SAOIRSE32

Indymedia Ireland

Appeal To Stop Disbarment Of Rights Solicitor
by Shane OCurry - Pat Finucane Centre Thursday, Jan 20 2005, 3:43pm
s.ocurry@ulster.ac.uk

Northern Irish Law Society Accused Of Political Bias In Move To Strike Padraigin Drinan From Books

The Law Society of Northern Ireland are in the process of closing down the law practice of Padraigin Drinan. She can no longer represent her clients and they are asking the High Court in Belfast to freeze her assets immediately.

The reasons given by Ms Bryson of the Law Society of Northern Ireland for these actions depends on who is asking. She has told Padraigin that it is because she failed to respond to letters from the society (Padraigin maintains that she answered the questions fully in other correspondence). She has told others it is because Padragin had not amalgamated her practice with that of another solicitor. One person even got a call today saying, ‘Watch what you’re getting into, this is about financial irregularities”. This is nonsense, as you need to be making money to be irregular with it, and a huge portion of Padraigin’s work is done ‘pro bono’ (for free).

Spearheading the appeal to defend Ms Drinan, one friend and colleague told this Indymedia reporter “Padraigin has a long history of defending the dispossessed. She’s a champion of the poor. She fights for those in society who have no voice. Immigrants, the residents groups, Dominic McGlinchey (raising his sons after their father’s death), and above all she does what’s right and speaks out against injustice no matter who is perpetrating that injustice”.

She went on “What is needed at this moment is to get the word out to as many people as possible, unions, politicians and activist groups, and to ask them to contact Ms. Bryson of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and ask her why Padraigin is being persecuted. To ask her which of the three reasons given is the real reason Padraigin’s ability to practice has been taken away. Indeed what people should be asking is “is this not in fact punishment for the political orientation of her clientele? Is it not about the fact that she is trying to keep loyalists from again invading nationalist communities in the coming marching season?”

The spokeswoman promised that additional information would be forthcoming, but, until then, asked that concerned individuals and groups write to the address and email below and put the questions outlined above to Ms Bryson.

Padraigin has taken cases that have made her enemies. The British and Irish Governments don’t like her, not least because because of her stance against institutionalised sectarianism within the RUC/PSNI and the judicial system, and her challenge to the legality of the the 26 county racist citizenship referendum, by demonstrating that it disenfranchised the six counties and exposed the fact that people from the six counties who put themselves down as Irish could not get jobs in the civil service there. Anti-War activists will remember her as a legal observer on many a demonstration, including the march against Blair and Bush at Hillsborough and the various actions at Shannon.

In the North, she has also fallen out of favour with the GFA-supporting parties of every hue because her challenge to Orange marches in the nationalist community is seen as undermining deals to resurrect Stormont.

Unionist/loyalist political forces are naturally pissed off with her because of her association with issues impacting on the nationalist community, such as loyalist parades and sectarian attacks.

Readers are urged to contact Suzanne Bryson and tell her that they are aware of the witch-hunt against Padraigin and want it to end.

Whether you agree with the politics of her clients or the orientation she appears to align herself with is of no consequence. It is a cornerstone of basic human rights to defend and enable lawyers to provide all citizens with legal defence.

Padraigin Drinan has, in the past, been subjected to numerous death threats and even attempts on her life. It is not inconceivable that the State, having decided that the tactic of rubbing out solicitors that they don’t like - as they did in the still unresolved cases of Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane - is too messy, and has therefore moved on to taking subtler and less politically costly measures, such as trying to discredit solicitors they consider too uppity and attempting to destroy their careers.

The spokeswoman said “Padraigin Drinan may be the most important civil rights attorney practicing in the six counties today, please join in defending her and don’t delay.”

SUZANNE BRYSON - Deputy Secretary
Email: info@lawsoc-ni.org
Law Society of Northern Ireland
98 Victoria St
Belfast, Ireland BT1 3JZ

Derry Journal

Adding Insult To Injury

Friday 21st January 2005

Bloody Sunday was an offence against this community that has left a legacy of hurt and bitterness that still reverberates until this day.

When the new inquiry was established many people hoped that at last the relatives of the dead and injured and the wider Derry community could begin the healing process so vital if this community is to move on.

However, the decision this week to jail ‘Ducksie’ Doherty for refusing to talk to the Inquiry could lead to a serious loss of confidence in the Inquiry and subsequently its conclusions.

