Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Truth lies buried in grounds of St Matthews…
WHAT prompted British spy Denis Donaldson to betray his IRA comrades has been a matter of speculation ever since his murder. But the theories always fitted neatly with Sinn Fein’s post-Agreement narrative. However, an extract from a book published more than a decade ago suggests that Sinn Fein has attempted to bury the truth about one of the IRA’s most famous gun battles, as well as the memory of an innocent man killed by a comrade he never had.
For most, the Donaldson shoplifting story never rung true, and I could not comment about stories about his suspected affairs. However, another story, which emerged at the weekend, has cast doubt on the accepted story - one which explodes the myth of the IRA’s legendary defence of St Matthews church in the Short Strand from a loyalist mob.
The mainstream republican version tells of a heroic defence of the Catholic church by Donaldson and the formative Provisionals, in which ‘IRA Volunteer’ Henry McIlhone (pictured) lost his life and the Provos emerged as a fighting force after previous accusations of cowardice.
But McIlhone was never in the IRA, according to his family. Tirghra (Sinn Fein’s ‘role of honour‘) describes him as ‘Oglach (Volunteer) Henry McIlhone’ but adds that “although not a member of the IRA, Henry McIlhone was included on the Republican Roll of Honour as a mark of respect for a great Irish man by Republican Comrades who fought alongside him in the defense of Short Strand.” It doesn’t say whether it was one of those same comrades who filled him with bullets. An Phoblacht simply referred to him as “IRA Volounteer Henry McIlhone” in an account of the gunfight, and lists him as “Vol Henry McIlhone” of the 3rd Battalion elsewhere. His family’s fight for compensation, mentioned in entry 32 of Lost Lives, in which a judge overturned police evidence, suggests otherwise.
For the five years they could keep the truth hidden, the RUC and IRA found the common lie they shared of mutual benefit. The police may well have used the information to recruit Donaldson. While the IRA must have suspected his vulnerability, protecting the narrative was more important than admitting that Donaldson may have killed his comrade. And so he rose through the republican ranks, all the while helping the other side.
Pete has already blogged the new account from the Historical Enquiries Team, but what hasn’t been revealed before and adds weight to the McIlhone family’s belief that he was neither an IRA gunman nor a victim of the loyalist mob is this important account in Tony Geraghty’s book The Irish War.
Geraghty wrote that “[L]ocal Catholics, close eye-witnesses of events that night, have since told me that McIlhone was actually killed in a battle accident by one of his own side, a diminutive man incapable of controlling the swing of his Thompson sub-machine-gun once he pulled the trigger. The accident apparently occurred as the IRA men were ordered to withdraw tactically. The man with the Thompson was several feet behind McIlhone.”
There is no doubt that Donaldson was a “diminutive” man. Others can say whether Billy McKee was, and I doubt Joe O’Donnell ever was. If a teenage Jim Gibney was ever of such a tiny stature, I’m sure it will form the basis of another anodyne column in the Irish News. But, according to a family friend, McIlhone’s widow “refused an IRA funeral and fought tooth and nail to get his name taken off the republican roll of honour. IRA men told his sons they had fought beside Henry. The family are very pleased that the HET have finally cleared his name”.
So when Gerry Adams mentioned in passing in ‘Before the Dawn’, while leading a “crazy life“, that McIlhone was a volunteer (p140), it would seem that the events being remembered were only in the minds of those concerned with creating a certain republican narrative based on lies. McIlhone was not an IRA man. Donaldson’s motivation for becoming a spy seems more likely to have been to keep his accidental killing of McIlhone a secret, than any other theory put forward.
Like Donaldson, Sinn Fein’s job since 1970 has been to enforce a view that portrays mainstream republicanism in a particular light. As it becomes clearer that their version of events was false, and as new historical narratives like the O’Rawe account of the Hunger Strike emerge, one wonders how long the party line will hold.
Belfast Gonzo @ 10:20 AM
How long will the party line hold?
I imagine the bookmakers have odds now.Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 11:59 AMNever mind why Sinn Five behave the way they do - we all know the answer to that - why do their voters behave like such sheep? That’s the thing that has always puzzled me. I mean, if I sincerely belieevd what Sinn Fein claim to believe in, then learnt the truth about Sinn Five, I’d, from a Republican point of view, just be too ashamed to vote for them. Still, MOPE is as MOPE does I suppose.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:08 PMI’d be embarrassed to be a Sinn Fein politician this weather. It’ll be interesting to see how they avoid this?
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:22 PMGerraghty’s book came out quite some time ago.
Even if what he says is true, and it may be, it doesn’t change the fact that the defense of st mathews gave the Provos some respect and backing as in the wider Catholic community. No one is disputing McIhone was one of the defenders.
I doubt that this is what caused Donaldson to become an informer. It wasn’t murder, let alone manslaughter. He was shooting to hold off a bloodthirsty mob and accidently hit one of his own men in the confusino. Sure, it would be embarassing but I don’t think this is what pushed him to be a spy.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:28 PM“Donaldson’s motivation for becoming a spy seems more likely to have been to keep his accidental killing of McIlhone a secret, than any other theory put forward.”
