SAOIRSE32

Irish Examiner

By Mary Regan
12 June 2006

EMERGENCY response workers are living in fear of their lives it was claimed yesterday, with almost 80 physical attacks on firefighters and ambulance drivers so far this year.

In some cases, the attacks were reportedly “well planned and orchestrated”. Fire and ambulance services said they have been called to false emergencies at cul de sacs only to find a group of men waiting there to ambush them.

They are seeking tougher laws that would make it a specific crime to attack one of their members while on duty.

The calls were made as a Dublin fireman faces emergency plastic surgery on his face after being attacked in Fairview on Friday night.

Jonathan Forde, a firefighter for four years, was a passenger in a fire engine when a man stopped in front of the vehicle and threw a bottle through an open window, just before midnight.

It hit him in the face, causing serious injuries, and he was rushed to the Mater Hospital where he received 35 stitches.

He was released on Saturday afternoon and is awaiting plastic surgery on Wednesday.

Last Monday, a man threw a missile at a fire tender and when firefighters got out to hold him, a large group of people emerged from a nearby flat, forcing them to let go of the culprit and flee the scene.

Chairman of the National Firefighters Committee and SIPTU representative Brian Murray said: “These attacks are increasing and they are becoming more savage. And they are certainly not confined to Dublin.”

He said: “Legislation is being introduced at the moment in Britain as a result of more attacks emerging. We would like to see similar legislation here so that these assaults are dealt with more severely and individuals found guilty would be treated severely by the courts.”

Gardaí are still appealing for witnesses to the attack on Mr Forde on Friday night. It took place near Croke Park where concert-goers were still hanging about after the Robbie Williams gig and gardaí believe a large number of witnesses can help them.

Mr Murray said: “We find ourselves assisting the public all the time and on this occasion we would like to see them assisting us.”

He urged witnesses to contact Clontarf gardaí on 01-6664800.

Mr Murray also criticised the Government for not monitoring the number of attacks or keeping records.

He said: “There seems to be a school of thought that these figures shouldn’t be published as they might encourage more attacks, but we would not concur with that.”

He said that while gardaí are covered for any injuries caused to them through the Garda Compensation Scheme, there is nothing in place to protect ambulance and fire engine drivers.

“We would have to sue our employers for negligence if we were to get any compensation for what happened us,” he said.

BBC

A son of the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan, is being treated in hospital for serious injuries after an assault in Belfast.

Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s son was attacked

The incident happened at Hillview Court, off the Oldpark Road in the north of the city, some time between 0330 BST and 0430 BST on Sunday.

The victim, who is in his early 20s, suffered a serious head injury and bruising to his face and body.

Police have not given any details of a motive for the assault.

Detectives have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Mrs O’Loan took up her post as ombudsman - investigating complaints against the police - in the summer of 2000.

Daily Ireland

**See also Remember this

City centre painting completed as a symbol of peace

By Eamonn Houston

One of the North’s most famous murals depicting the Troubles was completed yesterday as a symbol of hope and peace.

Click mural to view

The mural of Annette McGavigan – a 14-year-old school girl shot dead by a British soldier on a Derry street in 1971 – had been deliberately left an unfinished work until the guns of the Troubles had become a thing of the past.
The huge mural on a gable wall in Derry’s Bogside will be completed today.
The Bogside artists did not paint a butterfly outline on the top left of the mural until they were satisfied that peace had been achieved in the North.
It now boasts bright colours and, according to the artists, is a fitting testimony to all of the innocent children who died during the course of the conflict.
“We left the butterfly and the gun until we felt it appropriate – when we felt that the gun had been removed from the equation,” said artist Tom Kelly.
Artist Kevin Hasson was putting the final touches to the mural yesterday.
In a separate development, the Bogside artists received the support of three prominent Canadian academics.
Dr Stewart Donovan of St Thomas University, Cyril Donahue of Canada’s Irish Festival on the Miramichi and Denis Noel of the Irish/Canadian Association of New Brunswick have written a letter to Derry City Council urging it to pour financial support into what has become known as “the people’s gallery”.
“These mural walls have the iconic status of the Derry/Londonderry walls and as such surely they deserve the respect, admiration and promotion that has been accorded those historic walls,” they wrote.