Mr. Doherty who is adamant that he was not present on Bloody Sunday, felt that he had no evidence to contribute to the Inquiry.

When the Inquiry persisted in asking him to give evidence he agreed to meet with them to see why they were so interested in speaking to him and discovered that they wanted to question him about allegations made by an informer.

Mr. Doherty decided that these allegations were not worth responding to and so he did not attend the Inquiry.

It is scandalous that the first person and very possibly the only person to see the inside of a prison cell because of Bloody Sunday is a Derry republican.

Many British soldiers went to the Inquiry but simply did not answer any questions put to them yet nothing was done about that.

Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath hid behind a poor memory to avoid answering awkward questions yet nothing was done about that.

‘Ducksie’ Doherty did not co-operate because he had nothing to say and he is jailed.

The British government have the power to release Mr. Doherty and they should do so immediately. the Irish government for their part should do all in their power to lobby for Mr. Doherty’s immediate release.

The continued imprisonment of Mr. Doherty is adding insult to injury and if the bloody Sunday inquiry wants to retain its credibility it should take steps to end this scandalous state of affairs.

Here is a photo of a mural from 2003 which I found while looking for a Sinn Féin logo pic. I’m including it for general interest. It was on a web page in Spanish http://www.galizacig.com/index.html.

Irish Times

Majority wants talks with SF on North deal to continue

A clear majority of voters believes that the Irish and British governments should continue to negotiate with Sinn Féin for a deal in the North rather than suspend negotiations until there is a verified end to IRA criminal activity, according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports

Some 62 per cent believe the governments should continue to negotiate with Sinn Féin, while 26 per cent believe negotiations should be suspended until the governments are satisfied that there is a verified end to criminal activity by the IRA.

Some 9 per cent don’t know and 3 per cent have no opinion.

Less than half of voters - 47 per cent - believe that the IRA was responsible for the recent £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery. Just 19 per cent believe the IRA was not responsible, while 29 per cent say they don’t know and 5 per cent expressed no opinion.

The level of belief that the IRA was responsible is relatively consistent among supporters of all parties except Sinn Féin. Just 15 per cent of Sinn Féin voters believe the IRA was responsible, 61 per cent believe that it was not, 22 per cent don’t know and 2 per cent have no opinion.

The poll was conducted last Monday and Tuesday among a national quota sample of 1,000 voters throughout all constituencies. It was conducted just before the IRA’s official denial of involvement in the Northern Bank robbery.

The strong support for the continuation of political negotiations with Sinn Féin shows that the public takes a different view from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahern, who said last Monday that it was not “business as usual” with Sinn Féin and that the criminality issue had to be resolved before the Government re-entered negotiations with Sinn Féin similar to those which took place before Christmas.

However, there is support in all age groups, regions and social categories, and among supporters of all parties, for the continuation of negotiations with Sinn Féin rather than its suspension until the governments are satisfied that there has been a verified end to criminal activity by the IRA.

A greater number believe Sinn Féin is committed to working towards the ending of all paramilitary violence and criminal activity than believe it is not. Some 46 per cent believe that it is, 32 per cent that it is not, 18 per cent don’t know and 4 per cent have no opinion.

The public is evenly divided on whether Sinn Féin would be acceptable or unacceptable to serve in the next government. Asked if Sinn Féin participation in a coalition would be acceptable or not if there were a general election tomorrow, 39 per cent said it would be acceptable, 39 per cent that it would not, 18 per cent don’t know and 4 per cent have no opinion.

Sinn Féin participation is most palatable to the party’s own voters, among whom 95 per cent see it as acceptable, just 1 per cent do not and 3 per cent have no opinion. Among supporters of other parties, it is most acceptable among Labour voters, where 44 per cent would accept it, 33 per cent would not, 21 per cent don’t know and 2 per cent have no opinion.

A greater number of supporters of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats and the Green Party would find Sinn Féin participation in a coalition government unacceptable. Among Fianna Fáil voters, 36 per cent believe it would be acceptable, 41 per cent unacceptable, 20 per cent don’t know and 3 per cent have no opinion.

Some 33 per cent of Fine Gael voters see it as acceptable, 55 per cent as unacceptable, 9 per cent don’t know and 3 per cent have no opinion.

Among PD voters, just 18 per cent would find Sinn Féin participation in the next government acceptable, 68 per cent unacceptable, while 15 per cent don’t know. Finally, among Green Party voters, 29 per cent would find it acceptable, 54 per cent unacceptable, while 10 per cent don’t know.

