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A NEW FERRY between Counties Louth and Down was unable to take its planned maiden cross-border voyage today.
Due to “severe gale force weather conditions” the inaugural journey of the Scenic Carlingford Ferry has been delayed.
In a statement, management and crew apologised for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.
They said: “The safety of passengers is our priority and the severe weather conditions we are experiencing today are not suitable for sailing at this time.
Unfortunately, these circumstances are beyond our control.
With the weather forecast looking slightly more promising for the weekend, the maiden voyage of the ferry has been rescheduled for 10am tomorrow morning.
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Locals are hoping that the Scenic Carlingford Ferry will boost tourism and the economy north and south of the border.
The €10 million project is entirely privately financed and operated by Shannon-based company Frazer Ferries Group.
The investment included the construction of terminals at Greenore in Louth and Greencastle.
The ferry has the capacity to carry 44 cars, with the crossing taking 15 to 20 minutes on the scenic Carlingford Lough.
Organisers say that the one mile journey by ferry will save passengers driving 35 miles by road.
Paul O’Sullivan, founder and managing director of Scenic Carlingford Ferry said he hoped that the service would “act as a catalyst for economic development in the south Down north Louth region”.
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Enda Kenny will not be prosecuted for paedophilia, due to lack of evidence.
Joan Burton will not be accused of dealing heroin, due to lack of evidence.
etc..etc.
Shinner O Bot 43 years ago is right. A long time ago enough for the family of Joan Connolly to move on im sure their hurt is as real as every other family who lost someone in the aggression against oppression war up in the North. Peace is on the minds of most people now outside the political point scoring charade that most people dont want to play or see their leaders play.
Joan Connolly went to help a boy who was shot by British forces acting on tip offs in the internment days . Joan had 8 children she was shot several times by British soldiers her wounds were so bad some off her face was blown off she was left their to bleed to death with her face blown off . Anyone who tried to help was shot at . Joan Connolly counts Joan Connolly counts too . Remember that and then move on Shinner O Bot you toolbag.
So right B-Egan my sympathy is with the McConville family but they have been used by media, politicians & certain dissidents for their own ends. South Government almost brought the peace process to an end in the want to keep their seats & of coarse obscene wages.The Labour party have their own skeletons in a cupboard, Gilmore, Rabbitte would know more etc while with workers party, Killings & money laundering, before & during the troubles, some now have jobs in Gov.buildings. . Then we have brit soldiers killing mother of 8 & a priest as they tried to help a dying man, many many killed by soldiers, Ruc. UVF, loyalist murder gangs. Of course blame it All on SF/IRA. As a political party SF have many young & decent people involved, the real reason why Gov. are running scared.
I wouldn’t be happy with the public prosecutor saying there was insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution if I was accused of murder. It’s a very ambiguous statement.
“Enda Kenny will not be prosecuted for paedophilia, due to lack of evidence.
Joan Burton will not be accused of dealing heroin, due to lack of evidence.
etc..etc.”
Nice try, but Kenny and Burton aren’t strongly suspected of those things. Gerry on the other hand…
Perhaps cos she didnt refuse, I do recall Mary Lou condemning the killing of Jean McConville on the Late Late show, you know what I have yet to hear a SF spokesman who condoned it
True, Shinnér Ó Bót. I’d defy you to point to any armed conflict in history where a mother wasn’t killed.
Joan Connolly, for instance. A mother of eight, murdered by the Parachute Regiment of the British Army in Ballymurphy in 1971. Joan was shot as she left her place of safety and went to the aid of a young boy (Noel Phillips) who was shot and wounded by the same regiment. She was shot several times in the head and body, with injuries so severe that part of her face was blown off. Joan’s autopsy report indicates that she bled to death. Eye witnesses of the events agree that Joan was blatantly refused emergency medical attention, even as she cried out for help. By the time the Para’s were finished, Joan’s remains were so badly disfigured that it took her husband three attempts to identify her. Two of her eight children only found out about it when they happened to hear it on the news from the refugee camp they were staying in across the border.
But of course, neither Joan nor her children matter to keyboard “wits” like yourself. You can’t make a good enough political football out of her death.
@ tir Eoin.
…the article is not about the paras…..its about someone who want to be the next taoiseach of Ireland….Is he a suitable person to lead our country?….the people will decide…..mind you he was elected to represent the people of west belfast but headed south of the border for some reason!
