Friday, April 06, 2007
“I think this was a paramilitary-type operation carried out with paramilitary precision.”
The ongoing attacks in Ballymurphy, previously noted on Slugger, today saw a hijacked JCB digger being driven by masked men into an uninhabited house owned by Edith Notorantonio, a family whose properties have been repeatedly attacked. The attacks escalated following the murder of Gerard Devlin at the start of last year, a murder in which two members of the Notorantonio family were charged in Feb 2006, and has rumbled on in the background ever since. The house has now been declared unsafe and will be demolished, although the family have stated that they are determined to rebuild it. The Belfast Telegraph report is worth noting,
Gerard Devlin’s aunt Bernadette O’Rawe said: “The Devlin family had absolutely nothing to do with this. This has been carried out by someone who has a personal grudge against the Notorantonio’s.
“I think this was a paramilitary-type operation carried out with paramilitary precision. There is no way the children could have done this. It is very frightening that our family is being implicated in this.”
Pete Baker @ 09:52 PM
A new episode in this long running saga. It´s like the Capulates and the Montagues, but with scum.
Posted by on Apr 06, 2007 @ 10:19 PMPretty much sums it up.
Posted by on Apr 06, 2007 @ 10:23 PMLet’s be clear about this - the reason why the attacks had all but ended in recent months are down to two things.
Ryan Doyle, an innocent teenager getting almost burnt to death, and two of the main protaganists, Gary and Gerard, being taken into care.
What happens when one of the G’s get out for the weekend, the place goes ape shit.
Gerard Devlin didn’t deserve to die, but at the same time that doesn’t give his relatives carte blanche to attack homes!Posted by on Apr 06, 2007 @ 11:14 PMYou could be on to something here!
Maybe, at last, the process will come crashing down. Keep digging;)Posted by on Apr 06, 2007 @ 11:45 PMSinn Fein run this area. Why have they singularly failed to intervene and mediate a resolution to what appears to be an inter-family feud? Also surely now that the PSNI have the backing of Sinn Fein and the IRA, they will play a more pro-active role in policing the area.
Of course,Mrs Devlin may be right in her assertion that the Provos(who else?) are involved and taking sides. If she is right,I am sure the police will turn a blind eye and file the affair away under that burgeoning category “internal housekeeping"-for the sake of the blessed process.
It will then be interesting to see whether the DUP averts its gaze also.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 12:25 AMI ‘hotwired’ a digger and crashed it into the side of an unoccupied house when I was 11 years old. That and a few other incidents of vandalism got a double page spread in the local rag at the time. Gosh I was panicking enough over that, don’t know what I’d have done if it was picked up by the Tele, or God forbid the BBC or UTV.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 12:28 AMSF? Run this area?
People should report these criminals/murderers. End of. People are sick of the Notornotorious/BurnYe clan.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 12:43 AMIf anyone was lucky enough to be in the Gravediggers a few nights back they’d have witnessed a Notorantonio wake. Which of course ended with various members of the family going at each with bottles on the street outside.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 08:47 AMSean,
Sinn Fein efforts by Sinn Fein to mediate have proven unsuccessful due to the entrenched positions of both sides. That is all that Sinn Fein has done and can do.Time for the police to take a more pro-active role.
Your less than subtle linkage of this needless family feud to the political situation at Stormont is risible, ridiculous and tenuous in the extreme.Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 09:11 AMStinky Wicket,
I see you remain the voice of sweet reason , heedlesss of the fact that you have recently had
posts removed by Slugger admin and besn given a yellow card for personally abusing me and alleging that I had paramilitary connections. Keep it up;the red cannot be too far away.Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 09:39 AMSean, I have never urged anyone to take violent action against anyone, elected representatives or otherwise.It is a pity for you that you cannot say the same.
I have found these exchanges with you to be increasingly tedious and I apologise on your behalf to Mick and other contributors for the ennui and boredom inflicted on them
I will close your futile dialogue with a plea to you-Let’s stick to the issues!L
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:01 AMPS To Sticky Wicker,
My substantive point was that such micro issues can soon have macro implications in the small world that is Northern Ireland.
One wonders why Sinn Fein are so impotent to influence the situation in this case - as you say they are. One wonders like Mrs Devlin whether the Provos were involved. And therefore one wonders what the wider political ramifications may be, if indeed they are.
