THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

THE CAREFUL PREPARATION OF EVIDENCE BY GARDAI :

There are copious examples of the Gardai having meticulously prepared their evidence for the Sallins mail train robbery trial ; these are in the book of evidence which contain the statements made by all the Gardai involved in the case , and the similarity of these statements is such as to suggest that there was a great deal of co-ordination of Garda evidence .

Take for instance the statements of several Gardai in relation to Michael Plunkett (one of those arrested) who was acquitted at an early stage during the trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin : take the statement of Garda A (we have been legally advised that we should not name the Gardai at this stage in our presentation) -

‘ As we moved away from Harcourt Terrace (Garda Station) , Michael Plunkett said “You fixed that nicely” , and (Garda B) said to him ” Is it not true that you were free and you asked to go back to collect property ” and Plunkett said “That’s right” . (Garda D) then said ” I don’t know what you’re talking about , but I can assure you one thing - we fixed nothing , what are you talking about anyway ? ”

Plunkett replied - ” A man in there has identified me as being one of the men in his home on the night of the robbery .” (Garda D) said ” Is that so? ” , and (Garda A) then said to Plunkett - ” It was you who delayed leaving the station .” Plunkett replied - ” That’s right , it’s my hard luck , I am finished after that .” They then had a general conversation after that … ‘ That was Garda A’s statement : three more Gardai gave statements and it is worth comparing the similarity of these…….
(MORE LATER).

A PEOPLE’S ARMY …….
‘IRIS’ magazine talks to two active women Volunteers in the Irish Republican Army about their involvement , their political attitudes , and their observations on the role played by women in the liberation struggle. Both Volunteers are from the Free State , where they live , and are in their twenties . ‘Mary’ comes from a country area and has been in the IRA for six years ; ‘Anne’ comes from the city and joined the IRA about a year ago .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982.

‘IRIS’ magazine : ” How has your IRA involvement changed your personal outlook ? “

MARY : ” It has made me more conscious of other struggles and oppressive regimes all over the world , and of the need to fight all forms of oppression . ”

ANNE : ” It’s made me realise that you don’t have to accept things as they are . For instance , I see how more a politically uninvolved friend of mine is inclined to say - ‘ Well , what can you do about it ? That’s the way things are…’ My attitude is : ‘ Here’s what you can do..’ It’s just a matter of saying ‘I am not going to put up with this ‘ . ”
(MORE LATER).

NEW DEPARTURES FOR SINN FEIN ?
Sinn Fein’s recent election success in the North of Ireland have focussed attention on the Provisionals’ new turn to political activity at local level . There have been parallel developments in the organisation in the 26 counties .
‘GRALTON’ magazine spoke to Paddy Bolger , Ard Comhairle member and National Organiser for Sinn Fein ,with special responsibility for Dublin , about the changed perspective .
From ‘GRALTON’ magazine , August/September 1983 .

‘GRALTON’ magazine : ” We have heard a lot about Sinn Fein’s more serious involvement in constituency work in the North . Is there something similar happening in the 26 Counties ? Are you now planning for the local and European elections next year ? “

PADDY BOLGER : ” There have been major developments in our political appreciation of the situation in the country over the last few years . The basis of this is the realisation that military action and political action purely in support of that were not sufficient , to build a base even for national liberation and the realisation that sloganising about socialism and relating it to a vision of a better future and to some magical formula which would work itself out when the British withdrew , were not a sound basis on which to build a conscious mass movement . (’1169…’ Comment - can a [revolutionary] “mass movement” be built on actions such as joining and supporting the RUC/PSNI and all that such a move entails ?)

The developments that have taken place in the movement are general , and not confined to the North . A lot is due to the fact that the people who were young activists in the early 1970’s , some of them in the late 1960’s , have by a natural progression moved into more prominent positions . (’1169… ‘ Comment - …. and , obviously , developed a taste for “prominent positions” , regardless of where such positions are located!) For the first time in decades , republicans have had the opportunity through this long struggle , on a sound minimum basis , to develop our politics not abstractly but in experience . ” (’1169…’ Comment - ‘republican politics’ never included jettisoning core principles in order to make the organisation more politically ‘attractive’ to its opponents.)
(MORE LATER).