“…the article is not about the paras”
Indeed. But the comment I was replying to was about the deaths of mothers in conflicts. Am I to take your comment, and the fact that my above post (so far) has 24 red thumbs, as yet more proof that Jean McConville’s death is being cynically used by people who give not one toss about her, but actively dislike references to the fact that Joan Connolly was also a mother who was murdered in the troubles, since that fact is just downright useless to them for political pointscoring?
“Is he a suitable person to lead our country?”
That’s up to the people to decide. Personally, I’d love to see him as Taoiseach. God knows it would make a nice an actual republican, non-partitionist, citizen focused man at the helm, and one who has, more than anyone else, managed to take the gun from Irish politics.
“the people will decide…..mind you he was elected to represent the people of west belfast but headed south of the border for some reason!”
And the people, be they in West Belfast or Louth, decided that he was the right man, and ensured he ended each election at the top of the poll in each constituency. (P.S. You say, “for some reason” he went to Louth – it’s worth remembering that being elected to one constituency is not a job for life. You can stand wherever you like. If the people are happy, they’ll vote for you. Don’t believe me? Just ask Gerry.)
Innocent until proven guilty. This is a western democracy. Unless there is evidence to bring him to court, then his innocence is accepted as a given, and does not have to be “found” innocent. Some people here, quite clearly, would just love to take the concept of no evidence as being clear evidence of guilt, it seems.
3. The people who made the accusations did so as part of an agreement that their accusations wouldn’t be publicly attributed to them until after their deaths, which conveniently, meant that they could say what they liked about Adams (a man they detested), without having to worry about being taken to court.
Yes Larry, because the British army killed mothers that makes it perfectly OK for Gerry or whoever in the IRA/Sinn Fein to..totally and eye for an eye!!! Good god I hate sinners and their excuses for murder being nothing more that..”well they did it too”
Insufficient evidence = no evidence of a credible nature….no surprise there, timing of arrests very suspicious in the middle of an election campaign
….anything ” Diarmuid of the albino monkey avatar ” has to say is highly ironic given his calls last night on others to shred their anonymity while maintaining his own, bless
Eh Bill – the article is about someone not being charged. TO’s point was in reply to SoB, who has just figured out that people die in wars. It was passionately written it was factual and it was germaine.
None of those compliments could be directed at your snivelling little piece, could they?
You’re going to have to point out where anybody said killing anybody was ok tinkerbelle. Here’s a hint – nobody did, you made it up to suit your mangled viewpoint.
God I hate small minds who twist other peoples words so that they can stay trapped in their own delusion.
To paraphrase your own quotation. Good God, I hate those with excuses for British murder who just want to forget about the victims unless they can score a political point from it.
Tell me what did the Free-State regime do to political opponents during the Civil War – tied them to land mines and exploded them and shot prisoners without trial. Give me a break, you hypocrite.
Hi Diarmuid. Only an idiot would admit that they were in the IRA, a proscribed organisation, especially when those asking are their political enemies. Probably their feet would n’t hit the ground and they would get several years for being such a member. Then you and your ilk would want to know off them who else was in it and what they done, etc, etc. Away and take a running jump to yourself. Come back when they start charging paratroopers for Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy or special branch for murder and collusion.
He headed there because its his country and he can go/stand where he wants to stand. Simple really. As for 1972, well it was mayhem in our areas. There was no law but lots of attempts at order. illegal curfew, interment, collusion, direct lies about our community. Within our own community people were taking awful decisions at a local level daily – if not hourly. A killing like that of Joan McConville would not have been discussed beyond local level. Life was cheap & the authorities made it so.
PS what is the relevance to post where i am living considering it is there for all to see unlike ur goodself of course and then you criticize others for posting in thevery same way as you do yourself
@child….I unlike you have no fake account , dont judge others by your own low standards, what is your reasoning for saying I use the account ” for Connolly ” is it just that you and your other YFG trolls do the same
Again why post where I am from if you call out others for posting personal information ?
Dermo, can you explain to us mere mortals why Caoimhin would be using both his own REAL account on here and another account called ‘For Connolly’.
Wouldn’t really make much sense would it.
(Incidentally, I’ve been discussing quite a bit around here supporting PBPs Gino Kenny for my number 1 vote, and SFs Eoin O’Broin for my second preference. They’re not running in Ennis, are they? If you’re half the sleuth you reckon you are, you would have copped that rather large clue that I live in a different constituency to Caoimhin.)
