It appears it was an act of vengeance. I can’t speak about today’s prisoners, but prisoners in the past during the troubles documented their ill-treatment by prisoner officers in great detail. That appears to have been the case here judging by the comments.

I think in lieu of David Black’s murder – prison officers should be screened to ensure impartiality. Members of the Orange Order should not be permitted to work as prison officers. I think such a decision would be a sensible move towards improving the atmosphere.

@sean i read a letter online recently from a prisoner currently in maghaberry.the treatment of prisoners is an absolute disgrace.constant strip searches, beatings, harrasment from prison officers.its politically motivated as well.amnesty international has even called it an abuse of human rights.what is the media here doing to highlight this? nothing.

I totally agree with you Se?n. And before the usual barrage of abuse starts towards me let me explain firstly I do not condone this guy’s murder or indeed any terrorist activity. However there is still widespread abuse of republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The prison service is overwhelmingly Protestant/unionist/loyalist which allows a climate of fear and intimidation to go unchecked in many cases. This murdered prison officer was a prominent member of the Orange order, an anti catholic bigoted organisation who deliberately try to stir up sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Did he deserve to be murdered, of course not Should he be allowed to work in a prison with inmates who’s very existance probably repulsed him, of course not. No I do not support any IRA or spin off organisations but I am a nationalist and have my beliefs and opinions. If Northern Ireland expects and aspires to become a peaceful place where people from all backgrounds can live in harmony then it’s prisons and police force (PSNI still has many ex RUC officers and former UDA members among its ranks) need to shake off the links with unionism and loyalism and start treating all citizens with respect. I want to see a united Ireland and I do respect that it can only come about through a majority vote in favour.. whenever that may be

I see the shinners are out in force; whinging about the past and using it as justification for cold blooded murder.

They haven’t gone away, you know.

Bruce, read the comments. no justification, just a possible solution for further attacks from a group nobody wants or actions condoned.
Ireland I know of, wants peace. end of. precautionary measures would be wise, this splinter group obviously feels aggrieved towards the late Mr Black, a 52 year old man. no doubt “the Ira” are cowards, but im curious as to why single out this man. sad, killing in the name of….?

That sounds very much like you’re trying to justify this murder Sean – please tell me I’m wrong…

Sean O’Briain that is…

Please quote where I have justified this murder? There is a serious lack of intellectual honesty in these comments at the best of times. Providing context for an attack does not equate to justifying the said attack.

Your comment doesn’t dignify a response – but in the interests of clarity, no I do not condone this murder or encourage future attacks of prisoner officers. What I do seek is for a complete overhaul in the prison system in the north, to bring about a more balanced and unbiased prison staff.

@sean & @graham – I am totally in agreement with your comments.
I’ve read up on these issues and I believe it is true that amnesty have been called upon.

Republican prisoners it is believed are been trounced upon and degraded in the same fashion that prisoners were treated since internment up until 1998.
It’s a disgrace that folk have their dignity literally stripped away from them!

@ Bruce … you may be surprised to learn I am not a Shinner as you put it and don’t vote for them . ( some of their policies regarding other affairs dont appeal to me). They are a legitimate party and I respect people’s right to vote for them, as I do with anyone else. You know I always find it ironic when people like you always claim we need to forget the history of this island and move on (cue: forgetting and ignoring the role of the British in our history) yet continuously bring up the historic role of the IRA and their “shameful actions”at every opportunity.

It’s not “whinging about the past”, abuse of prisoners is still current. Read up before you post.

And obviously there is no justification for killing anyone. Nobody’s trying to do that here.

Always the victims, it’s never your fault. I’ll say one thing for Shinners- they’re consistent. And the green thumbs on here illustrate their numbers on the Journal. Which explains alot.

Do you have an issue with people expressing themselves Vincent – Or is it only when people express themselves in a manner which is different to you? Sinn Féin is a legitimate political party and has support from a variety of people, from all walks of life. Your attempt to try label a collective of people in a derogatory manner is immature, and serves your argument no good.

#Sean- I have a problem with bombers, murderers, thieves and liars. I hope that’s ok. I set my moral compass by you and An Phoblacht, so…..I’m also against gluttonous use of ink cartridges. Yes. I think that’s what annoys me most.

Those bloody ink cartridges. Biggest political scandal in all the land.