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

The Gardai against whom allegations of ill-treatment were made against in relation to the Sallins mail train robbery are :
Detective Garda Thomas Ibar Dunne / Detective Garda Michael Finn / Detective Garda Kieran P. Lawlor / Detective Sergeant Patrick F. Cleary / Detective Sergeant Patrick Culhane / Detective Garda Patrick Raftery / Detective Sergeant John J. McGroarty / Detective Garda Fitzgerald / Detective Inspector Murphy / Detective Inspector John Courtney /

Detective Superintendent Francis Campbell / Detective Garda William Maher / Detective Garda Thomas Boland / Detective Garda Joseph Egan / Detective Garda John Jordan / Detective Garda Felix McKenna / Detective Inspector Edward Ryan / Detective Garda John Hegarty and Detective Sergeant Cavanan .

It is important for us to establish at this stage that we are not alleging that all Gardai who gave evidence perjured themselves , nor are we alleging that the 19 Gardai against whom allegations of ill-treatment were made were in fact each guilty of ill-treatment . It is quite possible - indeed , quite likely - that many of the Gardai who gave evidence knew nothing about what was going on .

Furthermore it is both quite possible and quite likely that many of the Gardai accused of ill-treatment were in fact innocent of the charge . But what we are saying is that it seems certain that a significant number of Gardai did perjure themselves during the course of the trial…….
(MORE LATER).

A PEOPLE’S ARMY …….
‘IRIS’ magazine talks to two active women Volunteers in the Irish Republican Army about their involvement , their political attitudes , and their observations on the role played by women in the liberation struggle. Both Volunteers are from the Free State , where they live , and are in their twenties . ‘Mary’ comes from a country area and has been in the IRA for six years ; ‘Anne’ comes from the city and joined the IRA about a year ago .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982.

‘IRIS’ magazine : ” Although as an organisation the IRA has a sound attitude to the role of women in the struggle , obviously the attitudes of some of its Volunteers mirror those of society in general . Do you think it reflects on their ability as Volunteers if men retain sexist attitudes towards women ? ”

MARY : ” It’s a terrible weakness in some male Volunteers . If they have sexist attitudes I quite honestly don’t think they should be Volunteers at all . It’s the same as any Volunteer taking a discriminatory line against any section of the community that’s already discriminated against . ”

ANNE : ” To me it would seem they do not understand the nature of the struggle , not just for a British withdrawal but for setting up a democratic socialist republic where men and women are equal . It is through the struggle that they should overcome their sexist attitudes . “
(MORE LATER).

” COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS …….”
Kerry Dougherty talks to Michael O’Riordan about fifty years of Irish Communism.
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine, June 1983 .

” People are going to find that they can’t keep patching up the capitalist system . It just isn’t patchable , ” says Michael O’ Riordan , ” Dick Spring thinks it is , but he’s going to find out otherwise . ”

The Irish communists are widely criticised for being the most Stalinist and pro-Soviet in the Western world . When asked whether that was an accurate description , Michael O’ Riordan replied : ” If I were asked that in a court of law where I had to answer I would plead guilty . Proudly guilty to being the most Stalinist . Make sure you put down that I said that with a smile ! “

An exhibition of photographs and paintings , depicting the history of Irish communism is now on display in the New Book Shop off Parliament Street in Dublin, and other anniversary activities include several lectures which are being scheduled through the shop .
[END of ‘COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS’]
(Next - ‘NEW DEPARTURES FOR SINN FEIN ?’ : from 1983)

“HISTORIC!”
“D-DAY!”
“BRIGHTER FUTURE!”

…….some of the words used today by those who gathered in a venue in Dublin 4 known as the ‘Royal Dublin Society ‘ to ‘debate’ (ie pass a motion) on how much support to give , for now , to a British ‘police force’ on Irish soil ! And they picked (and ‘packed…!) the venue well , as those who gathered there (some of whose leaders are pictured here , after the vote…!) are members of a Leinster House-registered political party which has an association with two ‘parliaments’ on Irish soil which were ‘established’ with the consent of British ‘Royals’ : Leinster House and Stormont.

