SAOIRSE32

Joe wants to hand it over to British museum to prove that Troubles was in fact a war

By Ciarán Barnes
Irelandclick
02/05/2008

A West Belfast man is planning to hand over an old British army rifle – found near the scene of a devastating IRA bomb – to the Imperial War Museum in London.
Joe Brennan says he hopes the move will go some way towards the British government admitting that the Troubles was, in fact, a war.

The popular businessman was living on the shores of Carlingford Lough in Omeath during the late 1970s.
On 27 August 1979 – just a few hundred yards from Joe’s home – two IRA bombs hidden near Narrow Water Castle in South Armagh exploded killing 18 British soldiers.
It was the British Army’s single greatest loss of life during the conflict.
About a year after the explosion Joe’s dad Johnny Brennan – who was nicknamed the ‘Lord Mayor of Omeath’ – and a friend, Liam Boyle, were walking along Carlingford beach when the pair stumbled across a badly damaged British Army issue SLR rifle.
The weapon belonged to one of the soldiers killed in the Narrow Water bombs.
Johnny took the rifle home and it has been kept in the Brennan family ever since.
Now son Joe wants to donate it to a museum as proof that what took place here was a war.

Trophy

He said: “After looking at this I don’t think anyone would try to deny there was a war fought in the North of Ireland.
“I once showed the rifle to a good friend of mine, Martin Meehan. A lot of ex-republican combatants would have maybe smiled or shown a degree of satisfaction but Martin, who was a stalwart of the peace process, frowned and said ‘this should not be held up as a triumphant trophy, but more as a symbol of how much everyone has suffered over the last 30 years’.
“Martin was talking to a local museum about putting it on display, but sadly died before he could make the arrangements,” explained Joe.
“I would like to think it could be displayed in Belfast but I would even consider giving it to something like the Imperial War Museum, as long as I had a guarantee that the British Ministry of Defence would not walk in and lift it just to throw it into some dusty storeroom.”

Belfast Telegraph

Wednesday 6, February 2008
By Deborah McAleese

Northern Ireland was back on terror alert today as the PSNI issued a warning of a serious threat from dissident republicans.

Such a high level of threat warning has not been seen here for a number of years. An increased number of police officers were visibly back on the streets after the PSNI said it has stepped up its security operations across the province.

Just days after it was announced that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are due to visit Northern Ireland next month officers have been forced to increase activity on the ground and set up vehicle checkpoints across the province after receiving intelligence that the threat from dissident republicans has intensified.

One of the first checkpoints to be set up today was at the Foyle Bridge in Londonderry this morning.

The alert has sparked concern of a return to the “bad days of the Troubles”.

Police today said they would urge the public to be patient and co-operate with them in the operation “which is designed to ensure the safety of the whole community” and to report any suspicious activity.

Although this is the first time in a number of years the police have issued such a high level warning the threat from dissident republicans has been bubbling under the surface for several months.

Two weeks ago the PSNI warned that dissidents were preparing a series of firebomb attacks across the province and urged business owners, including retail parks, to check their premises for devices and look out for anything suspicious.

And last November, Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said he believed the threat against his officers was the highest it had ever been during his service after the Real IRA shot and wounded off-duty policemen.

An officer in his early thirties was hit a number of times after a gunman opened fire on his car in Dungannon. He managed to drive to Dungannon police station where colleagues gave first aid and he was taken to hospital.

In Londonderry the Real IRA shot a 43-year-old Catholic police officer as he dropped his child off at school. The officer suffered injuries to his face and arm.

Following the shootings Sir Hugh said: “I am worried, my officers are worried, but that will not deter us.”

It is now feared dissidents are planning another shooting or bombing.

Further details of the terrorist threat were due to be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting of the Policing Board.

UUP Policing Board member Basil McCrea MLA said he hoped the province was not about to see a “return to the bad days.”

“The PSNI will not have taken this decision lightly to warn the public and step up operations. We are expected to get a proper briefing on the matter at tomorrow’s Policing Board meeting.”

Mr McCrea added: “This is a very regrettable state but the big difference between now and during the Troubles is that the police are engaging with the community and I believe they will get a lot of support. We do not want a return to the Troubles. These dissidents do not have community support. We must not allow them to drag us back.”

A Sinn Fein spokesman added: “These groups have no strategy and little to offer. They have no support within republican communities.”

Belfast Telegraph

Wednesday 6, February 2008

The PSNI is warning of an increased threat from dissident republicans in an ominous throwback to the dark days of the Troubles.

Police will be stepping up operations and the public is likely to notice increased security activity, including the use of vehicle checkpoints.

The move follows a warning last week about an increased risk of incendiary attacks by dissident republicans.

At the weekend, a Sunday newspaper also reported that the Real IRA was planning to step up its campaign.