For Connolly:The poor monkey Diarmuid gets so incandescent with rage at the sound or sight of Gerry Adam’s name, or SF’s that his tunnel vision becomes blurred and his brain refuses to function.
Oh and Diarmuid my account is real, you can check it if you like pet.
You ” Diarmuid ” you should not be typing looking in the mirror PET we are awaiting your reasoning as to how For Connolly and I are the same person…..sounds religious mystery really but go for it explain urself
Both events are as horrible. I don’t understand why we need to forget about any. The criminals involved in the two murders should be equally prosecuted and penalised, regardless of the social status or position. I dont believe for a second G Adams had nothing to do with this.
There are people who believe the earth is flat. It’s all well and good believing something to have been the case, but at least have the guts to explain your reasoning.
As an aside, which claim do you believe to be the case, that Jean McConville was murdered for helping a British soldier or because she was an informer?
Sorry, I didn’t answer to your first question. I don’t have any problem or lack guts in explaining what I believe regardless of the consequences that might have. The reason why I believe he was somehow involved is because due his position he was pretty much involved in all the decision making process in the IRA. Even if he didnt execute the order, he surely knew about it and indirectly is as responsible as who actually committed the murder. I don’t know the reason behind why this woman was assasinated, who did it only knows. I’d say both claims would be equally as valid for the people who were involved. Dont try to compare this to those who believe”d” that the Earth is flat.
“The reason why I believe he was somehow involved is because due his position he was pretty much involved in all the decision making process in the IRA. Even if he didnt execute the order, he surely knew about it”
There’s two issues with this. Firstly, you imply that he was a senior member of the IRA. This is despite the fact that after four days of police questioning earlier in the year, there was not one iota of evidence produces to support the claim and he was released without charge. So your implication that he was a senior IRA man is based on nothing more than hearsay and rumours constantly trotted out by his direct political opponents and by a media that has always been hostile to himself and republicanism. Secondly, even if he was a senior member of the IRA, are you seriously saying that this means he was involved in/made aware of every single operation the IRA undertook? Considering just how heavily active the IRA were, and the fact that they operated in a tightly knit cell structure of typically 2/3 Volunteers, are you seriously suggesting that as even a remote possibility? Do you genuinely believe every single IRA action involved/had to be approved by one individual at the top, rather than by the OC of each cell/unit?
“I don’t know the reason behind why this woman was assassinated”
Well that tell’s it’s own tale. The only reason Gerry Adams was ever even mentioned in relation to this murder was because of the accusations of Brendan Hughes & Dolours Price that he was involved. They made these accusation as part of the Boston Tapes project, where bitter opponents of Adams invited other bitter opponents of Gerry Adams to say what they liked about him, safe in the knowledge that their claims would not be made public until after they died and could not be challenged on them. So considering that was the only suggestion of Adams’ involvement, then it’s hardly a surprise that the psni/PPS threw it out as totally unreliable evidence. So you claim that you have no idea why she was killed, but you accept that Adams was involved (claims only produced first by Brendan Hughes). The interesting this is, Hughes also rubbished the media suggestion that she was killed for helping a wounded British Soldier, and said that she was an informant who had been warned numerous times to cease her cooperation with the British Army. So why is it that people like yourself, and those in the media, are only to willing to latch on to just SOME of Brendan Hughes’ claims, (that Adams was involved), but either claim to have no opinion on whether they believe his version of why she was killed, or else willfully accuse him of lying about that part, but lap up every word of his claims about Adams? Is it selective hearing? Or is it prejudiced opinions where you only hear what you want to hear?
Are we surprised ?
I’m sure that there are going to be plenty more episodes of this Political Collusion Policing , on both sides of The Border , prior to the forthcoming Elections !
Incidentally, love how we’ve been aware that this was the case for months, but the official news of him not being prosecuted hits the news at 1:30pm today, the exact same moment that the media are focussing on the government launching its 27 billion vote buying jamboree.
Love the jamming proclaims to hate INM and DOB, yet constantly references the Independent. Bet you buy your breakfast roll on dole day in Topaz too jamming!
@left left.. ah yes in any court of law it does. or can you just say anybody is guilty of whatever you like and then say lack of evidence does not infer innocence
Seems to me that the truth of the matter is that the powers that be, could not / would not publish this while there were potential political points to be gained both north and south, especially with the continuing scandals involving NAMA ( and by extension this government )and DUP still swirling around.