In reality , what happened today is seen by this blog as simply another Leinster House political party (albeit one with a faint sniff of sulphur from it!) ‘playing [constitutional] ball’ with its buddies and financial backers in the various ‘establishments’ (ie Washington , London and Dublin) and attempting to become more ‘mainstream’ . They continue to insist that they are ‘rebels’ , ‘revolutionaries’ and ’socialists’ but , truth be told , they are, at best , trained house pets , politically and financially controlled and directed by Washington , London and Dublin . Their ranks are swollen with ‘angry nationalists’ who felt it safe to join them after they turned constitutional in 1986 rather than the SDLP and/or Fianna Fail , as both of those political parties had not been quick enough in obtaining ‘civil rights’ for them . And that, readers , is the objective of the PSF (’Please Stoop Further’) party - to secure a “brighter future” under British jurisdiction for Irish citizens living in the occupied Six Counties . And , of course , all the better when they will be comfortably salaried to do so by Westminster and Leinster House !
Ní Seoiníni Sinn Go Léir!

BLOODY SUNDAY PICKET , SATURDAY JANUARY 27, 2007 .

After a peaceful Civil Rights march on January 30 , 1972 - from Creggan to Free Derry Corner - units of the British army Parachute Regiment opened fire with automatic rifles and shot dead 13 unarmed civilians , injuring many more . It was later revealed that some days prior to the massacre , the British soldiers involved had been briefed to “…shoot to kill..” at the march .

” This Sunday became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ and bloody it was . It was quite unnecessary . It strikes me that the (British) army ran amok that day and shot without thinking of what they were doing . They were shooting innocent people . They may have been taking part in a parade which was banned , but that did not justify the troops coming in and firing live rounds indiscriminately . I would say without reservations that it was sheer unadulterated murder . It was murder , gentlemen . ”
- the words of British Major Hubert O’Neill , Derry City Coroner, at the conclusion of the inquests on the 13 people killed by the British Army .
Today , Saturday January 27 , a picket to mark the 35th Anniversary of that massacre will be held at the GPO in Dublin , from 12 Noon to 1.45pm . All welcome !

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

Amongst the Gardai involved in the course of the Sallins mail train robbery trial were :
Detective Sergeant Michael Egan / Garda Peter P. Cavanan / Detective Sergeant Bernard Cullen / Detective Garda Gerard O’ Carroll / Chief Superintendent Anthony McMahon / Garda A. Keane / Detective Garda Joseph Holland / Detective Garda John Jordan / Detective Inspector Richard Murphy / Detective Garda Michael Noonan / Sergeant Martin J. Dowling / Detective Sergeant Thomas Boland / Detective Garda Patrick Raftery /

Detective Sergeant Thomas King / Sergeant James Dolan / Garda James G. Keogh / Garda Brian McGauran / Garda Patrick Fitzgerald / Detective Garda J. Naughton / Detective Garda James Butler and Sergeant William John Fennessy .

There is another list - one which contains the names and rank of those members of the Gardai against whom allegations of ill-treatment were made : 19 names in all…….
(MORE LATER).

A PEOPLE’S ARMY …….
‘IRIS’ magazine talks to two active women Volunteers in the Irish Republican Army about their involvement , their political attitudes , and their observations on the role played by women in the liberation struggle. Both Volunteers are from the Free State , where they live , and are in their twenties . ‘Mary’ comes from a country area and has been in the IRA for six years ; ‘Anne’ comes from the city and joined the IRA about a year ago .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982.

‘IRIS’ magazine : ” It’s sometimes said (by women probably!) that , once involved , women make more dedicated revolutionaries than men because of their double oppression , the ’slaves of slaves’ . What do you think ? “

MARY : ” The way women are oppressed in our society would make me rebel against it . I can’t say there is usually any conscious effort on my part to link the war with the fight against women’s oppression , but the two are integrally related . I think it’s true that when male Volunteers are going out on an operation they have in one sense less to lose . Women have a home or the prospects of a home to lose (’1169…’ Comment - ….so have the male Volunteers !) and , if a male Volunteer is captured he still has his wife and family at home (’1169…’ Comment - …meaning what ? That a husband won’t ‘wait around’ ? Rubbish!) : so , yes -in a lot of cases I think women do make more dedicated revolutionaries . ” (’1169…’ Comment -…perhaps , in some cases , and perhaps not . But not for the reasons listed by ‘Mary’ .)