© The Irish Times

Guardian

MI6 ordered LSD tests on servicemen
Volunteers fed hallucinogen in mind control experiments

Rob Evans
Saturday January 22, 2005
The Guardian

Fifty years ago, Eric Gow had a baffling and unexplained experience. As a 19-year-old sailor, he remembers going to a clandestine military establishment, where he was given something to drink in a sherry glass and experienced vivid hallucinations.

Other servicemen also remember tripping: one thought he was seeing tigers jumping out of a wall, while another recalls faces “with eyes running down their cheeks, Salvador Dalí-style”.

Mr Gow and another serviceman had volunteered to take part in what they thought was research to find a cure for the common cold.

Mr Gow felt that the government had never explained what happened to him. But now he has received an official admission for the first time, confirmed last night, that the intelligence agency MI6 tested LSD on servicemen.

The Guardian has spoken to three servicemen who say that they were not warned that they were being fed a hallucinogen during experiments.

One of the scientists involved at the time suggested that the experiments were stopped because it was feared that the acid could produce “suicidal tendencies”.

MI6, known formally as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and responsible for spying operations abroad, carried out the tests in the cold war in an attempt to uncover a “truth drug” which would make prisoners talk against their will in interrogations.

It appears that MI6 feared that the Russians had discovered their own “brainwashing” chemical to control the minds of their enemies, fears triggered by pictures of American servicemen who had been captured during the Korean war confessing to their “crimes” and calling for a US surrender.

In 1949, a Hungarian dissident had also “confessed” robotically in a show trial without, it seemed, being in control of himself.

In parallel experiments, the CIA infamously tested LSD and other drugs on unwitting human subjects in a 20-year search to uncover mind-manipulation techniques. The trials were widely criticised when they came to light in the 1970s.

Mr Gow and another man say that while serving in the military they volunteered to take part in research. They were told to go to the Porton Down chemical warfare establishment in Wiltshire, where servicemen were regularly tested in experiments.

Mr Gow, then a radio operator in the Royal Navy, says that scientists gave him the liquid to drink in 1954, a decade before the effects of LSD were popularised by hippies.

Soon he could not add up three figures. The radiator started to go in and out “like a squeezebox”, while shoe marks on the floor spun like a catherine wheel. He says he still seemed to be tripping that evening, when he and a colleague went dancing in nearby Salisbury, with wellies on. “I don’t think we got a date that night,” he said yesterday.

He added that the scientists had been “irresponsible”, particularly as they had not kept the men under close supervision. Now a magistrate, he submitted an open government request to the Ministry of Defence seeking more details of the experiments.

The MoD replied that “much of the information concerning LSD involves research conducted at the behest of the Secret Intelligence Service … We are more than happy to speak to them [SIS] on your behalf and will pursue the question of downgrading the security classification of certain documents to allow us to disclose them to you”.

Last night, a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that in 1953 and 1954 Porton Down carried out SIS-commissioned tests of LSD on service personnel.

Don Webb says that in 1953, when he was a 19-year-old airman, scientists told him to take LSD several times in a week. He experienced “walls melting, cracks appearing in people’s faces, you could see their skulls, eyes would run down cheeks, Salvador Dalí-style faces”.

Alan Care, a lawyer representing Mr Gow and Mr Webb, has written to MI6 demanding more documents about the trials and is threatening legal action. Yesterday he said: “Clearly these men were duped and subjected to unethical LSD thought control experiments. MI6 should release all its documents about these trials - national secrets will not be compromised.”

A senior Porton Down official described the LSD trials as “tentative and inadequately controlled”, according to a document made public in the National Archives.

One scientist involved was believed to be the late Harry Cullumbine, who was in charge of human experiments at Porton Down in the 1950s.

Extracts from his unpublished autobiography were aired at the recent inquest into the death of the airman Ronald Maddison after nerve gas trials in 1953. According to the Wiltshire coroner, David Masters, Cullumbine wrote: “We stopped the trials … when it was reported that in a few people it might produce suicidal tendencies.”

Mr Masters told the inquest: “MI6 was eager to try it as a truth drug.”

However, the quest came to nothing, because the scientists discovered that LSD was useless for manipulating the human mind.

Belfast Telegraph

Farm workers’ wages to rise by 4.3%

By Michael Drake
22 January 2005

Northern Ireland’s farm workers are in line to get a 4.3% wage rise.