Once again Jean Mc Convilles death is being used like a political football
No it doesn’t. Lack of evidence means exactly that. There is a lack of evidence to bring a case to trial whereby the DPP believes a conviction will be passed down. Therefore the accused is presumed innocent as is their right in our justice system. The burden of proof is put on the prosecution to prove guilt, not the other way around. Innocent until proved guilty. This person, along with everyone else is innocent until a prosecution can prove guilt, they believe they cannot.
Innocent until proven guilty…if there is lack of evidence to prive guilt then it does indeed infer innocence , such is the legal system operated in western democracies
Diarmuid are you saying you are okay with these people who have murdered being in the Labour Party but unhappy about potential murderous people in other parties?
Nah, just laughing at shinnerbots attempting to deflect from the fact that the SF/PIRA movement is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and maimings over the past 40+ years.
Wanna call out an individual in another party? Fair enough.
Labour are not the political wing of a terrorist organisation.
Morphed from the Workers Party and the Official IRA who shot a man in West Belfast just two weeks ago. They definitely hav n’t gone away you know. Just keep their heads down.
same question Diarmuid @ever decreasing credibility ….you are in dire need of looking up the words “troll” and “anonymous ” then have a look at your account and ponder on the irony (maybe too difficult for u i accept) that an anonymous account with an avatar like urs asks another to identify himself
” I was calling out an anonymous commenter for attacking the personal information of an identifiable commenter.Have an anonymous account? Grand. Just don’t attack the personal information of someone who doesn’t.”
Oh your hypocrisy and irony of you , You say the above on the one hand and on the other hand post personal stuff about me, and by the way anyone can see where I live unlike you dear chap unless that picture you have is really you.
” I was calling out an anonymous commenter for attacking the personal information of an identifiable commenter. ”
How can you attack information dermo? Did I try to delete his public profile on linkedin? Or did I use information he has freely and consciously made available to the entire internet to show he’s a spoofer?
You two clowns really are after letting yer selves down. For Connolly, you did it last night. I got your point but you acting the di*k doing so and diarmuid, you’re doing it today AND gave out to FC for doing it last night. Up yer game boyos, ye’re getting sloppy.
Diarmuid i am waiting and waiting i will be for your reasoning as to why i am for connolly account ?
You called out to use your own language FC for posting details about a comm-enter here last night but yet proceed to do the same today. I unlike you do not hide my identity and you calling for any anonymous account to identify themselves is a tad ironic…
I have plenty to say for good or bad and do need use ” incognito land ” to do same
Tut-tut FC. You know exactly what you did. It’s irrelevant if someone has information on another web service. The point is you linked it here because you didn’t like what I said about your beloved SF and rather than debate the point, you went off on a pathetic excersise that just made yourself, an anonymous poster, look pathetic. Even people who would disagree with someone like me vehemently, called you out on this. You ain’t getting away with this one no matter how desperate your reasoning becomes. The only way you can claw back any credibility is if you lifted the veil and used your true identity here.
@Robert Cousins you may have a legitimate point there , what is your opinion on ” Diarmuid Albino Monkey avatar ” doing exactly same thing to me as he attacked FC for doing to you ?
This clown accuses me of been the For Connolly Account eventhough that account whoever he or she is supports People Before Profit
@Robert I have been always and will continue to post as myself, I am not shy or hiding behind the door with what I have to say about any subject, I do find it ironic when one anonymous account calls out another for been anonymous and one night condemns somebody and then the following night does the exact same themslef
its sad the man was killed, those responsible need to be held to account.
however the whole thing has being used a political football ………………that is arguably more tragic. down south it being used a stick by other parties to beat SF with even though there is no proof. up north its a distraction away from robinson and his scandalous dealings with NAMA.
No, I never said it was, but you won’t hear her family complain about how Gerry adams is treated or they won’t complain about people that were involved with the IRA at the time being questioned.
Jamsey’s concern for her family is at best disingenuous, comments like that are used to try and silence the issue.
That comment was more to do with the lengths the likes of FG/Dup will go to to score political points rather than any feelings I have for the family and the Blueshirts commenting know that well.
I know that when I read the words “Blueshirts”, or “Provos”, or any other outdated and pejorative term, that the rest of the comment will have little to offer.
The same people defending the indefensible. SF will never have power in the south. Shout as much as you want. Call me names, do whatever you want. But, I’m still right.
@Jim.Many of the FG party are more than happy to proudly refer to themselves as Blueshirts and let’s face it when they start behaving as they did back in the 1930′s I’m more than happy to go along with it.