@vincent you seem to also have a problem with fadas ya ignorant git

Im going to make this simple. That sick, twisted pack of idiots do not speak for me. We enjoy peace and and great lives on this island. last thing we need is a pack of idiots that have no idea what freedom is running around with guns bringing sadness to lives of famlies. #broken heart.

“I have a problem with bombers, murderers, thieves and liars.”

I can assure you, I’m none of the above. Your contempt for democratic difference is absurd.

Mercifully it’s a contempt shared by the vast majority of the population. Long may that continue.

@Sean, apologies if I misinterpreted your comment.

Reading some of the more extreme comments on this thread though, there seems to be an undercurrent in some people’s minds of “Oh well, he was a sadistic orange thug in a prison uniform – he had it coming to him…”

Sad.

So what all the Sean’s and others are really saying is: summary justice is ok because the mob say that prisoners are being abused.

Sounds like the type of twisted justification probably use when Jean McCoville was murdered.

@ Bruce. Your one of the one’s that makes my blood boil. I go to Belfast all the time. I love the city. Great place. Why would I want that to stop by any accounts. This is like a non issue to me. Thigs and murders… Nothing more.

This group is not the IRA. The IRA disbanded and disarmed in 2005. The overwhelming majority of the Republican movement does not support a continued armed campaign. These smaller groups have limited support at best.

Thank’s for clearing that up Sean and as people have posted quite rightly “there were good & bad on both sides” and hopefully this is stopped before we slip back into the dark days.

#Sean- They haven’t gone away, you know.

Talking without justice can’t work.

continuing violence aint the answer either that i am sure of

They are in there for a reason!

Nice alter ego, Hank.

No, I’m really him…

No I think they just beat the crap out of the prisoners!!!

Amen! These thugs are not associated with the IRA or quite frankly the Republican Movement in any way. They are just using it as a convenient vail for their murdering ways.
Lock these criminals up and don’t let them see the light of day.

WAKE UP!!!He was NOT innocent by any means!!!!

AKA Small Minded army.. These people do not represent me or my country!

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”

I disagree. We must look at the context that things such as this take place.

There are people who find issues with the peace process. Treatment of prisoners is only one of many. Our only hope for continued peace is to try to address those concerns, or to at least discuss them and try to bring everyone over to exclusively peaceful means.

That, or just ignore them. Sure that seems to be working great….

I’m not suggesting that the treatment of prisoners should be ignored.
I’m only pointing out that to question the treatment of prisoners in the context of this story is to suggest that this in some way justifies killing a prison officer.

If someone got shot dead for robbing a bicycle, there wouldn’t be a discussion about how wrong robbing bikes is.

It’s different and you fail to understand what’s going on precisely because you ignore the context. The north is still a divided society which people are trying to repair. Any act of politically motivated violence, though not justified, is a symptom of problems that run far deeper. The peace process is not over. It’s a continuing process.

You must always ask yourself why people decide to pick up the gun, regardless of your political position. That’s the only way to end this kind of violence in Ireland. The fact is many people feel disenfranchised.

Again, I’m still not suggesting that treatment of prisoners or other issues should be ignored. I’m questioning the context in which such issues are discussed.

Every act of barbarity can be put in the context of a “process” and made seem somewhat less repugnant. To discuss the treatment of prisoners in the context of this story is to somehow suggest that murder while not condoned is in someway lessened in its evil becuase prisoners are treated badly.

But that’s because even though it IS wrong, it is a political issue in away that ordinary crime is not. The politics is very relevant.

Ok, – I don’t profess to have any particular insight sitting here in a peaceful Dublin suburb.

I think there can be a thin line between ‘politically motivated’ and ‘ordinary crime’. Geography and history do not automatically make it one over the other.

Agreed.

From the comments it is clear that murdering ira gangs will twist any fact to justify murder.

There are still internationally agreed standards of how to treat prisoners with human dignity. The crazy idea is that we’re all entitled to be treated like people. I know: craaazy, right?

That’s in very poor taste.

Not in response to Sinead, for anyone reading this now. There was a bigot saying awful things earlier.

Let’s take some of you republican diehards at your word and therefor please confirm for me the number of official complaints agains this murdered Prison Officer for his alleged abuse of convicted criminals.

good friday agreement allows unification via a vote

Think they could afford it?

