SAOIRSE32

Received via email from Dawn Michele Duarte
[Republicanarmy]
6 May 2008

At a recent meeting the 32CSM in Britain have made a decision to re launch itself under the auspices of the recently formed Gaughan/Stagg cumann.

Both Vols. Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg joined a hunger strike begun by other IRA Volunteers, such as Marian and Dolores Price in Brixton and their comrades Hugh Feeny and Gerry Kelly, demanding repatriation to Ireland.

Michael Gaughan suffered force feeding, he endured this brutal procedure seventeen times in the course of his hungerstrike. The last time was on the 2nd June, the night before his death. On the 3rd June, 1974, he died from injuries suffered when food lodged in a lung punctured by a feeding tube. He had been on hungerstrike 67 days. He was 24 years old.

Frank suffered force feeding for 70 days. Following Michael Gaughan’s death, negotiations were begun and the hunger strike was called off. But the talks were deemed a ruse by Frank Stagg and his supporters to halt the strike and prevent further highly publicised deaths.

Instead of meeting the demands, the authorities moved Frank to a solitary confinement punishment cell, where he remained under 23-hour lockdown. He was allowed no furniture, radio, newspapers or cigarettes, and prevented from sleeping by a bright light in his cell day and night.

In Wakefield Prison, on 14 December 1975, Frank Stagg began his fourth and final hunger strike, with the demand again for repatriation. Frank battled against starvation for 62 days before he died on 12 February 1976. He last request was “to be buried next to my republican colleagues and my comrade, Michael Gaughan”.

Michael Gaughan left a final message for his comrades and his country:

“I die proudly for my country and in the hope that my death will be sufficient to obtain the demands of my comrades. Let there be no bitterness on my behalf, but a determination to achieve the new Ireland for which I gladly die. My loyalty and confidence is to the IRA and let those of you who are left carry on the work and finish the fight.”

We, the republican movement in Britain, acknowledge Vol Gaughan’s message, we who are left will carry on the work and finish the fight

The Gaughan/Stagg Cumann.
32CSM Britain
www.32csm.info

Belfast Telegraph
Wednesday 7, May 2008

The Omagh bomb trial is preparing to move from Belfast to Dublin next week. The ongoing multi-million pound action has already made history by just reaching the civil courts, but when it travels south of the border to hear evidence from 50 Garda officers it will make another legal first — the first time a judge from Northern Ireland has travelled to the Republic on judicial business.

Relatives of six bomb victims — Geraldine Bresline (43), Aiden Gallagher (21), Esther Gibson (36), Anne McCombe (45), Alan Radford (16) and Lorraine Wilson — are suing five men they believe to have been involved in the Real IRA bomb that slaughtered 29 people and unborn twins on a summer’s day in August 1998.

No one can be jailed as a result of their action but the families hope it will help uncover the truth about what happened and give them some sort of justice.

All five defendants, Micheal McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna, deny any part in the explosion.

Last week Belfast High Court heard how Real IRA quartermaster McKevitt, who is serving 20 years in Portlaoise Prison for directing terrorism, has effectively shunned the case. His alleged second-in-command, Liam Campbell, has also taken no interest and is the only defendant not legally represented at the civil action.

The families hope their legal team, headed by Lord Daniel Brennan, can use the civil proceedings to put as much information as possible about the attack into the public domain.

To date, the landmark trial has heard from shoppers who watched the bombers smile as they walked away from the car bomb; RUC officers who were first on the scene after the explosion; medical staff who treated the dying and wounded; telecommunications experts who traced mobile phones to the bomb cars and former detectives who quizzed Real IRA suspects. And while much of the evidence has been hard hitting, its impact has been softened becuase it has all been heard before — during criminal proceedings against Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy and Sean Hoey as well as during the victims’ inquests.

But the civil action is now into its fourth week and things are starting to hot up. Yesterday’s announcement on the admissibility of hearsay evidence from an FBI agent who infiltrated the ranks of the Real IRA can be seen as a significant step for the families.

