in 2004. Insiders say he would have been in line for a major cabinet position if Kerry had won.
His imminent appointment was first signaled in the Washington Post.
Hart will be going to Ireland at a time when crucial talks are taking place following a long stalemate between the two largest parties in the Northern Ireland government, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party. Fears of a government collapse are said to be very real.
Both the British and Irish governments have gotten involved in the talks, which got off to a poor start last week when DUP leader Peter Robinson boycotted due to the presence of the Irish government.
Hart has already paid a visit to Ireland and reported back to State, but this would be his official appointment. He would be following in the footsteps of major figures such as Senator George Mitchell, who chaired the successful peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement, and Richard Haass now head of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
Hart has interesting Irish connections. He fled to Oughterard in Galway and rented a cottage there after his abortive run for president in 1988 when his alleged affair with Donna Rice resulted in a media frenzy and his temporary withdrawal from the race.
He once said 50 percent of him wanted to be president and the other 50 percent wanted to live in Ireland and write novels.
In a speech shortly before 9/11 he predicted a major attack on America that would cost many lives
Posted by Jim on October 18, 2014
by Niall O’Dowd @ Irish Central
Cahill says she was abused by an IRA operative in 1997 when she was sixteen for a period of a year and there was an attempted cover-up.
She also says the IRA held a “kangaroo court” and made her and her alleged rapist appear before them.
It is important to state at the outset that the man accused of the rape was cleared in a court of law when the case was presented because Mairia decided not to testify and also that police investigated the kangaroo court charge and found no evidence.
It is also worth noting that Mairia Cahill has met Fianna Fail leader and Adams opponent Michael Martin and is set to meet Northern Ireland First Minister DUP leader Peter Robinson on Monday, making this a very political issue
Mairia Cahill implicates Gerry Adams, whom she says she met for advice, and was told by him that rapists were very manipulative and that maybe she had actually enjoyed it.
Adams has a very different version. He says he agreed to talk to her when a close associate of his who happened to be a relative of Mairia Cahill asked him specifically to do so.
That close associate was Siobhan O’Hanlon, niece of Joe Cahill, herself a much beloved figure in the Republican Movement who died tragically young of cancer.
Siobhan’s sister EIlis O’Hanlon went the other direction, as a columnist for the rabidly anti-Adams Sunday Independent where she became one of Sinn Fein’s most ardent critics.
Last year, on October 13, Eilis wrote in the “Sunday Independent” about an anonymous woman, almost certainly Mairia, who made the exact kind of allegations to her in an interview that are now being made this week.
It is interesting to note the connection as this is precisely the kind of journalism Eilis O’Hanlon has employed against Sinn Fein except now it is clear the story has gotten wider currency.
The idea of Adams suggesting that Mairia was manipulated into liking the abuse has drawn an especially strong reaction from the Sinn Fein leader who has commenced legal action against the BBC program “Spotlight” which allowed such an allegation.
Adams has been vilified for decades now in many publications. Indeed, just this week the press ombudsman found against Independent Newspapers for utterly misrepresenting his position on a story they had written.
So it takes an extreme accusation to draw a threat of legal challenge from Adams. Clearly, he feels very strongly about this one.
Adams says he recommended to Joe Cahill and Siobhan O’Hanlon that Mairia go to the RUC, the then Northern Irish police, and it seems she eventually did so but then did not testify. So what is this latest eruption about then?
Hard to know. A troubled woman making allegations that already were dismissed by courts has now dragged Gerry Adams into the fray.
It certainly makes for good headlines and prominent enemies are gleeful, but does it make any sense?
I believe that Adams, given his own family history of his father being an abuser and his own brother Liam’s conviction for abuse, would be extremely careful dealing with any such allegation.
It utterly beggars belief that he would try and pass off such a serious allegation as something the young woman might have enjoyed against her will.
The second part of the story involves Maria saying she was brought before an IRA court. If so that was a dreadful thing to do to a traumatized young women and there is no excuse for it. But the police could find no evidence of it. Plus she never made the claim that Adams was part of that court.
She also says there are other cases involving abuse and Republicans and both Adams and Sinn Fein Vice President Mary Lou McDonald have urged anyone with information on that to come forward which is certainly what should be done.
So what do we have?
Yet another allegation surfaces about two cases that were dismissed but which drag in Adams and a sensational allegation that can never be proven is made.
There are sections of the Irish and British media who have been only too happy to pronounce Adams guilty until proven innocent on numerous occasions and this seems yet another one.
But in the end the evidence or lack of as presented in courts and decided by courts clearly points in a very different direction.
Reality check: just the facts, the cases were dismissed.
Facts are inconvenient things for Adams haters, alas.
But that doesn’t stop them trying.