Irelandclick

by Francesca Ryan

A Sinn Féin MLA has accused the PSNI of heavy-handedness after they arrested him following a fracas on the Falls Road on Saturday evening.

Fra McCann was walking home from the town centre at approximately 7.30pm on Saturday when he noticed an incident near Divis Street.

“I saw two police officers, one man and one woman, manhandling a young girl aged about 14 or 15 at the railings of the Morning Star hostel,” said Mr McCann.

“I approached them and said there was no need to be so aggressive as the girl was hysterical.

“I tried to put myself between one of the officers and the girl when the police officer radioed for assistance.

“The next thing I knew there were about 20 more PSNI jeeps and cars arriving and I was on the floor being handcuffed.”

Councillor McCann was taken to Musgrave Street station where he was detained for approximately four hours.

Despite repeated requests to speak to the duty sergeant to make a complaint, Mr McCann left at around midnight without seeing the officer in charge.

“Their heavy-handed attitude was incredible,” continued Councillor McCann, who was charged with assault and disorderly behaviour.

“I had to see a doctor at the PSNI station as my arms were swollen from the handcuffs.

“I see no difference in what I witnessed on Saturday with the antics of the RUC, the only difference is the uniform.”

The PSNI confirmed they were at the scene but didn’t respond to the accusation of heavy-handedness.

“Police received reports of an incident at around 7.40pm on Saturday.

“Police arrived at the scene to find an altercation was taking place between a group of young people.

“One female was arrested for attempted robbery.

“While police were at the scene, a number of other people became involved.

“A 53-year-old man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and assault of police.

“He has since been released on bail.”

Journalist:: Francesca Ryan

Irelandclick

by Roisin McManus

Families Bereaved Through Car Crime (FBTCC) are calling on local people to come out en masse on Tuesday for the launch of three anti-car crime murals.

The hard-hitting murals depict Tyler Watson, who was seriously injured by death-drivers who killed his mother and father, Charmaine and Justin Watson.

The murals have been painted by local artist Frank Quigley, whose son, Rossa, was killed by death drivers.

Frank has been working with a group of young people over several weeks to produce the murals which are part of an anti-car crime campaign by a range of community groups in North and West Belfast.

FBTCC was set up following the death of Ballymurphy teenager, Debbie McComb, in March 2002.

The group have campaigned tirelessly since then to keep their anti-car crime message in the spotlight.

The families have visited and lobbied the PSNI, politicians and the Lord Chancellor about death-driving.

Their campaign has been instrumental in bringing about new sentencing laws and new powers of arrest.

Tommy Holland, spokesman for FBTCC, said, “Families Bereaved Through Car Crime once again ask the thousands of good people who supported us and the political and community representatives who helped us along the way in our campaign to once again call for an end to death-driving, and for those involved to please stop now before they cause another death.

“More resources are needed for groups to tackle this issue and to work with young people and their families,” he added.

Murals will be unveiled at The Spectrum Centre, Shankill Road, at 1pm; Duncairn Avenue at 2pm; and on the Upper Springfield Road at 3pm. All are welcome.

Journalist:: Roisin McManus

Irelandclick

by Joe Nwaz

Daily Ireland has pledged to “vigorously defend” any libel action taken by Richard O’Rawe over comments made in the paper by former Sinn Féin publicity director Danny Morrison.

Mr O’Rawe, a former H-Block prisoners’ PRO, claims in his recent book, Blanketmen, that leaders of the Republican Movement allowed hunger strikers to die to advance the electoral fortunes of Sinn Féin.

Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Mr Morrison branded the claim “a disgrace” and blasted Mr O’Rawe as “a fool”.

