SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph
By Dan McGinn
2 February 2008

Baroness Paisley was barracked yesterday as her husband, First Minister Ian, hosted Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in a historic visit to his constituency.

She was confronted by the wife of independent unionist councillor Roy Gillespie as the DUP leader and Mr Ahern toured the Galgorm Resort and Spa.

Ruby Gillespie told Baroness Paisley: “I am heartbroken that Dr Paisley has sold out having followed him for 40 years.”

She was escorted out of the building while her husband Roy Gillespie carried a Union flag outside. Earlier Mr Ahern was warmly welcomed to the resort and spa by the Stormont First Minister.

The Taoiseach said he was honoured to visit the north Antrim heartland of the DUP leader.

“I do not believe even a year back it could have been envisaged we would have been together here,” Mr Ahern said.

“It is an honour to be here with the First Minister to talk about progress.”

Mr Paisley joked that Mr Ahern and his entourage had held a prayer meeting in their helicopter hoping that they would not be pelted with snowballs by him - a reference to his famous protest at Stormont when a previous Taoiseach Sean Lemass visited there.

When asked about welcoming the Fianna Fail leader to his constituency he quipped: “What I am saying is he is in under my control. This is a good day for work.

“It is a good day for our province. It is a good day for the whole of Ireland because we need help from outside. We cannot live on our own. This is a world that is moving faster and faster and we must catch up with the speed and get into the march.”

Mr Ahern arrived at the resort in an Irish air corps helicopter.

There was little mention during his visit of the daily barrage of stories about the Taoiseach’s personal finances and the Mahon Tribunal.

Instead, the First Minister and Mr Ahern focused on North South cooperation and the benefits of them working together to promote Northern Ireland and the Republic as tourist destinations. Mr Paisley said there were other areas where Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic could benefit from cooperation.

He said: “First of all, we need to save our fishing for both sides of the divide.”

Mr Ahern stressed the importance of economic cooperation.

“Guaranteeing investment and employment is a goal and objective we share and I do not think there is any sector of an economy that cannot grow and gain added value through cooperation. That is what we intend.”

News Letter
02 February 2008

A WOMAN whose parents were killed in the Shankill bomb is to mount a court challenge against the new Victims’ Commission.

Michelle Williamson is set to apply for for a judicial review and will be backed by at least 13 victims’ groups.

It’s also emerged that the father of a UVF victim is also preparing to take a case against the appointment of the new commission.

Raymond McCord is taking his case over the “unfair appointment of four commissioners” while his application was rejected.

Ms Williamson said she is greatly offended by the choice of commissioners, particularly Patricia MacBride, and the language that has been used to talk about murderers and killers”.

The commission became mired in controversy just hours after it was appointed when it released a statement speaking of an “IRA volunteer” killed “on active service”.

The controversial language appeared in a profile introducing Ms MacBride whose brother Anton was killed by the SAS in 1984.

Ms Williamson’s parents, George and Gillian were killed in the 1993 bombing of Frizell’ fish and chip shop.

Nine people including two children as well as IRA bomber Thomas Begley died in the explosion.

“I object to her presence as this commission should be for victims and not terrorists’ relatives.

“If this is the best the government can offer me then they can stick it,” she said.

Teach Dáithí Ó Conaill, 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
Phone: +353-1-872 9747; FAX: +353-1-872 9757; e-mail: saoirse@iol.ie
Date: 30 Eanáir / January 2008

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In this issue:

1. Shots fired over Dan Keating’s grave
2. Plans by GAAW to desecrate Liam Mellows statue shameful
3. Debate on Republicanism in UCC
4. Leinster RSF to actively campaign for rejection of EU Constitution
5. Call to reject Lisbon treaty superpower
6. Anger at RUC/PSNI decision on stun gun
7. MI5 ’spooks’ to be screened off at Wright murder inquiry
8. ‘Tá’ campaign for Irish language rights backed by ethnic groups
9. Begley family targeted in new round of loyalist death threats
10. RUC/PSNI refuse to release murder files
11. UDA targets mother and children
12. Athy water crisis a disgrace
13. Member of Welsh Republican Party refused entry to Cymru
14. Meath GAA strongly backs anti-pylons campaign

1. SHOTS FIRED OVER DAN KEATING’S GRAVE

IT was reported on January 29 that the Continuity IRA fired shots over the grave of Kerryman Dan Keating to mark his 106th birthday.