After considering the 1997 Civil Evidence Order, presiding Judge Mr Justice Morgan ruled that some 2,300 emails and other documents passed between the US trucker turned spy, David Rupert, and his security service handlers could be read to the court — giving a fascinating insight into the murky world of terrorism. Although the emails were admitted to McKevitt’s criminal proceedings in 2003 much of what’s coming next week has never been heard.

Speaking outside the court yesterday the families legal representatives said the real story would come out in Dublin.

Rupert worked for the FBI and MI5 from 1994 infiltrating the ranks of the Real IRA in 1997. He attended several meetings of the RIRA Army Council and gave descriptions of meetings with the terror group leader Michael McKevitt. He took the stand in Dublin and his evidence was considered instrumental in securing McKevitt’s 20 year prison term. However, Mr Rupert is in hiding under an FBI witness protection programme in America and has been banned from giving evidence either in person or via videolink because of concerns for his safety.

Lawyers acting for two of the defendants, Michael McKevitt and Colm Murphy, had argued that it was unfair to admit the hearsay evidence without having an opportunity to cross-examine.

But the judge ruled it was in the interests of ensuring a fair trial for all the parties to admit Rupert’s evidence.

He told the court: “Conscious of my obligation to ensure a fair trial for all of the parties I consider that this is properly achieved by permitting the plaintiffs to admit the evidence and applying the appropriate safeguards contained within the 1997 Order.”

Meanwhile, the widespread publicity surrounding the civil case has also attracted some criticism for the families involved. But Godfrey Wison, whose daughter Lorraine died after being evacuated from an Oxfam charity shop into the path of the bomb, has hit back and said it was his duty as a father to join the action.

He said: “It’s a struggle to get up and deal with it every day. It never entered my mind to withdraw from it. When we had questions to ask the solicitors, and doubts we had, we never considered ever removing ourselves from it.

“I wouldn’t be worldly wise of the law but when a solicitor approached me to say look, there is a strong case for a civil hearing, £ I wholeheartedly went along. Because when a young girl has been destroyed and nobody is doing anything about it, then I think if, as a parent, I don’t stand up and be counted, what sort of a father am I?

“It breaks my heart that I called her out of her bed at half eight in the morning to go to do charity work. If I had known what I was getting her into. When I think of what happened and me waking her out of a sound sleep, it tears the heart out of me. To think I should have locked the room and kept her in it rather than wakening her to send her to her death.”

By Bryan Gray
News Letter
08 May 2008

SEPARATE bomb scare alerts in both Belfast and Banbridge have been confirmed as hoaxes.

At around 9am, police have confirmed a telephone call indicated a device has been left near the electoral office in Banbridge. Bridge Street was evacuated.

The scene in Banbridge town centre this morning

The town centre was closed off to members of the public and traffic.

Following extensive searches, nothing was found. The town centre is now operating as normal.

In Belfast, a package was found inside economic development agency, Invest NI’s headquarters on Bedford Street shortly after 9.30am.

After an examination, police deemed the package as not being suspicious.

The security alerts come as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and newly appointed Irish premier, Brian Cowen arrive in the Province as part of the three-day US investment conference.

News Letter
8 May 2008

THE debate over the future of the IRA Army Council has taken a strange twist after Martin McGuinness claimed it may no longer exist.

In an interview to mark the impending first anniversary of power-sharing with the DUP [on May 8], the News Letter suggested to the Deputy First Minister that there could be no transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont until the IRA leadership is formally disbanded.

Devolution promise

Mr McGuinness claimed the DUP had promised the powers would be devolved by this month – a suggestion the DUP totally rejected.

And of the IRA, he responded: “I do not know if it (the Army Council] does exist or not.”

When pressed that this was a statement which many – unionists in particular – would find “risible”, the Sinn Fein negotiator and former IRA commander said: “How is it risible?”

He explained that over the last year “all of my focus and all of my meetings have been on the work of government” and “I have not had any cause whatsoever to be in touch with the IRA over the course of the recent while”.

Out of equation

Therefore, he claimed to be unaware if there still was an Army Council –and therefore an IRA.