The proposal from the Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland will, if ratified, come into operation early in April.

The board wants to increase existing minimum rates of pay for workers in all age groups by this amount.

For those aged 19 and over it will mean a wage of £207 for a five-day, 39-hour week.

This will equate to an hourly rate of £5.31 and an overtime payment of £7.96 per hour.

At the bottom end of the age scale those aged 15 and under will receive £103.50 a week.

The board will meet again next month to consider any objections to the proposal.

No other changes to working conditions are proposed.

The board, which was set up in 1977, comprises six members of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union, six members of the Ulster Farmers Union and three members who were appointed by the Department of Agriculture.

Belfast Telegraph

Eames praises prison’s braille books

22 January 2005

The Church of Ireland has praised prisoners at Maghaberry Prison for their work producing Braille versions of the Church’s Book of Common Prayer and Church Hymnal.

The two publications are among a series of titles designed and produced by the prison’s Braille Unit, run by David Johnston.

Speaking during a recent visit to Maghaberry Prison, Archbishop Robin Eames, Church of Ireland Primate of All Ireland, said: “The prisoners working in the Braille Unit have developed unique skills in producing liturgical publications and educational material as well as other publications.

“The Braille editions of the Book of Common Prayer and the Church Hymnal are invaluable resources for our Braille users both in their worship and in helping them to engage in parish life.

“I wish to thank the prisoners and prison authorities for this wonderful gift to the Church.”

Archbishop Eames also praised David Johnston: “David’s devotion and expertise in managing the production of liturgical books has been outstanding.”

Archbishop Eames added: “The importance of a resource such as the Braille Unit reaches far beyond the walls of Maghaberry Prison.

“It enriches the whole of society and I commend the prison authorities for providing prisoners with this opportunity to engage in such worthwhile work.”

Maghaberry Prison Governor, Pat Maguire, said: “I am very pleased that this project and the others that the Braille Unit undertakes provide prisoners with an opportunity to do a valuable service for the local community.

“Prisoners at Maghaberry have transcribed not only text but music, graphs and drawings for blind and visually impaired readers.

“Prisoners can use the skills they learn in the Unit to help with their eventual resettlement into the community.”

The Archbishop presented a cheque for £2,500 to HM Prison Maghaberry in recognition of their work on liturgical publications.

Principals in new move to tackle suicides crisis
Major campaign is launched to develop first prevention strategy

By Deborah McAleese
22 January 2005

A group of Co Down school principals have launched a major campaign to help tackle the rising number of suicides in the area.

They have enlisted the help of local politicians and the Down Lisburn Trust to try and develop Northern Ireland’s first co-ordinated suicide prevention strategy.

Principals from 21 primary and secondary schools in the Ballynahinch area initiated the campaign amid major concern about the high number of suicides in the area and right across Northern Ireland.

According to figures, suicide is currently the greatest cause of death for young males under the age of 25.

It also accounts for 25% of all deaths of young people.

“Suicide is a very serious concern and we think there is a real need for a strategic plan for suicide prevention in Northern Ireland,” said Mr Hugh McCann, principal of St Colman’s High School in Ballynahinch.

“The schools in the area just want to get something done to tackle the problem and would like to encourage some joined-up thinking.”

Down District Council has agreed to support the school principals in their campaign and plans to exert pressure on the Down Lisburn Trust to take a leading role in the development of a preventative strategy.

Ballynahinch councillor Anne McAleenan said that society needs to start treating the problem of suicide with “the seriousness it deserves.”

“While this is a crisis that faces all of Northern Ireland Ballynahinch recently featured in a television programme as having the highest suicide rate in any rural area,” she said.”

“It is time to face up to the reality of the suicide problem and take steps to address it.”

A spokeswoman for the Down Lisburn Trust said that the trust is actively working on a development strategy which is being headed by trust nurse lecturer Pat McGreevy who is basing a lot of his work on international experiences.

Belfast Telegraph

**When I think of Red Hand, I think of the murder of Daniel McColgan. When I think of Ireland, I think of the Tricolour. Zoe needs to grow a brain.

Backlash at Zoe Red Hand apology
Unionist fury over BBC’s retraction

By Ben Lowry
22 January 2005

Blue Peter was facing a unionist backlash today after apologising for the use of the Red Hand of Ulster symbol by its ex-Miss Northern Ireland presenter Zoe Salmon.