Really? I seem to be having some difficulty with this line of reasoning. Would you care to walk me through it, please. Slowly now, if you don’t mind.
Who was it that Donaldson so desperately needed to keep this “secret” from that he choose to become a paid informer in order to protect it?
The IRA? They surely already knew and were keen as Donaldson to keep it secret (so you say).
McIlhone’s family? But the IRA (so says Clarke and Gonzo agrees) were already complicit with Donaldson in keeping the “secret” from the family.
The RUC? Donaldson keeps the “secret” by admitting it to the RUC so they can blackmail him into becoming an informer under threat of revealing the secret - to whom? To the IRA?
You can see the difficulties I am having here with the conclusion you have drawn, Gonzo. How can they be resolved do you think?
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:38 PMthe problem for the theory that the mcilhone killing started donaldson on a life as a double agent is a hard one to overcome. you write yourself, gonzo: ‘Donaldson’s motivation for becoming a spy seems more likely to have been to keep his accidental killing of McIlhone a secret, than any other theory put forward.’
the problem is that it is unlikely that it was a ‘secret’ inside the IRA since it appears from tony geraghty’s account that there were likely ira witnesses around when mcilhone was accidentally shot. if this is true then the british would would have had no hold over donaldson. and anyway ‘friendly fire’ killings happen in every war and most are acknowledged. no, this was about keeping an ira blunder secret from the outside world lest it diminish a myth.Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:41 PM“He was shooting to hold off a bloodthirsty mob and accidently hit one of his own men in the confusino.”
Its the lies, especially the lies about innocent families, Catholic families, and the general attitude that its everyone else’s fault but their own, that is so despicable.
“Sure, it would be embarassing but I don’t think this is what pushed him to be a spy.”
I agree there was probably more than this incident to get Donaldson to become a spy, but in saying that, once the lies were told, it became increasingly difficult for Donaldson and those who knew about the murder and cover-up to admit it.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:42 PMone which explodes the myth of the IRA’s legendary defence of St Matthews church in the Short Strand from a loyalist mob.
Gonzo
There was no myth - there was a loyalist mob determined to do to the Short Strand what they’d done to Bombay Street. The IRA held them off - that is a fact.
As to this story, I’d pay it a bit more attention if there was any actual evidence or named sources contained within it.
Rory has already exposed some flaws in the theory that Donaldson became a spy to protect his involvement in the death of Mr Ilhone. Nor does this version explain how Donaldson later ended up in Long Kesh during the 1970’s and 80’s, if he was such a valuable asset to the Security Services prior to that.Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 12:56 PMYou have to hand it to Liam Clarke, he seems to know where all the hornets nests are and just loves ripping them open.
What I can’t fathom is the moronic refusal by S/F posters on this site to see that they have followed a party of liars for decadesPosted by on May 26, 2009 @ 01:04 PMUMH, the following is the tip of the iceberg:
Its the lies….that its everyone else’s fault but their own…here was probably more than this incident to get Donaldson to become a spy…her political and moral views maybe screwed up
Back to school, little boy.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 01:15 PMNot sure about research for the piece, but it would have helped if Liam Clarke had managed to get the actual date of the incident correct.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 01:15 PMIf one is going to go over claims long since made, I would have thought that whether Henry McIlhone was shot from the front - what the Provos claim about his loyalist opponents - or from the back as local Catholics contend (pp. 31-2)would be the first order of business.
I would think that someone would be able to answer such an elementary question, though it sounds IMHO totally far-fetched in explaining why Donaldson became a British tout.Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 01:34 PMI can’t understand why people find it difficult to comprehend that this event made Donaldson become a spy. It might not be the only event, but the cover-up was influencial in making him a spy. The lies and cover-up made it impossible for the provies to tell the truth. The RUC had them where they wanted them.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 02:23 PMWhilst not a follower of SF, Oracle, it has to said that if SF supporters are following liars, they are no more at fault in following liars than anyone else in NI. Do you believe there was security force collusion in many killings? If not you are just as guilty of that which you accuse others. It seems all sides were very keen on the ‘truth is the first casualty of war’ premise.
It is strange, however, that on another current thread about a loyalist mob killing a Celtic fan, unionist posters are whining that there is no real proof. Yet on the same very site, on the same day, innuendo, non-corroborated stories and ‘theories’ are fine to establish who killed this brave guy. One of the posters on this thread is already excelling in that very hypocrisy. I wonder can you guess who?
On another point, I have to agree that how this man died does not affect the story of St Matthews. He died because the area was being attacked by a bunch of bigots—another parallel with that other current story. Unfortunately, its a parallel many unionists, including those who have the power to influence, will once again care to ignore (lip praise aside).
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 03:07 PMI find the way a detail is picked up on in an event while the event itself is ignored. Here we have the usual faces discussing the ‘lies’ of the IRA etc, yet no comment on what was actually happening, does UMH etc agree that this event was a group of Volunteers defending a nationalist enclave from an armed unionist gang? if so than whose fault is it that this man lost his life?