“The IRA has left the stage. They are totally and absolutely out of the equation. Any attempt to drag them back onto the stage is a big mistake,” said Mr McGuinness of unionists linking it to policing and justice.

Condemnation

However, the shadow of the IRA continues to linger over politics and the country when events such as the murder of Paul Quinn, in south Armagh, occur.

The Deputy First Minister said he and his party condemned the killers of Mr Quinn and called for people to help put the “criminals” responsible behind bars.

He claimed the IRA was not a threat and having decommissioned, stood down members and ended violence, asked, why would it then countenance or condone the activities of whoever was responsible for the murder of Paul Quinn?

“It doesn’t make sense. It defies logic,” he said.

Mr McGuinness claimed that the DUP had promised him, personally, that it was committed to transferring the powers in line with the date, envisaged by the St Andrews Agreement, of May this year.

More specifically, he recalled “a conversation that I had with Ian Paisley Jnr, Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds in this very building (Stormont Castle] on the Saturday before the March 26 (2007 – the day Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams announced a devolution deal], when I put to them that it was very, very important that people stood by the commitments that were made in the St Andrews Agreement and was told by the DUP that they would do that.

“Obviously, that specified that powers should be transferred by May of this year.

“Everybody left St Andrews on the basis that the date for the transfer of policing and justice powers was May this year.”

A DUP spokesman responded: “At no time during the meeting (March 24, 2007] did any DUP representative give a commitment to devolve policing and justice powers by May 2008.

“At that meeting it was articulated that the DUP would stand by any commitment made at St Andrews. At no time during or after St Andrews did the DUP make a commitment to devolve policing and justice powers within the Government timetable.

“The St Andrews Agreement and the May 2008 date are products of British and Irish governments. At no time has the DUP ever signed up to the St Andrews Agreement or the May 2008 date.

“This position was openly expressed by Mr Paisley during the Press conference following St Andrews.

“Whilst the DUP favours the devolution of policing and justice powers, we have stated in our manifesto and in other public comments that the confidence does not exist to support any move.

“We will only contemplate any move when all the conditions are right.”

Meanwhile, Mr McGuinness said he was confident he and Peter Robinson can work well in OFMDFM.

He noted: “People talk to me about the vexed issues and the big problems that have to be addressed. None of them compare with the challenge that was before us to get these institutions up in the first place.”

However, he urged the DUP not to fall into the trap of taking decisions while looking over its shoulder at Jim Allister, as David Trimble had done with the DUP.

:::u.tv:::
6 May 2008

The contribution of former paramilitary prisoners to the Northern Ireland peace process can no longer be ignored, Junior minister Gerry Kelly said today [6/5/08].

The Sinn Fein Assembly member and one-time inmate at the Maze said the role of ex prisoners` groups in conflict transformation was vital and should be applauded.

Mr Kelly, who was among a group of IRA inmates who escaped from the Maze prison in 1983, was speaking at the launch of a new academic study on how paramilitaries jailed for their actions during the Troubles had contributed to society since their release.

The research was conducted by Queen`s University academic Dr Pete Shirlow.

The Junior minister noted that guests at the launch event, which was hosted by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, were drawn from both sides of the conflict.

“Many of the people gathered here today bear further testimony to the power of dialogue and to what can be accomplished by collaborative working,” he said.

“People who are divided by political opinion and ideology are brought together by issues of common concern such as addressing social deprivation, exclusion and inequality.

“The attendance at this event, coupled with the evidence contained within the evaluation report, points to the ongoing process of change that is happening throughout communities here.

“Many former political prisoner groups are leading by example in demonstrating their commitment to addressing the challenges that face those worst off in our society as we continue our journey on the road away from conflict.

“Although often obscured by negative publicity, their efforts and achievements, clearly outlined in this report cannot be ignored and should be applauded.”

By Noel McAdam
Thursday 8, May 2008
Belfast Telegraph

The first anniversary of power-sharing at Stormont passed yesterday without fanfare or ceremony.

Even this afternoon’s scheduled session of the Executive was called off.

Instead, the message at the main session of the United States Economic Investment Conference was ‘business as usual’, with most of the Executive ministers due to take part in the proceedings at some point.