Mr Morrison’s comments followed his disclosure last week that communications – or ‘comms’ – smuggled from the jail in 1981 and written by Mr O’Rawe made no mention of the “deal” which forms the core of his new book.

He said, “Why is Richard threatening to sue Daily Ireland for damages when it is I who is accusing him of making false claims about what happened in 1981? If it is a simple case of him clearing his name why doesn’t he sue me? He accused myself and others of allowing six hunger strikers to die and then complains when we defend ourselves.

“I produced communications from him that he can’t deny are his and which were written in July, August and September ’81.

“In relation to who made decisions he wrote that the prisoners were ‘in complete command of the hunger strike and protest…’

“In 2006 he claims that we spurned ‘a deal’ but in 1981 he makes no mention of a deal and writes: ‘At present the British are looking for what amounts to an absolute surrender. They are offering us nothing that amounts to an honourable solution.’ I think his own words speak for themselves.”

Daily Ireland publisher Máirtin Ó Muilleoir said, “We have defended Mr O’Rawe’s right to free speech and afforded him space to answer his critics, a right that he has taken up in the past. That offer to him still stands. However, he cannot hope to deny others the right to free speech over his explosive claims of treachery by the republican leadership in 1981 by threatening to sue Daily Ireland.

“This paper will not be gagged and will defend equally the right of Richard O’Rawe and his critics to have their say.”

Richard O’Rawe was unavailable for comment.

Journalist:: Joe Nawaz

Belfast Telegraph

Bangor woman now gone 469 days

12 June 2006

The heartbroken family of murdered Bangor woman Lisa Dorrian will today mark what should have been her 27th birthday with what is their 469th day of “sheer hell”.

And as they prepared to face a day that should have been filled with celebrations, they said the only thing that keeps them going is their steadfast belief her killers will be caught and brought to justice.

The fun-loving 25-year-old disappeared after a party at a caravan park in the coastal village of Ballyhalbert on the Ards peninsula in February 2005 but her body has never been found.

Three weeks ago, a member of the public reported finding a suspected shallow grave in a wooded area in Bangor and for the family, it was a horrendous wait to see if there was any link to Lisa’s disappearance.

Her father John explained: “There was subsidence in the shape of a grave in the area and the police put their full resources into it, archaeological experts, sniffer dogs and everything.

“They came and discussed the situation with us to keep us informed of what was happening,” he said.

Lisa’s mother Patricia added: “All we could do was sit and wait as they looked into it but the hands on the clock didn’t seem to move.

“Then we were told that it was nothing to do with Lisa. It was one of the longest days we’ve had to go through yet.”

To make matters worse, less than a week later, it was reported that a body had washed up on the shore at Ballywalter, close to where Lisa disappeared, sparking another agonising wait for her family.

Patricia said: “When we got a call about it, it was awful as all we could do was wait and see what happened once again.

“They were able to tell very quickly that it wasn’t a body but it was very difficult.”

John said: “I think these incidents show that neither us or the police have given up on finding Lisa. Every time something happens, the police put all their resources into it.”

Joanne added: “The indications are that Lisa was put in the sea but the police are still not ruling other possibilities out. Both the police and the family are not giving up on Lisa and catching the people who killed her.”

The family said that the support shown by the millions who have logged on to their website, www.lisadorrian.co.uk, has helped them tremendously.

“We have had over 17m hits which is incredible, all of the messages of support are a real comfort to us,” Joanne added.

“We even have a woman in New York who visits the website who is going to run the New York marathon for us which is fantastic.”

Patricia added: “Some of the messages and poems could turn you to tears, they are from all over the world and that really helps.

“We’ve also had great support from our MP Lady Hermon too which helps.”

And as the long days without their precious Lisa pass slowly on, the family continue with their relentless campaign to find her. They have established the website, which now includes a specific appeal to people who may have information on her disappearance and murder, erected billboards appealing for information and organised awareness days.

Joanne said: “We won’t stop until we get Lisa back, we will do everything we can until she is home where she belongs.”

BBC

The County Antrim town of Larne is expected to get its first nationalist mayor.