ANNE : ” I would agree with Mary in that the two struggles , national liberation and women’s liberation , are integrally related . From my own point of view I cannot say that I am more dedicated than the male Volunteers I work with . “
(MORE LATER).

” COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS …….”
Kerry Dougherty talks to Michael O’Riordan about fifty years of Irish Communism.
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine, June 1983 .

Although he is reluctant to speak of his own family , Michael O’ Riordan , who is a father and grandfather , admits that should any of his offspring develop a capitalistic leaning he would object as strongly as his parents had when he first became a communist - ” I’d send for a psychiatrist , ” he says .

To ensure that there will be a next generation of Irish communists , the party has started communist youth groups which serve as a sort of ‘communist boy scout’-organisation for the children of party members . For these up-and-coming young communists , Mr O’ Riordan says he believes they will have a more active role to play in history than did his generation which was plagued by the Cold War .

The fact that 66 years after the Russian Revolution there is a growing global trend toward socialist states encourages him in his hopes for Irish communism…….
(MORE LATER).

BLOODY SUNDAY PICKET , SATURDAY JANUARY 27, 2007 .

After a peaceful Civil Rights march on January 30 , 1972 - from Creggan to Free Derry Corner - units of the British army Parachute Regiment opened fire with automatic rifles and shot dead 13 unarmed civilians , injuring many more . It was later revealed that some days prior to the massacre , the British soldiers involved had been briefed to “…shoot to kill..” at the march .

” This Sunday became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ and bloody it was . It was quite unnecessary . It strikes me that the (British) army ran amok that day and shot without thinking of what they were doing . They were shooting innocent people . They may have been taking part in a parade which was banned , but that did not justify the troops coming in and firing live rounds indiscriminately . I would say without reservations that it was sheer unadulterated murder . It was murder , gentlemen . ”
- the words of British Major Hubert O’Neill , Derry City Coroner, at the conclusion of the inquests on the 13 people killed by the British Army .
On Saturday , January 27 next , a picket to mark the 35th Anniversary of that massacre will be held at the GPO in Dublin , from 12 Noon to 1.45pm . All welcome !

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

Amongst the Gardai involved in the course of the Sallins mail train robbery trial were :

Garda Noel Ryan / Garda Philip Bowe / Sergeant John M. Freeman / Garda James Galvin / Superintendent Patrick Casey / Detective Garda Thomas Fitzgerald / Detective Garda O. Fitzsimons / Detective Inspector John Murphy / Garda Noel McGuire / Garda Joseph Calnan / Detective Sergeant P.F. Cleary / Detective Sergeant Joseph Collins / Detective Sergeant John J. McGroarty / Detective Garda Michael Mullen /

Detective Garda Patrick Waters / Detective Inspector James McPartland / Detective Garda Fintan Dunne / Detective Sergeant Patrick Byrne / Detective Garda Patrick Looby / Garda George Callanan / Garda Francis King / Garda Eric Lynch / Sergeant M. Purtill / Sergeant Carey / Detective Garda John Jordan / Garda John Hyland / Garda Patrick J. Delaney / Garda Joseph Callanan / Garda Alphonsus King / Ex-Superintendent Patrick Flaherty /
(MORE LATER).

A PEOPLE’S ARMY …….
‘IRIS’ magazine talks to two active women Volunteers in the Irish Republican Army about their involvement , their political attitudes , and their observations on the role played by women in the liberation struggle. Both Volunteers are from the Free State , where they live , and are in their twenties . ‘Mary’ comes from a country area and has been in the IRA for six years ; ‘Anne’ comes from the city and joined the IRA about a year ago .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982.