There is more than one family waiting for justice Patlyndo. However the other families dont have the same potential to be used as a political football, do they?
He flew to London in 1972 to negotiate on behalf of the IRA during a short-lived truce, along with Martin McGuiness, Sean Mac Stiofain Daithi O’Conaill, Seamus Twomey and Ivor Bell, all of whom were in the IRA (why would all these IRA men bring a non-IRA man with them to negotiate on behalf of their organisation?
@Patrick.If he was in the IRA why in the next sentence so you say he was negotiating on BEHALF of the IRA. Surely if he were IRA he would have been in a position to negotiate directly FOR them???
M Bowe……I don’t get how you can read that I advocate the removal of the presumption of innocence from what I posted.
I was answering Tom Kenny’s statement about the McConville family’s assumption that Adams was involved….and so asked him since when does someones assumption count as evidence.
And please explain what are my narrow ends?
What were the reasons to doubt before the PSNI concluded that they wouldn’t be able to mount a successful prosecution after such a long period of time i wonder.
Baz – you are having a very bad day – could it get any worse for you ?
It must all be getting too much for you – Corruption at the highest level of Government in Ireland and your Friends just can’t frame whom they like anymore !!!
Ha. That’s laughable. The whole reason this issue resurfaced was because of former volunteers lose lips. Go and look into the Boston Tapes and get back to us when you’re better informed.
Muiris….we also have to take into account that some may tell a story to rewrite history to suit themselves or settle a score.
Nothing on the tapes can be taken as gospel…….that’s why investigations needed and evidence needs to be found and people involved brought before the courts for a fair trial.
Of course they were Muiris….their statements were made in secret with the promise of being held for scholars to read and not to be used in evidence or released to the general public let alone the police.
Loose lips of former volunteers, yes. But those running the Boston Tapes project, as well as being bitter opponents of Adams themselves, made damn sure that only those who were equally (or even more) bitterly opposed to Adams, were invited to take part in the interviews and assured them that their testimony wouldn’t be made public until after their deaths, giving them carte blanche to make up any sort of tales they desired. And didn’t they duly oblige.
Who’d have thought a handful of dissidents, each with an axe to grind with Adams would, when provided with an ideal opportunity, try to discredit Adams, eh? Shocking, I know.
@ I agree Al. The Good Friday rift made Gerry & Martin many enemies from within their own ranks and from the wider Republican community in general. Their words should be taken with a pinch of salt and any judge worth his salt wouldn’t allow the Boston Tapes be used as evidence in any criminal case.
All very well to distance SF & IRA from those who have problems with Adams et al. The cult ain’t that quick to distance themselves from the Sands, Devlins or Cahill families (iconic Republican families) who are of the belief that Gerry Adams & SF sold out.
There Muiris…..you’ve made the point I was trying to make better than me.
Believe me, if I came across evidence of anyone involved in the death of poor Jean McConville, I would shop them in a heart beat.
I don’t think Adams distanced himself from those people at all. In fact he attended many funerals of his republican critics, including those involved in the Boston Tapes. Your post doesn’t really add anything to the discussion though, Baz. You merely point out that there are people who disagree with Adams. The point you are dancing around though, is that those who have an axe to grind with him, cannot then expect to have their privately made accusations about him taken as gospel. Particularly when they make the accusations under the assurance that their words will only be made public after they die, when they won’t have to worry about being challenged.
P.s. You refer to the Sands and Cahill families. I find this a tad odd. Of course there are members of those families who disagree with Adams, but their connection to the Republican struggle is through Bobby & Joe, respectively. In Bobby’s case, he remained a close friend of Adams until his death, and in Joe Cahill’s case, he was an active and senior Sinn Féin member until his death and had his oration delivered by Adams. Nobody can say how either man would think now if they were alive, but since both were close friends of Adams and SF until their deaths, then why wouldn’t he and Sinn Féin speak of their pride in/links to them both.
Good man Baz. A quick google will demonstrate that you are talking nonsense. thejournal.ie won’t let me post the links for some reason but here’s a selection of headlines/quotes from news websites:
BBC:
“A woman who claimed the IRA forced her to confront her alleged rapist has told of a meeting she said she had with Gerry Adams about the allegation.”
BBC:
“Sinn Féin offers to meet Maíria Cahill”
Belfast Telegraph:
“Sinn Féin MLA Caral Ni Chuilin told the BBC’s The View last night: “If Mairia wants a personal apology I think the best way to receive that apology in a genuine way is to sit down with Gerry and do a meeting.”