“Risible” or reasonable? I will let other posters decide.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:06 AMconfused here-Where does Mrs. O’Rawe (not Devlin) mention the provos?
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:19 AMPPS To Sticky Wicket,
I have been trying to keep to the issues as my post above demonstrates.
The fact is, that I have been informed by Mick Fealty that a number of your posts were pulled because of your personal abuse of me which included the dangerous allegation that I was a paramilitary- just because I happened to concur with the Workers Party position on powersharing in the 70’s. My joke about the people of the Shankill “reaching out” to Gerry Adams was perhaps a touch tasteless. But he is a big boy and can defend himself.
You have been shown the yellow card for this abusive trolling and should do the right thing and apologise to me as well as Slugger Admin.
If you do apologise to me, then I will draw a line under the whole business and we can focus on reasonable political debate in the true spirit of Slugger O’Toole. I might even invite you to go for a pint ( but not in a Workers Party or Sinn Fein club)!
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:25 AMRoisin,
The Provos are the dominant force in the area. I feel that it is not an unreasonable interpretation of Mrs O’Rawe’s comment that it was them to whom she was referring.
After all they have honed their demolition skills and night-time attacks over four decades. If it was the Provos, then that would explain Sinn Fein’s (and their new friends in the PSNI’s)impotence in the whole sordid affair.
Sean.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:38 AM‘Sinn Fein run this area.’
That is a lie, SF don’t run any areas.
‘Why have they singularly failed to intervene and mediate a resolution to what appears to be an inter-family feud?’
Intervention and representation was made to both families. An agreement that some members of both families vacate the area was initally taken up by both families. This agreement was broken and ended in the murder of Gerard Devlin.
‘Also surely now that the PSNI have the backing of Sinn Fein and the IRA, they will play a more pro-active role in policing the area.’
Should be the case, but the PSNI stated they had expended vast resouces in the area. The feud continued.
‘Of course,Mrs Devlin may be right in her assertion that the Provos(who else?) are involved and taking sides.’
Mrs Devlin did not make this assertion, that is a lie. Who elese? how about the Real IRA, there are family connections or indeed the INLA or even the CIRA who have been bloodily active in North and West Belfast in recent weeks.
‘I am sure the police will turn a blind eye and file the affair away under that burgeoning category “internal housekeeping"-for the sake of the blessed process.’
Attempts to shift the blame away from these two families will not wash. It is they who brought death, violence and embarrassment to that area, no one elese.
‘It will then be interesting to see whether the DUP averts its gaze also.’
What have the DUP got to do with two criminally violent families hellbent on mutual destruction?
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:41 AMSinn Fein runs this area?
Your dalliance with the Workers Party is showing—Sinn Fen no more ‘run’ Ballymurphy than they do any other part of Belfast. If Sinn Fein did indeed ‘run’ this area then this appalling feud conducted by two equally despicable groups of people would be long over.
Point of order: just because Mick censured another poster for making a reasonable extrapolation based on your comments, doesn’t mean you can go around lecturing to the rest of us about what we can and can’t say on here.
Again, your WP credentials are showing.
Finally, you better get used to the idea of Sinn Fein in government and that government proving robust. You’ll trouble less people with you il-thought out axe-grinding views.
and you’ll sleep better.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:52 AM“Risible” or reasonable? I will let other posters decide.’’
Sorry Sean but I think you now know the verdict
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:55 AMSean,
One wonders why Sinn Fein are so impotent to influence the situation in this case - as you say they are.
What would they do - start shooting people ? And thus abruptly terminate the recent political progress here ? Your suggestions that Mrs O’Rawe said that the Provos were involved is jumping conclusions, given that (as Pat has said) the dissidents have been busy lately. The CIRA in particular are particularly visible in North Belfast.
I don’t think the idea that Sinn Fein “run” neighbourhoods these days is something that people can realistically claim. The IRA can’t be seen to be taking action over anything - and what would they do anyway, start shooting people and make the whole thing even worse ?
I’d like to see the new executive bringing in some of the UK legislation on dealing with problem families, as it sounds like a very simple case of a group of human beings who resemble wild animals going at each other to the death. I hope the PSNI catch and prosecute those caught involved in this to the fullest extent of the law.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 10:59 AMPat McLarnon:-
“SF don’t run any areas”.
Where have you been the past thirty years Pat?