A prominent nationalist politician also played down the controversy surrounding on-air comments by the former beauty queen, who suggested earlier this month that the symbol would make a good choice for a new airline tailfin design in a children’s competition.

A week later, the 24-year-old model selected a design of a map of Ireland, covered in the Union Flag, as one of her favourites.

Head of Blue Peter Anne Gilchrist issued an apology to David Miller, professor of sociology at Strathclyde University, who complained, comparing the Red Hand to the swastika.

Patsy McGlone, SDLP Assembly member for Mid Ulster, today said: “I would not have been that upset about the reference to the Red Hand on its own.

“The most offensive bit for me would be the Union Jack superimposed on the image of Ireland. Zoe Salmon should been more than aware of the sensitivity surrounding that.”

UUP Assembly member Michael Copeland described the Blue Peter apology as “political correctness gone mad”.

“The Red Hand symbol is as precious to all Ulstermen as the Lion is to Scotland and the Dragon to Wales.

“It appears in the symbolism of both the unionist and nationalist communities.”

Former UUP Lord Mayor of Belfast Jim Rodgers said: “We must not allow the Red Hand to be surrendered to paramilitaries.

“If you read carefully what the head of Blue Peter has said, she points out that the Red Hand is the official symbol of Ulster which consists of nine counties.

“I understand that this programme, which has millions of viewers, got four complaints.”

On the website Slugger O’Toole, which invites comment on Northern Ireland matters, the BBC apology came under fire from a wide range of contributors. Some pointed out that the Red Hand is used by Tyrone GAA.

One contributor wrote: “My mother wore a Red Hand on her Irish dancing costume back in the Forties.”

In the letter of apology, Ms Gilchrist wrote: “We can assure you that the symbol was used in good faith and it certainly wasn’t our intention to be provocative or promote sectarianism.

“The reason we chose to use the Red Hand was because it is the official symbol of the province of Ulster.”

She added: “We take all complaints seriously and after we received yours we did some detailed investigation into it, the result of which is that we realise that the context in which we were referring to the Red Hand was inappropriate and mistaken.

“We’d like to apologise for any upset or concern we have caused.”

IRA ‘must be brought to heel’: Paisley

22/01/2005 - 08:43:19

The IRA must be brought to heel for the Northern Bank Robbery before any new peace talks, Ian Paisley has warned.

The Democratic Unionist leader emerged from meeting Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde yesterday more convinced than ever that the Provisionals pulled off the £26.5m (€38m) heist.

Mr Paisley insisted that a fresh attempt to broker a power-sharing agreement with Sinn Féin was off until cast-iron guarantees are given that all paramilitary guns and crime operations are scrapped for good.

He declared: “There was a golden opportunity which they refused. Maybe they saw the gold of the Northern Bank was more precious than the gold of the Assembly.”

He added: “The position is that we cannot (now) deal with IRA/Sinn Féin until they decommission their weapons and give up criminality.

“There’s no chance of a deal until the IRA are brought to heel and made amenable to the law. Seeing is believing that they are going, all criminality must cease, and the people of Northern Ireland must be convinced that they have ceased.

“That will take more than one month to convince us. I would say it will take many months.”

The raid, on December 20, the biggest of its kind in British history, came just after a major push to revive the devolved administration at Stormont came agonisingly close to success.

London and Dublin believed they had a deal that would see unionists and republicans run an Executive together at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

But the plan was derailed at the eleventh hour amid IRA resistance to DUP demands requiring photographic proof they had destroyed all their weapons.

Even though republicans have categorically rejected Mr Orde’s view that the Provos cleared the vaults at the Northern’s Belfast HQ, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and have accepted his assessment.

Their fury was compounded by the belief that the robbery was being planned at the same time the political negotiations involving Sinn Féin leaders were at a critical stage.

IOL

Two arrested after ammunition find

22/01/2005 - 08:53:33

Two people, believed to be prominently connected with the Real IRA, were arrested last night in the Dublin area.

Both are being held under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act.

They are being detained separately at the Bridewell and Terenure garda stations.

A quantity of ammunition and other paramilitary paraphernalia was recovered.

BBC

‘My patients are miles away’

The healthcare needs of rural communities are not being properly met, says a report by the British Medical Association.

It highlights a lack of public transport and too much centralisation of services.

Dr Eugene Deeny is a GP in Belleek, a small village in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.

He is one of three GPs serving 4,000 patients in a practice area which is 18 miles wide and 10 miles long.