Muiris, according to the BBC those two had it in for Adams due to Sinn Fein wanting peace that led to the Good Friday Agreement, those 2 were ripping that Adams chose peace and not war. That was the problem and it was that vendetta that led to this.
Andrew S, Labour are a colourful assortment of criminals. From IRA membership, murderers, members of several other illegal organizations involved in bombings, murders and bank robberies, to drink driving, male member arrested I’m Phoenix park for picking up male prostitutes. Another one interfereing in a child rape trial. And then FG are more than happy to do business with them. Speaks volumes on FG standards and morality getting into bed with this lot. Their past is worse than SF by far
The people who feign interest in Jean McConville and her family and their dreadful suffering would they have the same interest if Sinn Fein were circa 2% in the opinion polls and not circa 20%
Adams is 100% correct there never was any real evidence to even question him about such a serious crime far less arrest him never mind convict him. Forget the “Boston tapes” as simply put they are not and never could have been admissible as evidence in a criminal trial in any jurisdiction. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that there always will be a degree of politics surrounding this poor women’s death but no matter how hard or how long those like Burton shout about him no culpability will attach to ADAMS
Yeah Gerry! The dogs in the street know it!! (Well, except for the detectives who quizzed him for four days on the topic, and could produce no evidence whatsoever to back up the suggestion).
Adams was an integral part of the peace process that led to the good friday agreement … he was there at the talks table talking to all the political leaders, Ahern, Blair etc, hammering out an agreement.
He was there precisely because he was in the IRA and because of his membership he had influence over them. He could talk to them and relay message back and forth from the political taks
As a non member, Blair and Bertie wouldnt have given him the time of day
Ever consider the possibility that membership of the IRA would have been a hindrance to this work? That it may have suited the IRA to have a man who was not a fully fledged member, to speak and operate on their behalf and would/could not be linked to any IRA membership/activity due to not being a member? Then again, maybe he was a member. The fact is though, that there is no proof. Another more important fact though, is that it doesn’t matter a damn. If he wasn’t a fully fledged member, he was, by his own proud admission, associated/linked to it and has devoted the last 20 years to peace building. The brits were dragged, albeit kicking and screaming, to the negotiating table to talk about equality and peace. Whatever hat Adams wore to achieve this doesn’t matter to most folk in the 6 counties. I find it condescending and a tad pathetic that those in the 26 counties, who willfully turned their back and put their fingers in their ears during the bad years, suddenly do care about him though.
Adams wrote columns for An Phoblacht, the IRA’s newspaper, under the pseudonym ‘Brownie’, and in 1976 wrote an article stating the following
“Rightly or wrongly, I am an IRA member and, rightly or wrongly, I take a course of action as a means to bringing about a situation in which I believe the people of my country will prosper. The course I take involves the use of physical force, but only if I achieve the situation where my people can genuinely prosper can my course of action be seen, by me, to have been justified . . . I cannot complain if I am hurt, if I am killed or if I am imprisoned. I must consider these things as possible and probable eventualities . . . I have no one to blame but myself
The difference being, Patrick, that if someone makes an accusation, it’s for them to front up with the evidence. Not for the accused to prove his innocence. How can you prove a negative? That’s why in western democracies, the burden of proof lies with the accuser. And lo & behold, the evidence to connect Adams to an IRA membership charge doesn’t exist. Unfortunately for you the “cos Bertie says so” line doesn’t stand much of a chance in a court of law.
Gerry [Macavity] Adams the mystery Provo.
You may meet him in a by-street
You may see him in the square
But when a crime’s discovered then Macavity’s not there.
So the 2 that said he was involved had a vendetta against Adam’s for becoming leader of S.F. but not many will report that, will they although the BBC from London did…
If everyone was done for what others said about them due to vendettas, would anyone be safe???
These men are patriots and heroes. Nobody knows what it was like to live in the North. Nobody knows what it was like to murder an innocent mother of ten and bury her in a shallow grave. Nobody knows what it was like to lie about people after you murdered them by mistake. Nobody knows what it was like to murder and exile more of your own community than that of the ‘opposing’ community.
It’s pretty awful that these lads are considered the future when their mentality is so far in the past.
Gordon, I do hope you are consistent enough to condemn the Old IRA as vehemently, who, after all, killed a higher proportion of civilians to combatants, than the Provos did? And who disappeared over 200 (mostly innocent) people in a handful of short years, compared to the 14 disappeared by the Provos over a 40 year conflict?