In a statement sent to the media on January 28 the Continuity IRA said that its members had fired a volley of shots over the grave in Kiltallagh Cemetery, outside Castlemaine village in Co Kerry this month.

Dan Keating, patron of Republican Sinn Fein, died last October at the age of 105.he was the last survivor of the War of Independence, a long-time IRA activist, former Republican prisoner and was involved in the Republican Movement for a period of 90 years.

The statement said: “In honouring this life long Republican the CIRA wish to restate that the armed struggle against British occupation continues despite the sell-out and surrender by some former Republicans who now administer British rule in Ireland,” and said there would be no CIRA ceasefire and that “military operations’” would be “intensified”.

2. PLANS BY GAAW TO DESECRATE LIAM MELLOWS STATUE SHAMEFUL

IN A statement on January 26 Republican Sinn Féin in Galway came out in opposition to the plans of the Galway Alliance Against War to drape Liam Mellows Statue in an orange jumpsuit at a demonstration planned for Saturday, January 26.

RSF spokesperson Tomas Ó Curraoin said that it was: “A shameful insult to the memory of a brave Irishman, who gave his life for the freedom of his country, for his statue to be treated in this way.

”The war in Iraq is wrong, and Republican Sinn Féin, along with many others in Galway, have opposed this war from the start, and deplore the treatment of the prisoners in Guantanomo. However, desecrating the statue of Liam Mellows, a man who suffered in prison and was executed without trial for the freedom of his country, is just a cheap and shameful stunt, and should be opposed by all Galway people,” said Tomas Ó Curraoin.

(more…)

01 February 2008
4ni.co.uk

The Northern Ireland Minister for Education may be subject to a vote of no confidence as a debacle over 11 plus reform continues to escalate.

As thousands await their 11 plus results throughout Northern Ireland, ministers are clamouring to criticise Caitriona Ruane’s performance in front of the Education Committee in Stormont, and her apparent engagement in confidential meetings discussing plans to delay the transfer test until the age of 14.

She came under a tirade of criticism from the DUP, SDLP and UUP and was accused of being an “abysmal and absolute failure” during her appearance in front of the committee.

The UUP’s Basil McCrea was outraged, he said: “I want to know who she has been talking to and what she has said. We have also requested that she comes and talks to the committee in private session.

“If she does not agree to these requests then I will press for a vote of no confidence to be taken by the Assembly and would hope to obtain the committee’s support for this.”

DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson said she had treated the members with contempt and called her appearance “disgraceful”.

Ms Ruane came under further fire after providing answers to 29 questions posed to her last month only minutes before her responses were due to be discussed.

During an interview on Radio Ulster, Ms Ruane said: “What happened yesterday was that the chairman of the education committee was playing politics with the education system.”

Ms Ruane was appointed Minister of Education in May 2007, and has been planning an overhaul to the transfer system ever since.

Irish News
By Barry McCaffrey
01/02/08

Families of six unarmed men shot dead by the British army 35 years ago have said only the establishment of a ‘truth commission’ will ever uncover the facts surrounding the killings.

Jim Sloan, Jim McCann, Tony Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy were shot by soldiers in a 90-minute period in the New Lodge area of north Belfast on February 3 1973.

Jim Sloan (19) had only been married for five weeks, with his wife only finding out she was pregnant after his death.

Tony Campbell was celebrating his 19th birthday on the night he was killed.

Ambrose Hardy (26) was shot as he left a bar waving a white flag, fearing his concerned mother would come looking for him when she heard the shooting.

Father-of-three John Loughran, who was killed tending to the dead and injured, was later described by a judge as a “good Samaritan”.

While the army confirmed they killed four of the men, they never admitted the deaths of Mr Sloan or Mr McCann.

The IRA said Mr Sloan, Mr Campbell and Mr McCann were its members but had not been on “active service” when killed.

None of the six men were armed, with the Ministry of Defence later paying compensation to their families.

Speaking ahead of a 35th anniversary commemoration on Sunday, Mr Loughran’s brother Willie said he remained angry that the British army had never apologised.

“These men were not anonymous people, they were our friends and our loved-ones,” he said.

“For me it all seems like yesterday. The memories and pain of that night are with me every day.”

Mr Loughran said the families now believe that only a truth commission will ever uncover the full facts.

“I want to hear the British explain and account for their actions,'’ he said.

“I need to know who gave the orders. I do not necessarily want prosecutions but I want to hear the state acknowledge what they took from all our families that night.

“To my mind only an independent commission, separate from the state and its agencies, has any chance of getting at the truth.”