OK, for the sake of strict and pedantic exactitude let’s substitute PSF/PIRA FOR “Sinn Fein” and we now have the identity of those who run this area and many others.The role of the PSNI?
My point about the PSNI was that their job should in theory be easier if they now have the support of PSF/PIRA. But, what if, in actuality, PSF/PIRA (or PIRA solo) were behind the demolition of the house? Then it is not unreasonable to assume that the police will turn a blind eye.Where do the DUP come in?
As you know, they will shortly be running the whole area of the six counties along with PSF on the basis that PIRA has transmogrified into a Stickiefied old comrades drinking club. Clearly one would expect that the DUP will not be well pleased if it turns out that PIRA are still active in the illegal demolition of social housing stock.Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 11:03 AMHe’s right. Everyone, the man is right.
The IRA demolished that house in Ballymurphy - they did it because, er, uh...um, the people had stood up to them cos they run the area like.
It was an action sanctioned at an emergency meeting of the Army Council late on Wedensday night. It was a close decision, 4 to 3 in favour.
It was breathtakingly professional operation, many months in planning, the acquisition of the digger was carried out with clockwork precision.
Seanzcars knows a lot about these ‘republican areas’ much more than me and I actually live in one (whatever they are!)
And he’s bang on the money that the whole rotten edifice at Stormont is going to come crashing down on the word of Bernadette O Rawe who was the first to point the finger and say it was the --, er, who did she say it was again.
Doesn’t matter. Seanzzzzzzzzzz has spoken....
Now, you’ve done really well there my boy. The Easter bunny is sure to be kind to you tomorrow.
Tell you what, why don’t you come on here then and tell us all how many Easter eggs you got. Eh?
Cue:
‘MIIIICCCCKKK! They’re making fun of me again… Waaaaaaaah!’
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 11:16 AM‘Where have you been the past thirty years Pat?’
North Belfast.
‘OK, for the sake of strict and pedantic exactitude let’s substitute PSF/PIRA FOR “Sinn Fein” and we now have the identity of those who run this area and many others.’
Have a presence, yes. Have the support of most of the people, yes. In normal political circumstances the ability to effect pressure on two families with access to weapons and an intent on murder, no.
‘My point about the PSNI was that their job should in theory be easier if they now have the support of PSF/PIRA. But, what if, in actuality, PSF/PIRA (or PIRA solo) were behind the demolition of the house? Then it is not unreasonable to assume that the police will turn a blind eye.’
My point being that the PSNI stated they had expended vast sums of money on manpower during the violence. Yet incidents took place not far from stationary PSNI vehicles. You offer the fantasy of IRA involvement in the attack on the house, without one iota of evidence and then base an argument on this fantasy about the PSNI turning a blind eye. Let’s be clear no one wants to get involved in this hate fest
‘As you know, they will shortly be running the whole area of the six counties along with PSF on the basis that PIRA has transmogrified into a Stickiefied old comrades drinking club.’
That is a basis borne out in your own mindest, not based on any realities.
‘Clearly one would expect that the DUP will not be well pleased if it turns out that PIRA are still active in the illegal demolition of social housing stock.’
Again an argument based on a fantasy.
Throughout all of your posts you fail to apportion the blame on this sorry affair at the feet of the people who are responsible, that is those two families. Instrad you go off on a very transparent political witch hunt, based on nothing more than your interpretation of what one of the parties to this violent hate fests states.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 11:17 AM‘MIIIICCCCKKK! They’re making fun of me again… Waaaaaaaah!’
Neatly summed up indeed. Keep those cards in your pocket, Mick!
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 11:29 AM‘The Kids couldnt have done it themsleves?’
All it took was one person and an excavator. Some of the local kids have managed to do quite a good job of stealing various vehicles and demolishing bits of this area over the last 30 years, so why should now be any different?
‘Its just a dispute between two families?’
Yeah - but with a bit of factional republican politics and some links to criminal activies thrown into the mix.
If people want it sort they should call in the police, give evidence and get those responsible locked up. That’s what happens in many other places but they now have a real chance to do it and take back their community from the scum who do these sort of things. If they dont, it will go on and on and on.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 11:56 AMThis feud has been going on for years with these two sets of inbred scum.
Have none of them received punishment beatings yet. Or are these the people that used to dish them out.
Posted by on Apr 07, 2007 @ 12:29 PM