‘IRIS’ magazine : ” Since you joined the IRA , have you been allowed to play an equal role alongside male Volunteers ? “

MARY : ” Yes , very much so . Everyone just has to do the job , there’s never any question of ‘oh , we’ll have to leave her at home’ . “

ANNE : ” Since I joined the Army I have been allowed to play an equal role with the rest of the Volunteers in my unit . I’d expect it to be so . I received the same amount of training as my comrades did , so why should I take less risks than them ? It wouldn’t be fair to them or me . ”
(MORE LATER).

” COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS …….”
Kerry Dougherty talks to Michael O’Riordan about fifty years of Irish Communism.
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine, June 1983 .

To Michael O’ Riordan and the other old-timers in the Communist Party , these seemingly small changes in public attitudes towards the party are the things they point to when asked to cite their major accomplishments . They admit that trying to promote communism , in one of the most Catholic and conservative nations in the West , has not always been easy :

” If you look at our members you’ll find a lot of older people , about my age , and quite a few young members , but we did miss out on the middle-aged . They were all scared away by the Cold War ,” he says . His own baptism into communism is interesting - especially considering he was born into a devout Catholic family in Cork in 1917 . By the age of 17 he had read James Connolly - whom he calls the first Irish communist - and was won over by the man’s beliefs .

In 1934 , over the protestations of his parents , young Michael O’ Riordan came to Dublin and joined the fledging Communist Party of Ireland : three years later he left Ireland to fight in the Spanish Civil War, returned when the war was over and devoted the next 40 years promoting the Communist cause in Ireland…….
(MORE LATER).

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

PERJURY BY SOME OF THE 82 :
In the course of the Sallins mail train robbery trial a total of 82 Gardai gave evidence - allegations of ill-treatment were made against 19 of them : every one of them denied ill-treating any of the accused or being in any way aware that any of the accused were ill-treated by other Gardai . The Gardai who gave evidence in the trial were :

Garda John Murphy / Detective Garda Thomas Connolly / Garda Pierce Freaney / Detective Garda James Grehan / Detective Garda Michael Drew / Detective Garda William Maher / Detective Garda Adrian O’ Hara / Garda Thomas B. Fitzgerald / Detective Superintendent John Courtney / Detective Inspector Edward Ryan / Sergeant William Ryan / Assistant Commissioner John P. Fleming / Detective Sergeant Patrick Culhane / Detective Garda Joseph Egan / Chief Superintendent John J. Joy .

Garda James Heffernan / Superintendent Hubert Reynolds / Detective Garda Gabriel McCarthy / Detective Inspector F.J. Campbell / Detective Garda Thomas Ibar Dunne / Detective Garda Kieran P. Lawlor / Detective Garda Felix McKenna / Detective Inspector Myles P. Hawkshaw / Detective Inspector Cavanan / Sergeant Patrick Bohan / Detective Sergeant Patrick J. Sullivan / Sergeant Luke Padden / Detective Garda Michael Finn / Detective Inspector Vincent McGrath / Superintendent Patrick Casey .
(MORE LATER).

A PEOPLE’S ARMY .
‘IRIS’ magazine talks to two active women Volunteers in the Irish Republican Army about their involvement , their political attitudes , and their observations on the role played by women in the liberation struggle. Both Volunteers are from the Free State , where they live , and are in their twenties . ‘Mary’ comes from a country area and has been in the IRA for six years ; ‘Anne’ comes from the city and joined the IRA about a year ago .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982.

‘IRIS’ magazine : “First of all , could you explain why you got involved in the republican struggle ?”

Anne : ” As I didn’t come from a republican family it wasn’t until I was 19 that I first began to identify with the Republican Movement , and that was mainly through meeting people who explained why there was a war taking place in the North . When I realised the degree of oppression there was , and the fact that it was primarily the IRA that was opposing it , I felt I should do something to help . Gradually I became more involved and decided to join the Army .”

Mary : “For me it was different because I come from an extremely republican area and from a republican family , so I never thought twice about becoming involved . I was aware of Free State repression as well as Brit repression in the North . First of all I was approached about joining Cumann na mBan, but there were a group of us getting involved at the time , boys and girls , and we all knew each other and went round with each other , and we thought why should any of us be different . We thought we should all be in the same army , so there was a conscious decision on my part to join the IRA rather than Cumann na mBan . “
(MORE LATER).

” COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS …….”
Kerry Dougherty talks to Michael O’Riordan about fifty years of Irish Communism.
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine, June 1983 .

Not only were Irish communists denounced by the Catholic Church but they were followed by the Special Branch and listened to through phone taps .

” Back in the fifties the Church said you couldn’t even read a party paper , ” he recalls with a smile . ” When I ran for Leinster House back in 1951 - in the Dublin South-West constituency - the Bishop declared that to vote for O’ Riordan was a mortal sin ! Times have changed , however , and today you have priests fighting side by side with the communists in El Salvador and no-one ever blesses themselves when they see me coming down the street and believe me , they used to do that ! “

Michael O’ Riordan says he knew for certain things had changed when he was asked to address a group of priests and nuns in Maynooth about communism recently . The only problem he encountered was what to call the assembled ; as a communist , he couldn’t , in good conscience , greet the group with references to Church hierarchy , and he feared they would be offended if he simply called them comrades . ” So I settled on ‘comrades , sisters and brothers…’ ” , he says with a smile…….
(MORE LATER).

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

The following has been established so far -

* That the Garda applied for a remand back into Garda custody , in spite of the fact that senior officers were aware that very serious allegations were being made about Garda ill-treatment of these men over the previous few days .
* That the application for remand into Garda custody was highly unusual as was the application for a remand for one day .
* That the only plausible explanation for the remand into Garda custody was to establish a scenario whereby it could be alleged later that the accused came by their injuries other than at the hands of the Gardai .

Our contention is that there is persuasive evidence that Osgur Breathnach , Nicky Kelly and Brian McNally were ill-treated by Gardai - the evidence goes far beyond raising a reasonable doubt about the ‘voluntary nature’ of their self-incriminating statements , and it is in the light of this established contention that the evidence of the Gardai in the course of this trial in the (State) Special Criminal Court must be viewed . In the course of the trial a total of 82 Gardai gave evidence ; we name those Gardai , and give their rank at the time…….
(MORE LATER).

SPORTING NATIONALISM …….
A look at the political origins of the GAA .
By ‘Celt’ .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982 .

On the topic of Irish unity , the GAA says : ” Since she has not control of all the national territory , Ireland’s claim to nationhood is impaired . Until complete nationhood is achieved , the association must continue to maintain an all-embracing , patriotic spirit . This national side of the GAA , and its dedication to the ideal of an Irish-Ireland , must be kept to the forefront at all times .

To the youth of Ireland , a knowledge of the circumstances in which the GAA was founded , of the part it played in the years before the Rising of 1916 , of the share its members had in the fight for freedom , is merely knowledge of their own inheritance and should not be withheld from them . ”

Is the GAA then purely a sporting body for activities like running , hurling and football ? Emphatically not ! Both historically and by its own declaration it has aligned itself with the cause of full national sovereignty . What future role it may play in the present liberation struggle is a subject of speculation , but its members have not been slow in years gone past * to direct their energies in the cause of freedom . (’1169…’ Comment * …. “in years gone past..” , yes . But , today , the GAA gives the impression that it feels itself to be in ‘hock’ , financially and morally , to the State administration and the assorted suited leeches and ‘yes men’ that comprise the so-called ‘establishment’ in this corrupt State . The GAA has sullied its own name in that regard .)
[END of ‘SPORTING NATIONALISM’]
(Next - ‘A PEOPLE’S ARMY’ : from 1982)

” COMRADES , BROTHERS AND SISTERS .”
Kerry Dougherty talks to Michael O’Riordan about fifty years of Irish Communism.
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine, June 1983 .

The Communist Party of Ireland celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this month in its headquarters in the ‘New Books’ Shop, near Parliament Street in Dublin . In the half century of its existence the party has presumably made some gains in membership - although numbers are secret - but it has failed to stand a single successful candidate in general elections North or South and has had little impact on the political , economic or social life of Ireland .