Tír……is there a difference in the pain suffered by the families of each of the 200 the Old IRA ‘disappeared’ compared to the 14 by the Provo’s?
……I thought not.
I’d assume that 200 deaths would cause a fair bit more pain and suffering than 14 would, in fairness. But if we assume the amount of pain to be the same, then that wouldn’t really change my question as to whether Gordon would condemn the Old IRA as vociferously as he does the Provos.
Yes, what happened to the 1919 Protestant minority in Cork is just as abhorrent.
Murder is always murder. Nothing can excuse that. What benefit to the Republican movement did the murder of Jean McConville achieve? Absolutely nothing.
You cannot equivocate murder. It’s a bit childish to be saying, oh the Old IRA disappeared 200 people whilst the Newer IRA just managed 14. Therefore somehow the Newer IRA is better than the Old IRA just because they killed less people.
They are still murderers and they STILL continue to protect these people. Such heroes to the cause.
Well, I’m not here to justify what happened to Jean McConville. It was obscene. Where I’d disagree with you is in claiming that IRA campaigns of both eras were “murderous”. If it weren’t for the IRA, you wouldn’t have the slice of independence you currently have in the 26 counties. Mind you, at least you are consistent, unlike the average 26 county hypocrite, who would lambast the men of Bobby Sands’ era but eulogise the men of Michael Collins’ era. Enda Kenny, for instance.
The murder achieved use as a political football to try and score points against a political party that poses a threat to the establishment and the gravy train it rides on. Disgusting, isn’t it?
I didn’t suggest there was but any difference in the suffering FOR the families, my point (as I think you know anyway) is there’s more pain from 200 families, than from 14.
I’d say that’s due to a class difference in the ranks of the ‘Old IRA’ and the ‘later IRA(s). The Old IRA was primarily made up of the sons of farmers. I don’t think you had that with the PIRA. I don’t honestly believe there was much of an ideology behind the ‘Old IRA’ as there was with the PIRA. That sort of came later, when everyone realised that we had the most Conservative revolutionaries in the history of revolutions.
So they murdered her forty years ago because they knew in the future that her death would be used to tarnish the very people that murdered her? Hmmm, yeah great lad.
“So you are saying that your lads were better just because they didn’t murder as many innocent people?”
Again, quote where I said this. My point is I don’t draw a distinction, where others hypocritically do. I see both IRA campaigns as entirely justifiable. That does not mean I believe every action they committed was entirely justifiable. Show me any armed conflict on earth which didn’t have unjustfiable actions committed ffs. (Though The book Lost Lives demonstrates that around 75% of PIRA victims were active participants in the conflict, which is a figure substantially higher than for any armed group, in an conflict, that you care to mention. Including the Tan War.)
the PIRA ceasefire and subsequent peace process is less than 20 yrs old.. in that time PIRA has accepted that the tactic of disappearing bodies was wrong.. not only have they apologised but have made great efforts in recovering 11 of the 13 they were responsible for, a fact attested to by the ILVCR.. FF and Fg have been in government for 90 odd years and have never even acknowledged their past history of disappearing hundreds of bodies never mind assisting in any form of recovery..we even have Martin Mc Corry FF TD openly gloating about his role in this…
Typical dumb response from someone who posts something quite stupid and is pulled on it.
Not a shinner but I’ve more respect for them these days than any other political party.
Takes a special kind of hyperbolic idiot to stand out on the journal. Fair play to Baz and the one track monkey, proving that stupidity a something one can work at
Tom, the British army was involved in hundreds of murders in the six counties and got away with basically all of them. Only three British Soldiers were ever convicted of murder here, and each got released within a year or two, and two of the three were handed guns and their army uniform and promoted in the army.
In fact, it was British state policy that they should be allowed get away with murders in Ireland. The evidence? In 1972, 79 Irish people were shot dead by the British Army here. The vast majority of these were civilians. In July 1972, a strategic government and security meeting at Stormont Castle was held, involving the Secretary for State William Whitelaw MP, the North’s most senior British Army officer the General Officer Commanding (GOC) General Ford, the Deputy Chief Constable of the RUC, plus Lord Windlesham the British government’s representative in the House of Lords, British MP’s, and senior civil servants from the NIO. Relatives for Justice recently unearthed a document from this meeting. The document includes some striking quotes, most notable is the one which states ‘The (British) Army should not be inhibited in its campaign by the threat of prosecution”. As mentioned, that year 79 people were shot by the British Army. The meeting took place in July. That month the British Army killed 20 innocent civilians. Not one British soldier faced a conviction for ANY of these 79 killings throughout 1972.
