SAOIRSE32

BBC
8 Agust 2008

Church leaders in Omagh have said they will only attend the ‘official’ 10th anniversary service for victims of the Real IRA bomb attack.

Part of the memorial being installed last month

Clergy from the four main denominations rejected an invitation to attend a memorial event next Sunday.

This was organised by some families of the 29 people who died in the attack.

Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of Ireland and Catholic representatives will instead attend a service staged by Omagh District Council next Friday.

The move comes amid a growing row over plans for the anniversary of the bloodiest atrocity in the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

At least 10 families are boycotting next Friday’s council-run event, which will take place on the date of the bombing, in protest at how plans for new memorials were handled.

Michael Gallagher, who is chair of the family support group organising the Sunday service, said relatives had been stunned by the rejection from the churchmen.

“Some of these clergy buried our loved ones,” he said.

“We can’t believe they aren’t coming. They are boycotting and marginalising the families.”

Mr Gallagher said representatives from the main churches had attended the group’s Sunday service for the last four years.

An artist’s impression of the new memorial garden

Reverend John Murdoch, from the Presbyterian Church in Omagh, said he and the other church leaders had agreed unanimously that it was more appropriate for them to attend the council event.

“We decided that we would support the main event on the Friday,” he said.

“That is the official one, the one on the Sunday is not official.”

In lieu of the four clergymen, the support group has asked a British army padre based at Ballykinlar, County Down, and an Omagh born Catholic priest, who now ministers in Wales, to officiate at their service.

The families who are staying away from the Friday event are unhappy at how the council handled the contentious issue of the wording for new memorials erected at the bomb site on the town’s Market Street and at a nearby garden of remembrance.

Kevin Skelton, who lost his wife, Philomena, said he would have no part of the council event.

“There’s a whole range of issues I’ve got problems with,” he said.

“The whole wording issue and some of the politicians that are going to be there - I think they’ve (the council) have made a real mess of it altogether.

“They certainly didn’t consult with us about the event. There are more than ten families who won’t be there.

“I have no objection with a family going, it’s their choice, but I certainly won’t be part of it.”

Members of the support group wanted the retention of a phrase engraved on an original tribute stone, which has since been removed from the garden of remembrance, stating that the victims were “murdered by a dissident republican terrorist car bomb”.

The council appointed an independent fact-finding team to try and resolve the issue and councillors unanimously accepted its recommendation to use the phrase on the walls of the garden of remembrance, but not on the glass obelisk at the bomb site.

Sinn Fein councillor and chairperson of Omagh council Martin McLoughlin said it was a pity some families had decided not to attend.

However, he defended the council’s approach to the memorial issue.

“I’d love to see everyone there on Friday,” he said.

“As a council we have tried to do our best to mark the anniversary.

“I realise it’s a sensitive time and different people will react differently.

“But I can’t legislate for how some families are going to react, that’s their prerogative.”

A total of 29 people and two unborn children were killed in the Real IRA attack on the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998.

Balleymoney Times
8 August 2008

LOYALISTS in North Antrim have reacted furiously to a leaflet being distributed in pubs in the area warning of illegal drinking.

Headed ‘Alcohol Advice’, the leaflet decalres that as part of a wider strategy, the PSNI and partners will be taking a “robust approach to underage drinking, on street drinking and drinking at public events.”

It adds that officers will not hesitate to enforce the legislation and bye-laws and, where possible, confiscate alcohol and report people to the Council, the PPS, or Youth Diversion officer.

The leaflet has been endorsed by Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, the Associated Clubs of Apprentice Boys of Derry, the Royal Black Institution and the Ulster Bands Association.

But some loyalists view the move as yet another attack on the Protestant community and have asked if the GAA and AOH organisations have been given the same warnings.

“This leaflet has been handed out in licensed premises in Ballymoney and for many customers, it hasn’t gone down well.

“When was their last a riot or any disorder by those having a drink and watching a band outside premises?
“We are supposed to live in an equal society, but we don’t hear about this being distributed in nationalist areas,” one man said.

The leaflet points out that it is illegal to drink alcohol in a designated no-drinking area; drink alcohol on the route of a public procession (this applies six hours prior to the procession taking place); drinking alcohol under-18 in a public place.

It warns that police will also exercise the power to seize alcohol in the possession of anyone under the age of 18 in a public place.

Adults found purchasing or supplying alcohol for use by juveniles may also be liable for prosecution.

BBC
7 August 2008

A man arrested in connection with the murder of County Armagh man Paul Quinn has been released without charge.

It was the 11th arrest to be made in the case in just over a week. All those previously arrested have been released.

The arrest was made on Tuesday morning following a search of two premises in south Armagh by the PSNI at the request of the Garda.

Mr Quinn, who was 21, was beaten to death by a gang in a cattle shed in County Monaghan in October last year.

BBC
7 August 2008

The first minister has accused the Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of distorting the facts over a date for the devolution of policing and justice.

Peter Robinson says no date has been agreed for justice devolution

Peter Robinson acknowledged progress had been made on the issue, but said “considerable hurdles remain”.

On Wednesday, Mr Adams said the department should be created “sooner rather than later”.

But Mr Robinson said: “Those powers can only be transferred when there is the required community confidence.”

“It is critical that any arrangements have the widest and broadest support possible.

“I believe that the involvement of the Assembly’s Executive and Review Committee in the autumn will help ensure this is the case.

“Too often in the past short term cobbled together political deals have been done which have not been in the best interests of Northern Ireland.