“The focus is on the conference so it was decided to postpone the Executive meeting,” a spokesman said.

But as the political parties reflected on the past year, the DUP said republicans had faced “hard lessons” — with more to come as they “realise parity and equality are a two-way street”.

Gregory Campbell said: “As we look forward we need to demonstrate to the entire community but particularly unionists that the days of partisanship and concessions to republicanism are well and truly over.

“This will mean hard choices for republicans, but after 30 years they have to realise that the future is going to be different from the past in more ways than just the abandonment of their long-held beliefs and their long sought-after goal of trying to bring the two countries on this island together.”

In a review of the past 12 months, he cited the rejection of the Irish language legislation, “thwarting” of Sinn Fein’s campaign to achieve the devolution of policing and justice by this month and defence of academic selection as evidence of improvements over Direct Rule administration.

On policing and justice, he insisted: “As a result of our negotiations this matter cannot be devolved without our agreeing to it. We want it done when the time is right, it’s not right now.”

Alliance Party leader David Ford said he was pleased to see the first birthday of devolution but less than pleased with the performance of Executive ministers. “They have been unimaginative and have often lacked the vision and courage to take the decisions needed to improve Northern Ireland. They are meant to be making life better for local people but there is very little evidence that they have done this,” he said.

Irish News
**Via Newshound
By Allison Morris
06/05/08

CONVICTED killer Robert Duffy is expected to apply for a prison transfer from the Republic to Northern Ireland in order to avoid being extradited to serve out the remainder of his life sentence.

Duffy pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Colin O’Neil at the Emerald Bar in Dundalk at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court last month and was ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years.

The former IRA man had been freed from prison in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement having served four years of a life term for the 1993 murder of John Gibson.

Mr Gibson was shot dead by the IRA near his Newtownabbey home. The construction firm the father-of-one worked for had carried out contracts for the RUC. DNA linked Duffy to the scene.

Following his conviction in the Republic last month secretary of state Shaun Woodward suspended Duffy’s early release licence.

A decision on whether the convicted killer would be compelled to serve out the remainder of his life term in Northern Ireland following his release in the Republic has not yet been made.

However, Duffy is now expected to apply for transfer to Maghaberry prison in which case he can run both his jail terms concurrently –�avoiding having to serve additional jail time.

One of the criteria for transfer is that a prisoner must have family connections in the new jurisdiction.

Originally from Ligoniel in north Belfast Duffy meets the criteria for transfer. A final decision on the move will be made jointly by the Irish Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Six months after his early release under Good Friday Agreement terms, Duffy was also questioned by police in relation to the murder of taxi driver Trevor Kell (35).

Duffy had been living in exile in Dundalk when in March 2007 he became involved in a bar brawl with barman Colin O’Neil.

Duffy left the bar before returning with a shotgun which he fired at Mr O’Neil in an attack that was captured on CCTV.

Irish Examiner
7 May 2008

THE Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) has quashed the convictions of five Munster men jailed three years after they were found guilty of membership of the Real IRA.

The CCA found the Special Criminal court did not have the jurisdiction to try them because they were not charged “forthwith” after they were arrested.

In 2005 Ciaran O’Dwyer, 53, of Castletroy View, Limerick; John Murphy, 28, of Kilbarry, Old Mallow Road, Cork; Ultan Larkin, 37, of Farranshone, Limerick: Gerard Varian, 49, of Fairhill, Cork; and Aidan O’Driscoll, 29, of Ballyvolane, Cork, were all convicted of membership of an illegal organisation, the Real IRA, on December 15, 2003.

O’Dwyer was jailed for five years and nine months; Larkin for four years; Varian for three years; Murphy for four years and O’Driscoll for three years in the Special Criminal Court (SCC).

Yesterday the three-judge Court of Criminal Appeal, consisting of Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, presiding, sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel Herbert, quashed the convictions.

Four of the five men had been on bail pending the outcome of the appeal. Only one, Aidan O’Driscoll, had been in custody.

In a motion to the court lawyers for all five men had claimed their convictions should be quashed because the failure to charge them after they were held for more than 12 hours before the non-jury SCC was unlawful and the court did not have jurisdiction to try them. Counsel for the DPP had argued that all five were lawfully before the SCC.

However, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said in his judgment that the CCA was satisfied that the five men had not been lawfully brought before the Special Criminal Court and charged “forthwith” following their arrests on December 13, 2003.

The judge said the CCA’s “hands were tied” in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the O’Brien case and therefore it had “no option” other than to quash the convictions.

Mr Justice Kearns said there were a number of similarities between the cases of five men before the CCA and that of O’Brien.

The judge pointed to the fact that the periods of detention between arrest and the time both the five men and Mr O’Brien were brought before the SCC, were “virtually identical”.

He said that the “loophole” highlighted by the O’Brien case had been closed in the 2006 Criminal Justice Act.

However, that change did not apply to these particular five cases.

Irish News
Barry McCaffrey
07/05/08

A FORMER republican internee battling cancer has challenged the Brit-ish government to reveal the contents of a notorious nerve gas allegedly used against prisoners.

North Belfast man John McMullan is undergoing chemotherapy, having been diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer last November.

In October 1974 Mr McMull-an was among a group of republican inmates who tried to burn the former Long Kesh internment camp to the ground in a dispute with sen-ior prison officers over visits.

Republicans claim that during a tense standoff British army helicopters dropped dozens of canisters of mysterious gas on to prisoners.

“They dropped hundreds of these canisters which exploded into clusters about 14ft above the ground,” Mr McMullan said.

“Within minutes men were dropping to the ground all over the place.

“You had this sensation as if you were drowning. People were choking and couldn’t breathe.

“We’d been used to CS gas being used on us before but this stuff was completely different. You felt as if your whole face was on fire and that you were dying.”

Shortly after the substance – identified as CR gas – was used the army regained control of the prison.

In the following days army doctors took blood samples from republican and loyalist prisoners.

“They never told us why they were taking blood samples and to this day they even deny that it even happened,” Mr McMullan said.

Throughout the Troubles the British government publicly denied that CR gas had ever been used on prisoners.

In January 2005 it was re-vealed that the government had secretly authorised the use of a “chemical agent” to be used in the event of any attempted break-out from Northern Ireland prisons.

Government papers said the use of CR gas had been authorised in a top-secret plan known as Operation Snowdrop.

The then prime minister, James Callaghan, was report-ed to have given his personal approval for the operation.

“The advice of the officials that the minister concerned will wish to weigh will un-doubtedly include the ap-praisal of not only the device in relation to incapacitating terrorists but also the risks for any hostages involved,” an MoD memo read.

“To put it baldly, there is not much point if a Snowdrop operation succeeds in capturing terrorists intact at the expense of killing or seriously injuring the hostages.”

In another NIO memo in June 1974 regarding proposals to submit test results to the medical committee of the Chemical Advisory Board, an official stated: “We see and accept the need for this and appreciate that you will im-press to conceal the knowledge that CR may be used in Northern Ireland.

“We wonder, however, whether it is necessary for you

to even mention Northern Ireland at all.”

In 1977 it was reported that all stocks of CR gas in Northern Ireland had been transferred to the Chemical Bio-logical Defence Sector Eval-uation and Research Agency at Porton Down, the headquarters of Britain’s biological warfare facility.

However, concerns over the potential health risks of exposure to CR gas have refused to go away.

In February the British government paid out more than £3 million compensation to 360 former soldiers who developed serious health problems after having been exposed to nerve gas during trials conducted at Portdon Down in the 1950s and 1960s.

Some of the soldiers said they had been told they were helping to find a cure for the common cold.

While the government continues to deny that CR gas was used at Long Kesh in October 1974, anecdotal evidence suggests that up to 60 former inmates have either died or contracted cancer, leukaemia or other terminal illnesses.

Mr McMullan called on the MoD to reveal what nerve gases were used on inmates.

“Dozens of men who were gassed that day have developed cancers or other serious illnesses,” he said.

“Even in the worst case scenario there is no way that so many men should have developed cancers.

“All we are saying is that there should be some kind of independent body allowed to prove or disprove our fears.

“Even on a purely humanitarian basis they should tell us what was used on us so that doctors know what they’re dealing with.”

An MoD spokesman said a statement made in 1999 by the then armed forces minister, John Spellar, in the House of Commons, in which he said the British army had “never used CR gas operationally”, remained the ministry’s official line.

Irish News
07/05/08

Twelve British soldiers have received permission from the High Court to challenge a refusal of anonymity by the inquiry into solicitor Rosemary Nelson’s murder.

The RIR witnesses want the protection because of fears that they could be put at risk if their identities are made public.

Mr Justice Weatherup yesterday granted them leave to apply for a judicial review of the decision taken by the tribunal examining Mrs Nelson’s killing after hearing claims of possible targeting by rogue republican paramilitaries.

“We say the names in this case would be of interest only to dissident terrorists,” David Scoffield, counsel for the soldiers, said.

He also argued that withholding their identities would have no impact on the inquiry’s ability to do its job properly.

The tribunal has been set up to probe the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Mrs Nelson by loyalists who planted a bomb under her car outside her home in Lurgan, Co Armagh in March 1999.

More than 100 witnesses, including the soldiers, are due to give evidence to a three-strong panel, chaired by Sir Michael Morland, which is examining allegations of security-force collusion.

Kate Grange, appearing for the inquiry, said there were compelling reasons for naming the soldiers.

“The family of Rosemary Nelson rightly expect that acts of public servants and working practices

of the state shall, if possible, be scrutinised in public by the inquiry,” she said.

The barrister also argued that public confidence could be undermined if anonymity was secured.

She said the panel had taken into account the latest report by the Independent Monitoring Commission when deciding individual cases.

Mr Justice Weatherup accepted that proper consideration had been given to the areas of greatest dissident republican activity and their relation to where witnesses lived and worked.

He also rejected claims that the tribunal made conflicting statements on the level of risk, whether described as moderate or relatively low.

But, granting leave, the judge ruled that an arguable case had been established on the ground of compelling justification needed to refuse anonymity.

The case will now be taken to a full judicial review hearing next month, with an interim order banning any publication of the soldiers’ names also imposed.

Irish News
07/05/08

Convicted Real IRA chief Michael McKevitt has lost his fight to have hearsay evidence from an FBI spy who infiltrated the paramilitary group excluded from the Omagh bomb civil action.

Mr Justice Morgan, the judge hearing the multi-million-pound compensation case at the High Court in Belfast, ruled that more than 2,300 pages of emails and documents involving David Rupert, the American trucker-turned intelligence agent, can be introduced.

Lawyers for McKevitt, one of five men being sued by relatives of some of those murdered in the 1998 atrocity, had argued that it would be unfair to allow the material.

Mr Rupert is on a witness-protection programme and forbidden by his FBI handlers from even appearing via video-link. McKevitt’s lawyers claimed that allowing his evidence would deprive them of an opportunity to cross-examine Mr Rupert and to test his credibility.

The resistance from McKevitt, who is serving a 20-year sentence for directing terrorism after Mr Rupert’s dramatic appearance as a key prosecution witness at his criminal trial in Dublin in 2003, was backed by Colm Murphy, another of those named in the families’ action.

Murphy, the families allege, provided the telephones used in the transportation of the bomb into Omagh.

Both McKevitt and Murphy, along with the three other defendants – Seamus Mc-Kenna, Liam Campbell and Seamus Daly – deny responsibility for the massacre.

After studying the Civil Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order, which governs hearsay issues, Mr Justice Morgan backed the bid to bring in the Rupert material.

But he also stressed that its significance could still be contested.

Issuing his ruling on the 15th day of the case, he said: “Conscious of my obligation to ensure a fair trial for all of the parties I consider that this is properly achieved by permitting the plaintiffs to admit the evidence and ap-plying the appropriate safeguards contained within the 1997 order.

“That does not in any way diminish the entitlement of any defendant to a fair trial in this action, nor does it prohibit or predetermine a submission on behalf of the defendants once the evidence is received that I should accord it no weight.”

As well as the emails and documents, the families’ lawyers plan to use transcripts from more than 10 days Mr Rupert spent in the witness box at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

Mr Justice Morgan said he was also aware of substantial material which McKevitt will seek to use in a bid to portray the spy as “a dishonest and unprincipled person whose primary interest is in securing monetary gain”.

“I immediately recognise that there is force in the submission advanced on behalf of these defendants that I will not have the opportunity to assess the demeanour of Mr Rupert in the witness box and that the transcript may be an unsatisfactory substitute for that,” the judge said.

“I also accept that there are likely to be questions related to the matters the subject of this action which were not posed in the criminal proceedings in Dublin and which it might be advantageous for the third named defendant (McKevitt) to pose in these proceedings.”

Meanwhile, Mr Justice Morgan also confirmed that the trial was being classified as civil, compensatory proceedings.

This followed arguments by the defendants’ lawyers that the case constituted a criminal charge, with subsequent entitlement to rights, based on the allegations that they were responsible for murdering 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins, and the plaintiffs’ desire to hold the wrongdoers to account.

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow, when a further ruling on security services documents is to be made.

It will then move to Dublin on Monday when nearly 30 Garda witnesses are due to begin giving evidence during a week of hearings.

Derry Journal
07 May 2008

Samaritans have launched a new text alert service for students who may be feeling in emotional distress or despair.

It is aimed at helping young people during difficult times such as before and during exams and around results times.

Like all Samaritan services it is completely confidential to the organisation.

The text alert service will provide people with contact details for the Samaritans. It will give people a telephone number and an email address giving people two options to get in touch.

Then at various times of year, which are traditionally difficult for young people, such as in the run up to exams a reminder text will be sent for ongoing support.

To avail of the service you can register by texting SAM 51500.

Samaritans recognise that sometimes it can be difficult for young people to talk to their friends or family about worries and would urge them to get in touch.

Samaritans are in operation 24 hours per day and can be contacted via telephone, email or face to face. Volunteers offer a listening ear and emotional support. They do not give advice or judge people and they allow callers to make their own decisions.

Parents, schools and young people themselves are being encouraged to circulate the text for information about Samaritans, so that they can help people who need their support.

The Derry Branch of Samaritans is at 16 Clarendon Street and it is open from 10am-10pm daily for face-to-face callers.

The telephone number for the centre is 71 265511.

By Ian Cullen
Derry Journal
07 May 2008

A Coroner has appealed for information on the death of a Derry man who died during rioting in the city in July 1996.
Witnesses to the death of Dermot McShane, who died after being crushed under a British army vehicle at Little James Street in Derry, have been urged to come forward by coroner Brian Sherrard.

Mr Sherrard was speaking ahead of the inquest into the death of the 35 year-old which is due to begin in Derry courthouse on May 27

“In order to ensure that all the evidence is before the court, I would ask any member of the public who has not already been summoned to attend the hearing, and who wishes to bring anything of relevance to Mr McShane’s death to the court’s attention, to contact the Coroners Service,” he said.

Last month the Historical Enquires Team (HET) recommended that no charges be levelled against the soldier who drove the vehicle.
The case was investigated by the HET after the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) 1998 decision that there was insufficient evidence to sustain murder, manslaughter or dangerous driving charges against the soldier.

The rioting that took place on the night Mr. McShane was killed was some of the heaviest seen in the city in many years. It erupted after an Orange Order march was forced down the Garvaghy Road in Portadown by the RUC.

According to official figures, 946 plastic bullets were fired on the night of July 12/13 while the police claimed that up to 1,200 petrol bombs were thrown. During the rioting, Mr McShane and others were using a hoarding as cover when a British army vehicle drove at it. Mr McShane was crushed under the wheels of the vehicle.

Members of the public can contact the Coroners Office by email (coronersoffice@courtsni.gsi.gov.uk) or by telephoning Donna Hall on 028 9044 6821 no later than 16 May 2008.

Belfast Telegraph
Monday 5, May 2008 - 12:20]

Secret records have revealed Belfast was on a the list of likely targets for an atomic bomb attack during the 1950s.

The information emerged as documents dating from 1954 to 1956, at the height of the Cold War, were released under the Freedom of Information Act.

However the papers also show that officials at Whitehall were worried about the survival of food supplies – including particular fears about tea shortages – in case of an attack on the UK by both A (atomic) and H (hydrogen) bombs.

“The tea position would be very serious with a loss of 75% of stocks and substantial delays in imports and with no system of rationing it would be wrong to consider that even 1oz per head per week could be ensured.

“No satisfactory solution has yet been found,” noted one official.

A Ministry of Food list “for departmental planning purposes only” puts London, Birmingham, Merseyside, Manchester and Clydeside as H-bomb targets. Those listed as A-bomb targets were Tyneside, Teesside, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Derby, Purfleet in Essex, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bristol, Plymouth, Cardiff, Coventry and Belfast. “The present assumption is that each target would receive an H- or A-bomb respectively,” it said.

The papers drawn, said: “The advent of thermo-nuclear weapons… has presented us with a new and much more difficult set of food defence problems.”

The objective of planning should be to be “completely ready to maintain supplies of food to the people of these islands, sufficient in volume to keep them in good heart and health from the onset of a thermonuclear attack on this country.”

It adds: “It has become increasingly clear that the severity of the attack which the enemy could launch would produce a catastrophe in the face of which past measures would be fatally deficient.

Arrangements for the stockpiling of food, emergency feeding and equipment and the availability of bread, milk, meat, oils and fats and tea and sugar were listed for discussion.

Belfast Telegraph
Wednesday 7, May 2008

Bertie Ahern yesterday called on people on both sides of the border to understand their shared history in order to build for the future.

Marking his final day in office, Mr Ahern was joined by the Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley to officially open the Battle of the Boyne site.

The leaders used 17th-century swords to cut the ribbon on the new €15m centre, which opens to the public today.

Mr Ahern said he hoped people would travel from all over the island to visit the centre and to “develop the greater mutual understanding essential to peace and reconciliation”.

He added: “We need — all of us — to understand our shared history if we are to build a shared future.

“The principles and ideals that we hold dear are the same — liberty and equality, democracy and peace. If we hold fast to these shared ideals, our children will have an inheritance to treasure.”

Mr Ahern said in recent years many from the nationalist tradition have come to a greater appreciation of the history, traditions and identity of those from the unionist tradition.

“We have come to understand the pride you take in your history and to recognise that your history is our history too,” he said.

Mr Ahern said it’s not history that is of concern now, but the future. “In the future, let us respect each other and our identities. Let us be reconciled with each other, and let us be friends, and let us live in peace,” he said.

Directing his comments directly at people from the Protestant, unionist and loyalist tradition, who had travelled to the site, Mr Ahern said it was an honour to have them there.

“For far too long, many people from Northern Ireland feared to travel to the south. I am glad to say those days are over,” he said.

Mr Paisley said he started something a year ago when he met Mr Ahern at the same site, and he wanted to see it complete.

“It was nice to know that one of the last acts we did when we were in office, he as Taoiseach and me as First Minister, is we met at the Boyne and cut the tape,” he said.

And he was in no doubt of the importance of the event and its symbolism in terms of North-South relations.

“To the bad old days there can be no turning back,” he said.

“The killing times must be ended forever, and no tolerance must be given to any who advocate their return. A strong dedication to peace and an intolerance of murder must drive us forward. The coming generation has a right to demand this, and we cannot fail them,” he added.

Mr Paisley said his relationship with Mr Ahern was extremely positive.

“There are many things that we disagree about but there are many things we agree about. We agree that we both are entitled to live here and we want to make it the best possible place for all religions and all people,” he said.

The 82-year-old Mr Paisley is due to resign over the next month as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and will be replaced by Peter Robinson.

The centrepiece of the Battle of the Boyne centre is Oldbridge House, a 17th-century mansion.

The heritage centre commemorates the battle in 1690 between King William of Orange and his father-in-law King James II.