How do murders committed by the British or anyone else mitigate the fact that someone got away with murder?
Imagine if during every murder trial the defence said “M’Lud my client should get off because of the unrelated crimes of others.”
Tom, when you get a minute, can you stick up the quote where I said the British murders “mitigated” others. Good man.
My post merely was my reaction to your apparent surprise at the idea of a murder going unpunished, by pointing out that the British Army has directly or indirectly murdered hundreds of civilians here without punishment. As an aside, I’d have thought that since you were surprised at murders sometimes going unpunished, that you’d have been totally floored by the revelation that it was British State policy that their taxpayer funded armed forces be immune from prosecution for committing murder. But that didn’t seem to cause a flinch from you.
There was evidence. Just not enough. Police have evidence linking the leader of an opposition party in our Dail with the murder of a mother of 10. Just not enough…
Mario Biaggi, a former US Representative and Roman Catholic of Italian descent, maintains that Gerry Adams refused any suggestions of an IRA truce in 1979, when they met in the Europa Hotel in Belfast in 1979
Why would a man who claims to have never been a member of the IRA refuse any suggestions of an IRA truce? And why would Biaggi, with no dog in the hunt on either side, lie about such an event?
nice try a chara, reason you hide is to hide your political affiliations, there is no such organisation as SF/IRA not in Europe anyway, but I think you know that already, paranoia is a medical condition or is it a case u still believe in trolls under the bridge ? How come other people with anti SF views have not the same ” far fetched ” reasons for posting from incognito land. Again have the courage of your convictions
Is it not time that this tragic mother was left to rest in peace instead of being dug up and wheeled out every time our intellectually challenged Taoiseach and the Hireling scribes of the status quo find that they need a Red Herring when faced with an embarrassing question from Gerry Adams.
Most likely they don’t know. You don’t become the worlds most effective paramilitary group by telling everybody you know all the secrets you know. They wouldn’t have lasted a week as they were up against one of the worlds best intelligence services.
Du really think that after the ceasefire they sat around discussing “where the bodies are buried”. You’re clutching there bud. They were smart enough to fight British military intelligence for 30+ years, no mean feat there. You don’t become stupid overnight cos a piece of paper has some important people’s names on it.
So you reckon that people who were part of the IRA did not discuss their “campaign” afterwards. And you think I’m clutching? Of course they know but “omertà” rules in SF/IRA.
Being part of an illegal organisation and committing murder, bombings. You really think they discuss that only for omertà. Do you even know what omertà means, it’s exactly the opposite of what you’re talking about. These people were a highly organised and skilful paramilitary group fighting British intelligence. It wasn’t the ICA.
Powerabbey. Theres a bit of omerta in the old RUC Special Branch who wont co-operate with Ombudman or Historical Enquiries. I suppose you support them. Lots of murders covered up there, eh?
No they are not confused at all they who they are, they are real people with real opinions and express them openly, oh wait sur u would not understand that in incognito there
I don’t have any IRA friends power, I’m from a small town in Limerick, we’re all good down here but nice little attempt at the mudslinging. I’ll pass although you might practice that one a bit more. It was a poor attempt.
You might need to understand omertà yourself a little better too. It means silence, as in absolute. No chatting around the coffee machine about your dastardly deeds and such. It’s really a mafia thing but as it applies to paramilitary groups, its leadership, or the people who know the secrets, are leaders because they’re good at keeping secrets. It’s a life and death thing so your notion that these people chat about it like they’re talking about what they won at the horses is kinda fantasy. Sounds like you’re watching a movie. I just watched Star Wars episode 2, I forgot how shit it was :(
The IRA were a paramilitary organisation chief, they’re not the girl scouts, what do you expect they did? SF are the political wing of said group and thank god as without them we’d still be in the middle of the troubles. I see you’re trying to be smart – try harder.
I know what omerta means power. As you can see above, I have explained it sufficiently. Good to know you needed to check it up. Yes, it does sound familiar. It sounds exactly like what the British Army, RUC, UVF et al were doing during the troubles, AS WELL AS, the IRA and INLA. You seem to be one of those commenters that’s only likes to see one side of a conflict through your narrow biased view of the world.
@ Power person. it seriously increases the validity not to mention sincerity of comments when people post them as themselves and not from incognito land
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