What good would that do? We didn’t do a good job if holding on to the 26 we got last time. This country is a joke.

Ireland sorry.

Caroline.
Will you listen to yourself?
For God’s sake.
There’s no argument there to take issue with. Let’s leave it at, I’m a Nationalist and I believe in a United Ireland. I also believe that the Good Friday Agreement provides for that happening when the people of the North want it to.
There is no justification – none – for an attempt to drag the North back into the systematic societal failure that was the Troubles.
Sensationalizing and hystericalizing the propaganda of a group of thugs with no mandate barring ignorance and hatred does the cause of a United Ireland no good.
Considering the logic of one’s conviction before expounding it would likely save a lot of lives and spare the world a lot of bigotry.
-J

POWs? Where is the war. I would think some of these reports about prisoner abuse can be verified. We dont have anymore political prisoners in Ireland. Killing this man was futile. If these abuses are real get the press involved. Show the abuses on youtube. Show us the evidence. We live in the age of social media & the so called IRA cant show us these abuses but they can kill this man. As usual paramilitaries kill first & talk afterwards. Thats not the Ireland I want.

A united Ireland will only come about by the political, non violent, self determination of the people contained within the 6 counties and if you look at polls on the inclinations of people in the North, such a scenario is extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future. All we can hope for is cross border peace, co operation and prosperity…

Yes, Caroline Locke is wrong.

Caroline- the Unionist majority will not be swayed, so all your talk about Britain is misguided, at best. The Unionist people will never bow to bombing violence and intimidation, as they have lost too much to see militant republicans, such as yourself, win this battle for control. For them, the connection with Britain is more than cultural loyalties, it is a bond forged in past imperial greatness, but cemented in the heat of anti-Provo defiance. Regardless of whether you, or I, like that truth, it remains the truth, as they see it. Your rhetoric hinders the reconciliation needed to move on and weaken this dynamic, but your narrow focused conditioning prevents you from seeing it. A united Ireland can only be won at the ballot box, Caroline. Shout and bomb away, but the counter-productive dynamic you are reinforcing remains unchanged. Britain would leave Northern Ireland, but 73% of people(according to a recent poll) simply do not want it. You should, perhaps, be supporting Sinn Fein’s moves to have an official vote on partition, as promised by the Good Friday Agreement, but I’m sure, given your rhetoric, they are another shadow for you to chase. Your belief Britain is the key shows a deep lack of political and cultural understanding, given the realities of life in modern Northern Ireland. How can we convince the Unionist people( remember them? the majority) that we are not the bigoted bogey-men they were brought up to fear, and therefore create the conditions for a move toward unity? How can we show them we are not an intrinsically aggressive society trying to force our will on them? Do you believe bombing and maiming can do it? Time to snap out of the brainwashing, Caroline, and get a bit of perspective.

No she is right and you are wrong.Because you are brainwashed to accept the North as British.

Then how about you stop being a keyboard warrior and actually get off your ass and do something about it. Start a business, get an education or even run for political office? Do something to change things for the better instead of trolling around the Internet condoning violence and murder. There is no excuse for this crime.

You need to read an Irish History book. Preferably one on the boundary commission and the Anglo-Irish treaty. Fool.

By ‘people in the north’ do you mean the one million+ that feel British, or the 73% that want to stay that way? Yes, Caroline THEY are the brainwashed ones…

TRUE.Well said Caroline.

Caroline, I know you probably are finding the keyboard more difficult than the crayons you usually use but if your gonna insist on talking sh#te, at least spell it correctly..

In your opinion I am talking nonsense .Well I am not.And many others will agree even if they pass my comment without thumbing.

Well Caroline, the saddest thing is that you look for social affirmation through thumbing on the Internet, might I suggest using one of the other digits on your hand and viewing a different type of website? It might get rid of your frustration!

Well the majority of people in the North are happy with the status quo. What right does a minority have to inflict pain on others?

That man was never convicted of any crime and did not deserve to die, stop condoning a horrible crime.

Well yes your comments would say otherwise. “But he’s a Brit” as one example. We’re all people living on the one one island. The sooner people like you stop seeing people as “Brits” or “Black Orange” the sooner this retardedness stops. Grow up Caroline, we all have only one life to live and what’s the point living a life full of prejudice and hate.