Dr Deeny said many health care policies had been developed to serve people who lived in towns - and often did not work for people in rural areas.

He said the biggest problem for his patients was the fact that they could not easily access health care services.

Dr Deeny said that not only was it difficult for some patients living miles from the practice to get to their GP, they then also had problems getting to the hospital which is 25 miles in Enniskillen if they needed follow up care.

And he said patients who needed specialist cardiac or cancer services could face a 230-mile round trip to Belfast.

The problem was compounded by the fact that many of the most needy patients were elderly.

However, some young families also had problems, as often they only had one car, and that had to be used to work.

“Public transport is even less accessible to people now than it was years ago,” said Dr Deeny.

“We have very poor roads between the rural areas and our main hospitals, and taxi services are few and fair between, and expensive.

“Some of our patients are very much dependent on family or neighbours to run them in to the surgery.

“And because the A&E unit at Enniskillen is so far away we tend to see a lot more injuries as patients turn up to the surgery, rather than the hospital.”

The difficulty of accessing health services also meant that some people put off consulting a doctor longer than was advisable, said Dr Deeny.

Specialist clinics needed

Dr Deeny said the local surgeries were very good, as was the district nursing service.

Not only was there a perception that working in rural areas left doctors professionally isolated, there were logistical problems such as finding work for partners, and schools for children.

In addition medical schools did little to promote rural practice as a positive option, he said.

Dr Deeny said there was also a pressing need to develop more specialist services, such as chiropody, physiotherapy and dentistry.

This could be done by establishing consultant outreach clinics at local surgeries, he said.

He also called for better use of modern technology, such as video counselling.

“This would allow patients to be seen in doctor’s surgeries, but consult a specialist at a local hospital at the same time.”

But, despite the problems of being a rural doctor, Dr Deeny said he did not regret practising in an isolated area.

“You have to make sacrifices. For instance, you have to be prepared to travel for shopping, leisure and entertainment,” he said.

“But it is very rewarding. There is a more relaxed pace of life.

“I know my patients very well, and can offer continuity of care.”

Sinn F?in: Sinn Féin

**yesterday

Sinn Féin demands release of Martin Doherty

Published: 21 January, 2005

Senior Sinn Féin Representatives Martin McGuinness MP and Mitchel McLaughlin MLA this afternoon visited Derry Republican Martin Doherty in Maghaberry prison. Martin Doherty was arrested earlier this week on foot of a warrant issued after he failed to appear before the Saville Tribunal.

Speaking from outside Maghaberry prison Martin McGuinness said:

” People in Derry and beyond are outraged at the arrest and detention of Martin Doherty. How dare the British government who murdered 13 innocent people on Bloody Sunday and spent the decades since concealing the truth jail a local republican as a result of their criminal actions.

” Paul Murphy has the power to release Martin Doherty today. I am calling on him to do that now.”

Mr McLaughlin said:

” It is important for people to show solidarity with Martin Doherty and his family at this time. It is of course ironic that Martin Doherty, the only man jailed as a result of the British actions on Bloody Sunday, will as it stands spend the anniversary of the massacre incarcerated in a British prison.

” It is unacceptable and in the coming days and weeks republicans will mount a campaign to demand Martin Doherty’s freedom and an end to the British policy of evasion and concealment.” ENDS

An Phoblacht

Marie Wright

There’s a story told about Marie Wright by her friends and comrades. It’s an account of a single incident that happened after Marie had been released from her first term of imprisonment in 1987 and before she was jailed again two years later.

A neighbour who had witnessed Marie being stopped and harassed by an RUC foot patrol came out of her house to protest. “Leave that girl alone,” the woman had said, “she’s done her time”.

Marie’s reaction marked her out as the kind of person and republican she was. It concerned Marie that anyone, even a well-meaning neighbour, might imagine that she had already ‘done her bit’. For Marie, participation in the struggle for Irish freedom and justice was an ongoing commitment.

Marie was born in Belfast on 20 October 1960 and as a child attended St Comgall’s and Holy Child schools before moving onto St Genevieve’s. Growing up in West Belfast throughout the turbulent late 1960s and early ’70s, with the campaign for civil rights and later resistance to Internment and British occupation, gave Marie a front-seat ticket in the living history of the current phase of the struggle.

But Marie wasn’t the kind of person to be content to sit and watch the world go by and it wasn’t long before she found a way to play her part by joining Cumann na gCailíní and later Cumann na mBan. By the 1980s, as resistance to Britain’s criminalisation policy was at its height and republican POWs on protest in the jails began a hunger strike, Marie was a determined and dedicated republican.

In 1983, Marie was arrested and instead of her planned first holiday trip to Spain, found herself in Armagh Women’s jail. Charged with possession of explosives, Marie served four years of a seven-year sentence.

The regime at Armagh Jail was as daunting as its bleak 18th Century façade. But even at the tender age of 23, Marie, like many of her fellow POWs, was more than able for the challenge. Marie viewed imprisonment as just another arena of struggle and, undeterred by the difficulties life and the struggle placed in her path, she set about the tasks of challenging strip-searching and defending the right of political prisoners to be segregated away from criminals.

On release in 1987, Marie immediately reported back for IRA active service and just two years later was captured again. During her arrest in 1989, Marie was badly beaten by a covert RUC unit. Sentenced to 24 years, Marie’s second term of imprisonment was at Maghaberry, where she was soon appointed as the Officer Commanding (OC) of women IRA prisoners.

As OC, Marie’s formidable leadership talents were soon challenging the British authorities daily. But where her opponents found her tough and confrontational, her comrades experienced those same qualities as unflinching commitment to their needs and welfare. Marie was that rare individual who could combine steely determination with a giving and affectionate heart. Her fellow POWs deemed invaluable Marie’s friendship and constant support.

Marie’s and her comrades’ resolve was particularly tested in March 1992, when they were subjected to an eight-hour ordeal at the hands of riot clad prison officers. During the brutal attack, women POWs were beaten, (one so severely that she was subsequently taken to Lagan Valley Hospital) held down by gangs of male wardens and forcibly strip-searched.

All 21 women prisoners sustained cuts, bruising and strain injuries. The incident gained international attention and was widely condemned. As campaigners against strip-searching pointed out, nothing of any significance was ever found during strip-searches, leading many people to deduce that the practice was a punitive measure designed to undermine the prisoners’ morale.

It did not succeed and with Marie’s guidance and support, the women of Maghaberry were soon putting the pressure on the prison authorities, running successful campaigns against sexist discrimination and the right to access education and training within the jail.

In an interview with An Phoblacht in October 1998, Marie highlighted the importance of what she termed “the battle for education” for women POWs. Marie was one of the first republican women to be released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and had completed an Open University exam on the morning of her release.

“The whole ethos of women republicans in jail was about getting education,” Marie said. “The attitude from the prison education department was difficult, they tried to block and frustrate everything we came up with.”

But the women’s determination eventually triumphed. A civil action challenging discrimination against women within the jail system forced the NIO to concede and granted women prisoners equal access to academic and vocational education.

“Jail teaches you there is nothing you can’t do,” said Marie, “especially as women and as part of an ongoing struggle”.

Republicans throughout Ireland mourned the untimely death of Marie Wright on 19 December last. Since her release from prison in 1998, Marie had worked tirelessly, throwing her energy into the Peace Process, community politics and election work. The National Graves Association and the Bring Them Home Campaign were the focus of Marie’s commitment in recent years. She also helped organise the Tírghrá commemoration, in which the families and friends of fallen comrades came together to remember and to celebrate. She also continued to serve as a Volunteer in the IRA.

In February 2004, Marie was diagnosed with leukaemia and endured a rigorous regime of treatment before her death just before Christmas. The courage and unassuming selflessness that had characterised her commitment to the struggle remained with her to the end. Just a few days before her own death, her thoughts were with the Colombia Three, having learnt of the lengthy sentences imposed arbitrarily on the Irishmen by the regime.

“To do justice to the life and memory of a special friend in words is not something that comes easy. When that friend was also a comrade with whom you shared and experienced involvement in a struggle that entailed sacrifice and the giving up of many of the everyday things that make up ordinary life, then that task seems almost too daunting to fulfil,” said Maura McCrory, delivering the Oration at Marie’s funeral.

“For all of us who knew and loved her, Marie’s death is an immeasurable loss. Her life is a treasured experience and our lives are all the better for having shared even a small part with her,” said Maura.

Family Notice

Volunteer Marie Wright. The mother, brothers , sisters and family circle of the late Marie Wright, RIP, wish to sincerely thank all those who sympathised with us in our recent sad bereavement. We wish to thank all our family and friends who helped Marie through her illness, her friends Mary, Chris and Shauneen whose constant help and support during her many stays in hospital were invaluable and greatly appreciated. A special thank you is due to consultants Cuthbert, Jones and McMillan, and to all the medical, nursing and ancillary staff of Ward 10 North BCH. The level of care afforted to Marie was overwhelming. We will be eternally grateful to the medical staff of the Intensive Care Unit, Wards 2, 4 and 8 of the Bridgewater suite, the physios, Occupational Therapist, Dieticians, McMillan nurses, District nurses, carers, Dr Gilligan and the GPs from the Grosvenor Road surgery, Coopers Chemist and all those who cared for Marie through her illness. Thanks to our Neighbours of “The Loney”, Edenmore and Kenard. To all those who helped in many practical ways we extend our thanks. We wish to thank all those who expressed sympathy by sending Mass Cards, floral tributes and who came to our home, they are far too many to name individually but we will never forget you. A special word of thanks to Siobhán for always being there for Marie, to Ginny and to her friends in the Falls Women’s Centre whose help and support both during Marie’s illness and following her death was immeasurable. We thank all Marie’s friends who travelled from all parts of Ireland to sympathise with us. We wish to thank the singers, and Healy’s for their sensitive handling of the funeral arrangements. Special thanks are extended to Monsignor Raymond Murry for the beautiful requiem Mass, Fr Owens for his kind words and Fr Eastwood. We thank the Felon’s Club and the caterers for the refreshments they provided after the funeral, they were very much appreciated. We thank her friends and comrades in Óglaigh na hÉireann, Sinn Féin and the wider Republican Movement for the dignified funeral and touching tributes paid to Marie. Marie’s family is sincerely grateful for all the support received during this difficult time and hope that this acknowledgement will be accepted as a token of our heartfelt thanks. The holy sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for your intentions. Go raibh maith agaibh. Marie’s month’s mind will be celebrated in St Agnes Church at 10am Thursday 20 January.

An Phoblacht

Henry Fegan

Henry Fegan, a committed and fearless Volunteer of Oglaigh na hEireann, died on 10 December. Henry, born in the summer of 1933, was the eldest of four children. His early years were spent in High Street, Bessbrook and he attended the nearby primary school on the edge of the village. While he was known to his friends and comrades affectionately as” wee” Henry, to his enemies he was seen as a big threat. Henry was born to rebel. The relative luxuries of life meant absolutely nothing to him. His lifestyle, during the war, is testimony to the true revolutionary spirit of Henry Fegan.

Although he first joined the Republican Movement in the 1950s it was in the early 1970s that Henry really came into his own. On 9 August 1971 Henry watched from a neighbour’s house the British Army perform a search and arrest operation against him. As someone who was highly skilled in field craft he was always one step ahead. Henry was so adept at emptying and reloading a bolt-action rifle that he earned the title of “Automatic Henry”.

Despite having to go on the run, Henry made many incursions north across the border. He was acutely aware of the nature of the struggle and in particular how to manage his younger and less experienced comrades. On one occasion, while being chased by the British Army along the border, Henry and his two comrades took cover from the helicopter under a bridge. In an instant, Henry started to shout ” Jesus, Jesus” as he held on to his side.

The two young fellows panicked thinking he was shot, but before they could give him assistance Henry declared, ” I think I’ve broken xxxxxx’s flask” and burst out laughing. His sense of humour allayed the young fellows’ fears.

Over 30 years on the run guaranteed a life of hardship, particularly to a man who remained steadfast and loyal to the cause of building a new and better Ireland. His only luxury was the love and affection his family and comrades bestowed upon him. To say he would have given you the shirt of his back is no exaggeration. On one occasion his mother arrived up to his house in Dundalk with a few bits and pieces for him. She wasn’t amused to see some other young fellow wearing the brand new shirt she had bought for Henry the week before. But, that was Henry.

Henry’s house was an open house and many people will be forever in his debt.

Many comrades could write a book about their experiences with him. His passing away is a loss not only to his family and comrades but to the country and people he loved so well. He is now back home and at peace.

At the graveside in St Malachy’s, Carrickcruppen, Councillor Brendan Lewis gave a moving oration to a very large attendance. He outlined Henry’s key role in making South Armagh a very unsafe place for the British Army. Henry will be remembered for the part he played in the struggle and his strength and commitment will always serve as an inspiration to all who knew him.

Níl rud ar bith níos tabhactaigh ná saoirse.