Transferring policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont has been one of the most contentious issues since devolution was restored to Northern Ireland.

The failure of Sinn Fein and DUP to agree on the issue has been a key factor in what some have described as a deadlock at Stormont.

On Monday, the DUP and Sinn Fein agreed there will be a single department of justice with a minister needing cross-community support to be elected.

The two parties have said they would not nominate candidates themselves.

But Alliance, the party most likely to supply a minister, has said it is not interested in taking on the post.

Irish Times
8 August 2008

CRITICAL EUROPEAN court judgments on British security force killings and alleged collusion with loyalists have been ignored, human rights campaigners claimed yesterday.

Insufficient action on European Court of Human Rights rulings sets a bad example for other countries, British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW) added.

The European court accused UK authorities of violating the right to life of IRA men shot dead in controversial circumstances during the Troubles.

The police investigation into Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane’s 1989 death at the hands of loyalists was also investigated by the court.

The British government denies inaction on the rulings.

BIRW director Jane Winter said: “If the British government says we are going to ignore the judgments, then we are going around the world telling other people how to run their countries and telling them they must be human rights compliant while setting an extremely bad example.

“The only way that the UK can be forced to enforce decisions by the court is if other countries insist [it does] and because they also have very bad records, some much worse than the UK, they are not going to put the pressure on.”

She said the Republic of Ireland was an exception and had raised the matter repeatedly.

The court accused the British authorities of violating the human rights of the victims.

The six killings in question are:

* the 1989 death of north Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, shot dead by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) at his home. The court said the investigation into his murder failed to examine effectively security force collusion allegations;

* the shooting dead of Pearse Jordan (23) in west Belfast in 1992 by police after he breached a security checkpoint;

* Gervaise McKerr (31), who died alongside two other IRA men in Co Armagh in 1982, unarmed when police shot them;

* Patrick Shanaghan (31) murdered by loyalist paramilitaries. His family also alleged the RUC colluded with those involved in the shooting;

* eight IRA men killed by the SAS at Loughgall, Co Armagh, in 1987, ambushed when they attempted to attack a police station. The court ruled they had their human rights violated after authorities failed to conduct proper investigations into the deaths. Those who died were: the east Tyrone IRA commander Patrick Kelly (32), Declan Arthurs (21), Seamus Donnelly (19), Michael Gormley (25), Eugene Kelly (25), James Lynagh (31), Patrick McKearney (32) and Gerard O’Callaghan (29);

* Dermot McShane (36), who died after an armoured British army vehicle drove into hoardings he was sheltering behind during disturbances in Derry in 1996.

A Northern Ireland office spokeswoman said: “The government has not ignored these judgments and has put together a very detailed package of measures to implement the findings of the court.

“The committee of ministers in Strasbourg has made clear in its assessment that the UK has now met many of the requirements of the judgments.

“We are continuing to work with the committee to resolve the outstanding issues.”

Irish Times
8 August 2008

TWO BROTHERS were remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday accused of murdering a man during a bloody loyalist paramilitary feud nearly eight years ago.

David Stewart (38) and Robert Stewart (34) were charged over the shooting of alleged UDA member Tommy English. The pair also faced another three charges each of membership of the Ulster Volunteer Force on dates between 1994 and this year.

Their case is the first to be brought to court by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET), a specialist police unit set up to investigate unsolved murders throughout the Northern conflict.

Mr English (40) was gunned down in front of his wife at their home on the Ballyduff Estate, Newtownabbey in October 2000. His killing was part of a shooting war between rival loyalist factions which claimed seven lives.

David Stewart, a social worker from Ballyearl Crescent, Newtownabbey; and Robert Stewart, Carntall Rise, Newtownabbey, spoke only to confirm they understood the charges during a brief court appearance.

A detective inspector investigating the case said she could connect them to the offences.

With no application for bail, District Judge Fiona Bagnall remanded both men in custody to appear again via video link on September 4th.

Irish Times
7 August 2008

Former SDLP leaders John Hume and Austin Currie are to be jointly honoured for their role in the Northern Ireland civil rights movement.

They will receive an award at the Humbert Summer School in Co Mayo later this month.

The ceremony in Ballina on August 21st is timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first marches held by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.

Nationalist protestors at a banned demonstration in Derry in 1968 were baton-charged by the RUC and TV pictures were beamed around the world to shocked audiences.

Two days of rioting in nationalist areas of Derry followed before the unionist-dominated government announced a series of reforms to help end discrimination against nationalists in public services and other areas.

Humbert Summer School director John Cooney said Mr Hume and Mr Currie both worked through the difficult times of paramilitary violence to lay the foundations of peace.

“They are two leaders of our time whose contribution to the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland has never been fully recognised,” Mr Cooney added. “They made many selfless sacrifices for the cause including putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk.”

Mr Hume and Mr Currie will each receive an especially-commissioned Humbert Human Rights Award sculpture by Co Mayo-based French craftsman Henri Hedou.

Speakers at the 22nd Humbert Summer School, which will focus on current social and political issues, include Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour deputy leader Joan Burton, Fianna Fáil TD Mary O’Rourke, Cori chief executive Fr Sean Healy and former Government press secretary PJ Mara.

The Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady is also due to give a keynote address in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland cathedral in nearby Killala.

The summer school commemorates French republican General Jean Joseph Humbert who sailed to Co Mayo with 1,100 soldiers during the 1798 Rebellion.