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 04:27 PMI have no desire to excuse Gerry Adams or any other Sinn Fein liar, but one has to ask a few more questions:
Do we really think that even if the IRA told the truth about this event it would have stopped the conflagration?
The crucial moment in the conflict was the election of Ted Heath in June 1970 because that meant the gloves came off the Unionist government (then in the hands of morons who’s only thought of Catholics was that if you hit the croppies hard enough they’d eventually lie down) and given that Heath and Faulkner were in the same party (like Marx said - first time as tragedy, second as farce), the British government too thought there was a “physical force” solution - Adams and Faulkner were reading off the same page in the playbook.
The decades of lies from SF (and the state) will have caused a family of innocents huge distress, and any of us who lived through even a part of these last forty dirty, disgusting years in the North will have some knowledge of that. But don’t look to this tale for explanation for the civil war.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 04:28 PMSuggestions that Donaldson’s alleged killing of Mr. McIlhone motivated him to become a spy are rank nonsense. Other IRA men would have seen what happened at the time that Henry was shot so there was never any secret that Donaldson was able to keep to himself.The fact that Clarke can’t even get the date of the gun battle right underlines the paucity of his knowledge of the incident and the consequent weakness of his argument.
What is a fact is that Mr. McIlhone died a hero in trying to defend a small District from an attack by a much greater force of loyalists.
The similarity with recent events in Coleraine is compelling and reinforces the sad reality that sectarianism continues to appear in peaks and troughs and has yet to be eradicated from our sick society.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 04:54 PM“Its the lies, especially the lies about innocent families, Catholic families, and the general attitude that its everyone else’s fault but their own, that is so despicable.”
UMH
I don’t understand you here…are you saying there was no mob trying to burn down St Mathews and other catholic buildings in Short strand?
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 07:05 PMFive Protestants apparently legitimately killed by the IRA that day and one apparant IRA own goal.
Fair enough?
27 June 1970 William Kincaid (28) Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ), Killed by IRA.
Shot during street disturbances, Disraeli Street, off Crumlin Road, Belfast.27 June 1970 Daniel Loughins (32) Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ), Killed by:IRA.
Shot during street disturbances, Palmer Street, off Crumlin Road, Belfast.27 June 1970 Alexander Gould (18) Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ), Killed by:IRA.
Shot during street disturbances, Disraeli Street, off Crumlin Road, Belfast.27 June 1970 Robert Neill (38) Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ), Killed by: IRA.
Shot during street disturbances, at the junction of Central Street and Newtownards Road, Belfast.27 June 1970 James McCurrie (34) Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ), Killed by:IRA
Shot during street disturbances, Beechfield Street, Short Strand, Belfast.27 June 1970 Henry McIlhone (33) Catholic
Status: IRA, Killed by UVF.
Shot during gun battle, grounds of St Matthew’s Church, Short Strand, Belfast.Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 07:08 PMWhat reason can you see for there being Taigs making the sign of the cross yesterday? None other than for to get a reaction from the loyalist community, and they certainly got a reaction this time, which is very sad.
-probably comment from unionist politician the day after this gun battle
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 07:24 PMSome interesting comments there about the “Battle of St Matthews.” The reason people from the Newtownards Road attacked the Chapel and Short Strand that night was that Provo gunmen opened fire on the local community, killing 2 and injuring another 28 including men, women and children. It is widely believed that the shots that killed Bobby Neill were fired from the Chapel or the grounds itself. Both Neill and Jimmy McCurrie were totally innocent victims of random sectarian murders by Provo gunmen who where determined to demonstrate to the Official IRA thet they would not run away.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 09:10 PMliam clarkes comments raise a few questions maybe the reason who killed Henry McIlhone was kept quiet by the I R A was the person who shot him also shot their own commander McKee who according to Clarke and others was very close to McIlhone after all McKee was shot in the back and according to McKee’s account he had just spoke to him and heard him fall,( WHY DID HE NOT GO TO HIS ASSISTANCE?) as any comrade would do never mind a commander
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 09:50 PMStephen
Funny how all the accounts of it I have read, by authors including Gerraghty who are certainly no friends of the Provos, differ from yours.
“It is widely believed that the shots that killed Bobby Neill were fired from the Chapel or the grounds itself.”
What significance is this? The mob was attacking the church and the IRA were defending it. So they might have been on hte church stoop. so what?
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 11:08 PM“McKee’s account he had just spoke to him and heard him fall,( WHY DID HE NOT GO TO HIS ASSISTANCE?) as any comrade would do never mind a commander “
Well, when you are in the middle of a gunbattle against superior numbers it is hard to stop what you are doing and call timeout.
Posted by on May 26, 2009 @ 11:11 PMI have read most if not all the text that has been wriitten about that night including two books some of you may not have read, they are Lagan Enclave and Murder in Ballymacarrett.
The reason I made the post was to address some of the comments about my community. It is an established fact (not myth) that the first shots were fired by the Provos (at that time the road was qiet following earlier disturbances), they shot killed and injured people from the Newtownards Road community. The people from the Road naturally took the law into their own hands (the RUC where unarmed)and attacked the Chapel. