SAOIRSE32

BBC

**This is rich considering that:
a) it was the IRA who is accused of the heist, but
b) no one has been charged with the crime because of lack of hard evidence; however,
c) Sinn Féin is being punished for a crime which no one has been legally charged with.
How very, very british.

Sinn Fein MPs to lose allowances

Millions were taken from the vaults of the Northern Bank last December

Sinn Fein MPs are to be stripped of £400,000 in parliamentary allowances following claims that the IRA stole £26m from the Northern Bank in Belfast.

It follows the Independent Monitoring Commission’s report which recommended imposing financial penalties.

The motion to suspend allowances for Sinn Fein’s four MPs for 12 months was passed without a vote.

A cross-party motion to permanently evict the MPs from their Westminster offices was defeated by 358 to 170.

The debate was proposed by NI Secretary Paul Murphy after the commission’s report on the December robbery.

Sinn Fein MPs have never taken their seats at Westminster because doing so would involve swearing an oath of loyalty to the Queen.

But they took up the offices at Westminster just over three years ago, and claim allowances to support their constituency work and pay for travel.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy had proposed the debate

The four received an average of just under £110,000 each last year.

Speaking in the debate, Mr Murphy said the government motion “made plain parliament’s disapproval of criminality” while locking all the main parties in to the “democratic path”.

DUP leader Ian Paisley asked how the government could reconcile the motion with the “strong line it was taking on terrorism” in the Bill currently being debated in parliament.

UUP leader David Trimble said that his party had “lukewarm support” for the government motion but would vote for the stronger amendments.

The SDLP’s Seamus Mallon told the chamber that he would not vote for the motion or amendments because he did not want to “make martyrs” of Sinn Fein MPs.

He accused them of “hypocrisy” for taking their Westminster allowances in the first place.

Last month’s report by the Independent Monitoring Commission, which monitors paramilitary activity, recommended imposing financial penalties on Sinn Fein.

It backed the police assertion the IRA was behind the raid at the Belfast headquarters of Northern Bank on 20 December - a claim the IRA denies.

Mr Murphy has already confirmed a further 12-month extension on a ban on Sinn Fein’s £120,000 Stormont assembly grant for earlier IRA crime.

This sanction is to come into effect on 29 April, the day after an existing sanction expires.

BreakingNews.ie

De Chastelain meets UDA representatives

10/03/2005 - 19:34:08

Loyalist paramilitary group, the UDA, has held talks with the decommissioning monitor, John de Chastelain.

The Canadian General met three senior members of the UDA at an undisclosed location in Belfast.

The meeting was part of ongoing attempts to get the north’s biggest loyalist paramilitary group to destroy its weapons.

However it is not thought any move is imminent as long as the IRA has taken its offer to decommission off the table.

BBC

Staff stage walkout over threat

A benefits office has closed after a member of staff is threatened

A jobs and benefits office in County Antrim has had to close after a member of staff received a threat from loyalist paramilitaries.

Members of the Nipsa trade union voted to stage a walkout at the centre in Newtownabbey after the employee was threatened while at work on Wednesday.

The union has called on local politicians to condemn the incident.

Union official Tony McMullan said the office would remain closed until further notice.

Mr McMullan said staff at the centre were extremely angry that one of their colleagues had been threatened in such a “despicable manner”.

“Our members working in the jobs and benefits office only want to provide a high-class level of service to the public in the local area,” he said.

‘Outrage’

“I call upon local political leaders to join with Nipsa in expressing their outrage that a public servant could be intimidated in such a cowardly fashion.”

He also said that the organisation, or individual, behind the threat should withdraw it immediately so staff at the office could return to work.

Nipsa General Secretary John Corey described the threat as “appalling”.

“I commend the action taken by the staff in Newtownabbey in support of their colleague,” he said.

“This reflects the very deep sense of anger and outrage all staff feel against this threat being made.”

Nipsa has said its members will keep the situation under review and staff will reconsider their position again on Monday.

Belfast Telegraph

House suspends Sinn Fein MPs’ allowance

By Brian Walker
10 March 2005

The House of Commons was censuring the four Sinn Fein MPs by formally voting to suspend £400,000 worth parliamentary allowances, to show their condemnation of the Republican movement since the Northern Bank robbery.

Westminster sanctions, beginning on April 29, are another blow to Sinn Fein, coming on the withdrawal for a second year of the £120,000 Stormont research grant, recommended by the International Monitoring Commission after the robbery.

Anticipating the Commons vote Paul Murphy said, while such sanctions were limited in their financial effect, they put symbolic pressure on the Republican Movement to wind down its paramilitary and criminal operations. “To all intents and purposes we are not talking to Sinn Fein about political negotiations at the moment other than to say to them that in order to solve this, the ball’s in their court,” Mr Murphy said.

“They have to come to us and tell us how on earth they can end criminality. Then the political process would be back on track.”

Reacting to the move, Conor Murphy, the chair of the Sinn Fein Assembly party, said: “The sanctions will affect how Sinn Fein carried out their constituency business but will not deter us from pursuing our policies.” David Trimble was taking the censure a step further, by urging the House to expel any of Sinn Fein MPs found guilty of IRA activity since their election or who have been members of the “Army Council”.

Mr Trimble’s move is a clear attempt to put pressure on Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and highlight the links between Sinn Fein and the IRA at a time of crisis over the McCartney killing and the Northern Bank robbery.

Mr Trimble is calling on MPs to set up a select committee to report on the links within 48 days.

Daily Ireland

Precedent aplenty of armies shooting people

The IRA offer to shoot the people responsible for the killing of Robert McCartney has set off a tidal wave of protest and has raised the question ‘What kind of world are these people living in?’ It’s a good question, and like many others here, rooted in history.
For decades, unionist leaders have been denouncing the IRA as a murderous conspiracy, intent on wiping out the Protestant population of the north of Ireland. When the British Army ambushed and killed IRA members, unionist leaders queued up to congratulate the forces of law and order on a job well done. Even judges got in on the act, congratulating the British armed forces for bringing these murderers to ‘the final court of justice’ by shooting them dead. So it’s safe to say that unionist politicians and members of the British and Irish establishment know the nature of the IRA (they kill people) and what should be done about such murderers (they should be killed).
‘But what’s proposed is real murder’ I hear you protest. ‘There’s a difference between the clashes that occur between armed groups or armies, and the intention, clearly stated, of the IRA to kill two civilians.’
Well actually, from the IRA’s point of view, these aren’t two civilians. They’re two members of their army – the Irish Republican Army. It’s that fact which has moved the IRA to make its offer in the first place. But let that go. Let’s consider the people in question civilians – and innocent civilians at that, since they have yet to be convicted of any crime. Had the IRA carried out their threat against these innocent civilians, they could have pointed to precedent in plenty.
They might have pointed to Bloody Sunday, when the British Army killed fourteen innocent civilians in Derry. Or they might have pointed to the case of Pat Finucane, killed by the British army in collusion with unionist paramilitaries. Or to the case of Rosemary Nelson, or the several hundred cases represented by An Fhirinne, which campaigns for victims of state collusion in a range of crimes, including murder. Had the IRA carried through on its offer to shoot these two men, it could with justification have spoken of sauce and geese and ganders.
But - and it’s possible to forget this in the present brouhaha – the IRA didn’t shoot those who murdered Robert McCartney. Instead they asked the McCartney family how they would respond to such an action and the McCartney family, quite rightly, said they wanted no such thing to happen. But you may be sure the offer didn’t shock or surprise the McCartneys. From an early stage in this affair the family made it clear they didn’t want IRA justice in this matter. What they wanted was that the IRA encourage or pressure those responsible to hand themselves in. (And yes, there is a note of ambiguity here. It’s safe to assume that the McCartneys, like most other people, didn’t expect the IRA to rely solely on the force of argument in persuading the killers to give themselves up. Armies do tend to be less than kid-glove in their handling of those who have brought disgrace on them. So maybe some violence, but not too much, to bring the killers before a court?)
OK - so what conclusions can we draw from this latest twist in the McCartney case? Well, two main ones.
First, that those loudest in their horror at the IRA offer to shoot the murderers - the DUP’s Nigel Dodds and Ian Paisley were both early on the airwaves yesterday morning with their disgust – these same people could have prevented all this. Some weeks before Christmas, the DUP and everyone else was offered a one hundred per cent, no smoke and mirrors, official and full destruction of IRA weaponry and the standing down of that particular army, with the IICD officially witnessing, along with a brace of clergymen observers for those who like to think that God is on the decommissioning side. In short, an end to the IRA before Christmas was on offer. Unfortunately Nigel and Ian and the DUP once again said No. If we can’t have photographs and cameras and sackcloth and ashes, they said, we don’t want it. At which point the British and Irish governments should have come in and said ‘Nigel and Ian, take a running jump at yourself – this is too good to let go’ and grabbed the offer. But they didn’t, and so here we are with the IRA threatening to do what armies everywhere do best – kill. Who’s to blame? A lot of people.
And second, we can conclude that the question ‘What kind of world are these people living in?’ is indeed a good one. Except that ‘these people’ are not so much the IRA as those who appear to think that armies exist to be nice to people, and that it’s more important to please Ian Paisley than it is to secure a definitive end to republican violence.

Jude Collins is an academic, writer and broadcaster. His latest novel is ‘Leave of Absence’ (Townhouse, £6.99)
Email: judejcollins@gmail.com
Website: www.judecollins.net

BreakingNews.ie

SF condemns British move to withdraw party’s allowances

10/03/2005 - 13:03:10

Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy has condemned moves by the British House of Commons to withdraw his party’s Westminster allowances as punishment for the Northern Bank raid.

British MPs are expected to pass a motion this afternoon withdrawing the allowances, which are worth almost £500,000 (€718,100) to Sinn Féin annually.

The motion was tabled when the Independent Monitoring Commission set up to oversee paramilitary ceasefires said the IRA carried out the £26.5m (€38.1m) robbery with the approval of senior Sinn Féin members.

“People who consider themselves democrats and argue for due process want to penalise our electorate on the basis of the advice of security people who have not put up one shred of evidence, either to prove who did the Northern Bank robbery or to attempt to link Sinn Féin as a political party to that,” Mr Murphy said.

BreakingNews.ie

Gardaí question six after ‘IRA’ threat in Leitrim

10/03/2005 - 14:00:12

Gardaí have arrested six men following an incident in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, in which a couple was threatened by a gang claiming to represent the IRA.

The incident happened in a pub on the town’s Main Street on Monday night.

A man and woman in the pub were approached by a gang, accused of being drug dealers and warned to leave the area immediately.

A hurley was used by one of the gang members to threaten the couple.

Reports this morning claimed some of those arrested were members of Sinn Féin, but sources in Manorhamilton have suggested that the incident was a prank.

BBC

New Northern Bank notes unveiled

The new look £20 which will be in circulation from next week

The Northern Bank is to begin replacing its bank notes from Monday in response to the theft of £26m from its Belfast headquarters last December.

All £10, £20, £50 and £100 notes are being replaced with notes with a new logo and different colour. Serial numbers are also being changed.

More than £240m in old notes is being taken out of circulation following the 20 December raid, blamed on the IRA.

It took eight weeks to create the new notes which were unveiled on Wednesday.

Rosamond Bennett, head of marketing and communications at the bank, said it was the first time in banking history such a task had been undertaken.

“We feel it is the right thing to do, we understand there has been some uncertainty and confusion about notes - people want to know the notes they hold are not stolen,” she said.

“Issuing new notes will ensure the stolen notes are not used.”

Key changes

Instead of a complete redesign, four key changes have been made to each of the notes in question.

— On all notes, the Northern logo in capital letters has been changed to Northern in italics, and various issue dates replaced with 19 January 2005.

— The £10 note figurehead colour has been changed from brown to green and serial numbers will begin with a G instead of B.

— £20 notes have been changed from purple to blue and serial number prefix to H from C.

— New £50 notes are purple instead of green, with a serial number beginning with J instead of D.

— The £100 note becomes red instead of black and white and the serial number starts with a K instead of an E.

— Some £10 notes have been issued with the new typeface since the middle of January - but in the old colours. They too are being withdrawn and replaced.

Millions were taken from the vaults of the Northern Bank last December

Customers unsure about the changes are being advised to look at the logo, and if the Northern logo is italics the note cannot have been stolen.

The new notes will start to be issued through ATMs on Saturday and through all bank branches on Monday. The initial replacement stage will take four weeks.

Ms Bennett said if people had a stash of Northern notes and wanted to change them there was no need to panic.

“There is no need to rush, they can go to any bank over the four weeks to 8 April and even after then the old notes will be honoured at Northern bank branches.”

To stop efforts to swap large amounts of stolen notes, and to comply with money laundering legislation, rules have been put in place.

Up to £500 will be exchanged over the counter - though bank staff will be on the alert for stolen notes.

Amounts of between £500 and £1,000 can also be exchanged over the counter but only on production of photographic identification.

More than £1,000 will need to be lodged in a bank or building society account, or an account opened to take it.

The Irish government is convinced that some of the money stolen in the raid was among more than £2m in cash seized during raids in the Republic of Ireland last month.

However, Irish police have yet to confirm that through a check on serial numbers.

The only definite cash link to the raid is £50,000 which was discovered in the grounds of a police sports club in south Belfast.

BreakingNews.ie

Inquiry into RUC officers’ murder to be established soon

10/03/2005 - 08:14:34

The Government is reportedly planning to establish a public inquiry in the coming weeks into alleged Garda collusion in the IRA murder of two RUC officers.

Reports this morning said Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was planning to seek Oireachtas approval for the inquiry before Easter.

The tribunal will reportedly be headed by Judge Peter Smithwick, the president of the District Court.

The public inquiry is being established in line with a recommendation from retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory, who was asked to investigate several murders during the Troubles which were surrounded by allegations of security force collusion.

One of these cases was the IRA murder of RUC chief superintendent Harry Breen and superintendent Bob Buchanan in March 1989.

The pair had just attended cross-border security talks with gardaí in Dundalk and Mr Cory found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a public inquiry into claims that a garda based in the Co Louth town may have passed information on their movements to the IRA.

Irelandclick.com

Falls Leisure Centre – inside out

Despite recent controversy over the installation of street level windows at the new £6.5m Falls Leisure Centre, the facility is to go ahead with the opening of its doors – and roadside windows – on March 24.

Disappointed by the complaints of the local community, local MLA Councillor Fra McCann said he is delighted with the progress being made at the state-of-the -art centre and added that he hopes to see the whole community avail of the services the centre has to offer.

“The street level windows are specially designed to attract local people in to the pool, but there is a fairly sizeable opinion from people who say they would like to see the windows in question frosted over,” said Councillor McCann.

“At the end of the day it is my job to serve public opinion, and I have done that in fighting long and hard to have this £6.5m centre approved for the area.

“I thought it was perfect, but people have concerns and these have been raised with Leisure Services and the situation will be monitored when the centre is opened.”

The centre – which has been dubbed locally ‘The Fra Spa’ in a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the tireless work of the local councillor – is the first leisure centre to be built in Belfast in 20 years, and promises to be completely different, offering, amongst many other services, homework clubs, swimming tuition, computer facilities, a steam room and sauna, multi-faceted craft rooms, exercise classes and an adjustable floor in the pool to cater for the needs of the whole community.

Assistant manager of the Falls Swim Centre, Roy Stitt, expressed his excitement at the impending opening of the centre.

“There is currently no home for a local water polo team, so we hope to provide that, as well as provision for many other local groups who will be able to avail of all the services on offer.

“At present, 100-150,000 children in the Belfast area have lost out on lessons to teach them to swim and we hope to amend that as it is an important part of the curriculum.

“The centre is high-tech, energy-efficient, very unique, and will open at 7.15am to allow for all the early birds to get their morning exercise in before work. So I hope that we will get a huge response and support from the local community when we open at the end of the month,” added Roy.

Journalist:: Ciara McGuigan

Irelandclick.com

£12m bonanza for Irish language

West Belfast is set to benefit from a £12m Irish language broadcasting fund – if local talent gets in at the start and helps to shape an emerging television production industry.

That’s the message that will be hammered home again and again this weekend as the Cultúrlann on the Falls Road hosts a crucial three-day conference which will give local people a chance to hear from movers and shakers in the industry.

Máire Killoran, the head of the new Irish language broadcasting fund, will give the keynote speech at the weekend and she will outline the plans to pump £12m into Irish language broadcasting in the North in the next four years.
She’ll also highlight the training and other support which will be available from the start for those who are interested in making programmes in Irish for television.

West Belfast already has a high concentration of small Irish language production companies and with the biggest concentration of Irish speakers in the North, the area will be in pole position to benefit from the fund.

As well as benefiting established companies the £12m fund will create an enviroment for new production companies interested in making programmes in Irish.

Also taking part in the Cultúrlann event, which will have simultaneous translation, will be Pádraig Ó Ciardha, Assistant Head at TG4; Ciarán Ó hEigeartaigh, head of Irish language programmes at the BBC; Ceri Sherlock of S4C in Wales; and Póilín Ní Chiaráin, former RTÉ correspondent, along with other well known faces from Irish language broadcasting.

Gearóid Mac Siacais of Forbairt Feirste, the body responsible for promoting employment for Irish speakers, is adamant that West Belfast can be at the forefront of this emerging multi-million pound industry.

“This is an exciting new development which could bring many good quality rewarding jobs to this area,” said Gearóid, who is one of those heading the bid to form a Gaeltacht Quarter in West Belfast.

“You’ve only to look at the economic and other spin-offs which TG4 and the associated programme production has brought to many communities in the South to see the potential here.

“And it fits in perfectly with our efforts to create a Gaeltacht Quarter in West Belfast.

“Irish language multi-media is one of the areas which we’d like to see prominent in the Gaeltacht Quarter, and it’s an area where we see lots of potential.

“So there is every reason to believe that West Belfast, and indeed the Irish language community throughout the North, can benefit tremendously from these developments.”

Gearóid is appealing to local Irish speakers who are energetic, who have ideas and proposals about programming or who are interested in training in the industry to come to the weekend conference which is part of the Eigse Uí Fhiaich, a weekend celebrating the life of Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich.

“This isn’t going to happen on its own,” said Gearóid. “It’s up to people to come forward, get involved, get planning, get training and so on.

“This weekend’s conference is an important starting point, but we have to build on it.”

Anyone wanting further details of the events should contact 90964180.

Journalist:: Staff Reporter

Irelandclick.com

Marathan anger deepens

•PSNI had input into decision to include North, South and East, but not the West
•No to Falls and Andersonstown, but yes to British army base – in Holywood!
•Angry runners vow to boycott showpiece event unless entire city is included
•Petition is launched urging organisers to reconsider controversial decision

Marathon 2005 – a new route to fun and fitness?

Local anger over this year’s Belfast Marathon boiled over when it was confirmed yesterday that West Belfast had been axed from the route after the organisers had consulted the PSNI on ‘health and safety’ grounds.

In a statement released to the Andersonstown News yesterday, a spokesperson for the Belfast City Marathon Committee said that the change of route was related to health and safety advice which “involved input from the PSNI”. The Athletic Federation was also consulted.

The revelation has sent shockwaves through the community which is already reeling from the decision to snub West Belfast in the Mayday event. Some runners have said they’ll boycott the event,while a petition is being drawn up urging organisers to think again.

Sinn Féin councillor for the Upper Falls, Paul Maskey, described the statement as “unacceptable” and added: “PSNI involvement in this decision is an utter disgrace. The Marathon has been taken through West Belfast for 23 years without incident. There are no grounds for changing the route, but when I explained this to a committee member yesterday, I was told it was ‘only a matter of time’.”

He went on to say that the decision was made without consultation with West Belfast representatives who could have worked with the committee to come to some sort of mutual agreement but they were ignored on this crucial decision affecting their own area.

“We weren’t even given the opportunity to work something out. We simply weren’t consulted and that is a real shame.”

On Monday the Andersonstown News reported that the traditional route has been changed to facilitate a “faster and flatter course” and that the new route has been deemed “more attractive” The North, South and East of the city are included, but West Belfast is nowhere to be seen.

A petition is now being drawn up by Councillor Maskey in an attempt to get the decision reversed at the next meeting of the Marathon Committee in three weeks time.

“I have contacted various members of the Committee and asked that myself and representatives from West Belfast be allowed to attend to put forward our argument.

“We will be presenting them with the petition and requesting that they reverse the decision,” he said.

Councillor Maskey has sent the petition out to various community groups in West Belfast and it will also be available for signing in shopping centres and other outlets over the next three weeks.

Despite the fact that last week the chairman of the Marathon Committee, Danny O’Connor, cited “limited mileage” as a key factor in the omission of West Belfast, a map of the new course (above right) clearly shows that the runners will essentially be running in circles – three times. And participants will be pounding virtually the same route on both sides of Belfast Lough as they take the marathon to the far reaches of greater Belfast – and beyond. In a further blow, the runners will cross the county border to admire the view of Kinnegar barracks in Holywood, Co Down, while West Belfast remains utterly ignored.

The statement from the Marathon Committee said “runners will skirt the outskirts of the Kinnegar base” even though the army base is part of North Down Borough Council and not Belfast City Council who are major sponsors of the event. Other sponsors of the marathon include Ballygowan, Tayto, Lucozade Sport and Reach Screen Print and Design. Councillor Maskey is hoping to apply pressure on their representatives at the meeting.

One man who won’t be running this year is Feile an Phobail Director Sean Paul O’Hare.

“I am deeply disappointed by this decision and am angry that West Belfast, which has the largest population in the city, has been labelled as a no-go area for a supposedly citywide marathon.

“Runners are being deprived of a traditionally warm welcome from a community known for its hospitality and I for one will not be participating now that the opportunity to run through my own area has been taken away.

“Runners have always been delighted to run through this area which is awash with history and there was always the visual aspect of the murals to distract them from their exhaustion. It’s a shame that this decision has been made.”

Top local runner Eamonn Christie, a trainer with the famous Beechmount Harriers club and a keen marathon runner, is also disgusted at the decision.
“It’s very disappointing that the marathon isn’t coming through the West. This is one of the few places where people received a lot of support for the whole leg of the marathon.

“It’s very sad and I honestly don’t see any possible reasons for changing the route after all this time.

“I am running the New York marathon this year but if I wasn’t, I would boycott the Belfast one as I don’t believe you could call it the Belfast City Marathon when it doesn’t even cover the four regions of the city.”

The PSNI said in a statement: “Following consultations, the route was changed due to a number of valid health and safety concerns.”
They would not, however, comment on exactly what the health and safety concerns are.

Journalist:: Staff Reporter

BBC

Loyalists aim to ‘tackle racism’

Loyalists in Northern Ireland have begun a campaign against racism.

Leaflets printed by the Loyalist Commission, an umbrella group that includes members of paramilitary groupings, say Loyalist or Racist - You Can’t Be Both.

Loyalist paramilitaries were linked to a number of racially-motivated attacks last year.

The commission said it was taking responsibility for trying to tackle the problem in loyalist areas.

Jamal Iweida from the Belfast Islamic Centre said he hoped to see action.

‘Changing minds’

“I thinks it’s a step in the right direction because no group or community can feel immune from being racist towards others,” he said.

Reverend David Porter, a member of the commission, said community workers in loyalist areas were working on the ground to tackle the problem, which, he said, was a problem across society in Northern Ireland.

“It is beginning now with this awareness campaign, of getting across to a community that part of their identity is this willingness to embrace the other, and that they shouldn’t define themselves just in antagonism,” he said.

“That has to be the starting point, changing minds. That will lead to a change in behaviour.”

BBC

McCartney death quiz man released

Robert McCartney, 33, was killed near Belfast city centre

Detectives in Belfast have released a man being questioned about the murder of father-of-two Robert McCartney.

Mr McCartney, 33, was stabbed to death near Belfast city centre on 30 January following a row in a bar.

Police say the man has been released pending further enquiries. He was arrested on Wednesday after going to a police station with his solicitor.

In a statement the IRA has said it offered to shoot those involved in Mr McCartney’s killing.

‘Guerrilla warfare’

Police officers have posted fresh appeals in the Short Strand area - where Mr McCartney lived - for people with information to come forward.

In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, Mr McCartney’s sister Catherine said it was up to the republican movement to work out how to place the people who killed Mr McCartney before a court.

“People should not be asking us ‘what do you want the IRA to do, what do you want Sinn Fein to do?’” she said.

“I do not believe the IRA who, remember are nearly 100 years old and in their history are probably one of the most notorious guerrilla warfare machines in the world, cannot resolve this issue.”

She was speaking after the McCartney family issued its response to Tuesday’s IRA statement, which said they had offered to shoot those involved in his killing.

They said it was only in court that justice would be done.

‘Cover-up’

The family claimed up to 12 IRA members were involved in the cover-up following the murder.

“It was the cover-up which prevented those who murdered Robert from being brought to justice,” they said in a statement on Wednesday.

They said the IRA could not give any reason why Robert was killed when the family met the IRA on 5 March.

The family, who will travel to Washington to meet President Bush next week, is now considering whether to open a campaign office.

Last week, police said that 10 people previously arrested over the killing stayed silent throughout questioning. All were released without charge.

Larkspirit

**Bobby’s diary - 10th day

Tuesday 10th

It has been a fairly normal day in my present circumstances. My weight is 59. 3 kgs. and I have no medical problems. I have seen some birthday greetings from relatives and friends in yesterday’s paper which I got today. Also I received a bag of toiletries today.

There is no priest in tonight, but the chief medical officer dropped in, took my pulse, and left. I suppose that makes him feel pretty important.

From what I have read in the newspapers I am becoming increasingly worried and wary of the fact that there could quite well be an attempt at a later date to pull the carpet from under our feet and undermine us — if not defeat this hunger-strike — with the concession bid in the form of ‘our own clothes as a right’.

This, of course, would solve nothing. But if allowed birth could, with the voice of the Catholic hierarchy, seriously damage our position. It is my opinion that under no circumstances do they wish to see the prisoners gain political status, or facilities that resemble, or afford us with the contents of, political status.

The reasons for this are many and varied, primarily motivated by the wish to see the revolutionary struggle of the people brought to an end. The criminalisation of Republican prisoners would help to furnish this end.

It is the declared wish of these people to see humane and better conditions in these Blocks. But the issue at stake is not ‘humanitarian’, nor about better or improved living conditions. It is purely political and only a political solution will solve it. This in no way makes us prisoners elite nor do we (nor have we at any time) purport to be elite.

We wish to be treated ‘not as ordinary prisoners’ for we are not criminals. We admit no crime unless, that is, the love of one’s people and country is a crime.

Would Englishmen allow Germans to occupy their nation or Frenchmen allow Dutchmen to do likewise? We Republican prisoners understand better than anyone the plight of all prisoners who are deprived of their liberty. We do not deny ordinary prisoners the benefit of anything that we gain that may improve and make easier their plight. Indeed, in the past, all prisoners have gained from the resistance of Republican jail struggles.

I recall the Fenians and Tom Clarke, who indeed were most instrumental in highlighting by their unflinching resistance the ‘terrible silent system’ in the Victorian period in English prisons. In every decade there has been ample evidence of such gains to all prisoners due to Republican prisoners’ resistance.

Unfortunately, the years, the decades, and centuries, have not seen an end to Republican resistance in English hell-holes, because the struggle in the prisons goes hand-in-hand with the continuous freedom struggle in Ireland. Many Irishmen have given their lives in pursuit of this freedom and I know that more will, myself included, until such times as that freedom is achieved.

I am still awaiting some sort of move from my cell to an empty wing and total isolation. The last strikers were ten days in the wings with the boys, before they were moved. But then they were on the no-wash protest and in filthy cells. My cell is far from clean but tolerable. The water is always cold. I can’t risk the chance of cold or ‘flu. It is six days since I’ve had a bath, perhaps longer. No matter.

Tomorrow is the eleventh day and there is a long way to go. Someone should write a poem of the tribulations of a hunger-striker. I would like to, but how could I finish it.

Caithfidh mé a dul mar tá tuirseach ag eirí ormsa.

(Translated, this reads as follows):
Must go as I’m getting tired.