SDLP councillor Danny O’Connor, a Catholic, was born and raised in the predominantly unionist town.

He is expected to be voted in as part of an historic power-sharing deal made at Larne Borough Council last year.

In the past, Mr O’Connor’s home has been attacked by loyalists but he said Larne having a nationalist mayor was “a further step towards normality”.

“We’re not where we used to be. There was a time in Larne when there were a lot of problems - a lot of houses were attacked, but I do believe that we’ve turned a corner,” he said.

“There has been a huge amount of work done by other councillors in the background in trying and make the town more peaceful.

“I just think that this is a further step down that road of normality.”

Irish Independent

**Via Newshound

8 June 2006

A CACHE of 10,000 rounds of high velocity rifle ammunition discovered in a wood was buried there by the IRA two decades ago.

The ammunition found in Sligo is thought to have been part of the massive shipments of arms, ammunition and explosives, imported by the IRA from Libya in the mid-1980s.

Nationwide search

Some of the IRA arsenal was moved hurriedly by local Provisionals after the Gardai launched Operation Mallard, a nationwide search for the guns and bombs, following the interception of a fifth gun running ship in October 1987.

The haul of ammunition is believed to have been shifted from an IRA dump to avoid detection during the searches.

The ammunition was found by a local man on an embankment in a remote wooded area over a mile from Cliffony, in the shadow of Ben Bulben mountain.

The man, who had been involved in clearance work in the area, alerted the Gardai and the bullets, typically used in high velocity rifles, were photographed and taken under escort to Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park in Dublin for ballistic and fingerprint analysis.

Further searches were carried out in the area but nothing else was found.

Gardai confirmed last night that the find bore all the hallmarks of a Provisional IRA arms dump which had probably been established in the 1980s and forgotten since.

The ammunition had been concealed in a Wavin-type pipe which had been sealed with tar onboth ends.

Four shipments

The IRA brought in four shipments of arms and explosives from Libya in 1985 and 1986. The shipments were landed at Clogga Strand, near Arklow, and then transferred to a network of hides across the country.

But Gardai did not become aware of the shipments until an investigation was carried out by the then head of the crime and security branch, Assistant Commissioner Eugene Crowley, after the interception of the Eksund off the French coast the following year.

Anita Guidera and Tom Brady

BN.ie

11/06/2006 - 17:57:09

A garda murdered in a booby trap bomb in 1976 is to be remembered at a special ceremony where several of his retired colleagues who survived the atrocity will be honoured.

Garda Michael Clerkin was killed instantly and four other officers were seriously injured when a no-warning blast went off as they launched a raid on an isolated cottage in Garryhinch near the Laois/Offaly border .

Detectives in Portlaoise had been given a tip-off that an armed IRA gang were holed up in the house preparing for a daring raid on a nearby town.

But as the five strong garda team began searching for the gang, a 100lb bomb ripped the house apart with 24-year-old garda Clerkin and his colleague Det Garda Tom Peters taking its full force.
Garda Peters was blinded and has not worked since.

The Garda Siochana Retired Members’ Association have commissioned special Liddy Medals to honour him and former officers, Det Gda Ben Thornton, Sgt Jim Cannon and Gda Gerard Bohan.

A glass sculpture of a dove in flight has also been commissioned to give to Gda Clerkin’s family.

The presentation will be made at the GSRMA annual delegate conference in Dublin on Tuesday.

Gerard Lovett, general secretary of the GSRMA, said: “At the launch of this medal we felt it appropriate nearly 30 years after the incident that we remember the sacrifice made.

“The medals remember officers seriously injured in the line of duty and we also thought it was appropriate to honour the family.”

The Liddy Medals are named after Sean Liddy who fought in the War of Independence, sat in the Dail and rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent in An Garda Siochana. He died in 1965.

It is the first year the medals have been awarded.

Twelve republican suspects were arrested in Laois and Dublin in the days following the horrific atrocity but no-one has ever been charged with the crime and it remains unsolved.