Why has the party remained so small and insignificant while other socialist parties have been born , grown and even elected candidates to Leinster House ? “The question should be , how did we survive at all over the past fifty years , ” says Michael O’ Riordan, the 66 year-old General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ireland, who has been a member since 1934 : ” When you look at the Cold War - the years from 1948 until just about five years ago - it is a wonder we were able to exist at all . ”

Placing his considerable bulk into a wobbly office chair in the meeting room behind the party book store , Michael O’ Riordan recalled the dark days when the United States and the Soviet Union seemed poised for war and when ‘communist’ was a dirty word . Ireland then had its own form of ‘red-baiting’ in the guise of the Catholic Church…….
(MORE LATER).

THE SEEDS OF A POLICE STATE …….
There is substantial evidence that a major crime was perpetrated within the Garda Siochana five years ago .
The evidence for this crime has certainly been available to senior Gardai ever since then , but no enquiry whatsoever has taken place , let alone any Garda being disciplined in connection with that crime .
By Vincent Browne and Derek Dunne .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , September 1983 .

The 1977 Amnesty International report into alleged Garda mistreatment of ’suspects’ meant that in no sense could the allegations of Osgur Breathnach , Brian McNally and Nicky Kelly be regarded as unique : there was a good deal of evidence that the Gardai were ill-treating ’suspects’ almost as a matter of routine at the time .

In fact a delegation of senior Garda officers went to Garret FitzGerald in 1977 - he was then (State) Foreign Minister . They told him about their concern about what was happening and FitzGerald then raised the issue with the then (State) Taoiseach , Liam Cosgrave, but nothing more was done , although FitzGerald did threaten to resign .

SUMMARY OF THE CASE SO FAR :
The following has been established so far -
* That Osgur Breathnach suffered injuries and he could have come by those injuries only at the hands of the Gardai , for he was not in the company of anybody else during his period of detention in Garda custody , and his injuries could not have been self-inflicted .
* That Nicky Kelly and Brian McNally suffered injuries while in Garda custody but there was an opportunity for them to have inflicted injuries on themselves or have had them inflicted by colleagues as they were remanded into Garda custody , following their being charged in the (State) District Court on the evening of April 7 , 1976 .
* That there was independent evidence of there having been screaming in the Bridewell Garda station during the period in question…….
(MORE LATER).

SPORTING NATIONALISM …….
A look at the political origins of the GAA .
By ‘Celt’ .
From ‘IRIS’ magazine , November 1982 .

The funerals of the ‘Young Ireland’ leader , Gavan Duffy, and the Fenian leaders , James Stephens and John O’ Leary, were well attended by GAA personnel marching in military formation , carrying hurling sticks as substitutes for rifles .

With the establishment of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 , the GAA was again to play an active role : typically , one of those at the inaugural meeting of this organisation - which , within three years , was to take the fight to the British crown forces - was the then Secretary-General of the GAA , Luke O’ Toole. This political contribution , and the GAA’s distinctly political separatist philosophy , is well reflected in the introductory remarks to the GAA’s official rule book : ” Those who play Gaelic games and organise its activities see in the GAA a means of consolidating our Irish identity . The games to them are more than games - they are part of the full national ideal which envisages the speaking of our own language , the buying of Irish goods and the promotion of native music and dances .”

The GAA - at that time , at least , if not now - held strong views on the issue of Irish unity , and was not afraid to voice those views…….
(MORE LATER).

THE PROVOS AT THE BALLOT BOX …….
By Michael Farrell .
From ‘MAGILL’ magazine , June 1983 .

Both the SDLP and Sinn Fein seem assured of one seat each - in Foyle and West Belfast . Both have a good chance of a second seat - in South Down and Mid-Ulster , and the SDLP has some chance of a third seat in Armagh-Newry . But one - or two - seats and a half share of the nationalist vote will satisfy Sinn Fein .

Sinn Fein have come a long way in the two years since Bobby Sands won a Westminster seat and died three weeks later, and they are making progress towards their objective of ousting the SDLP by 1985 .

Officials in London and Dublin will have to start thinking seriously about what they will do if , in two or three years time , they have to deal with Sinn Fein , rather than the SDLP , as the majority voice of the nationalist population in the North of Ireland .

[END OF ‘THE PROVOS AT THE BALLOT BOX’]
(Next - ‘ Comrades , Brothers and Sisters’ : from 1983)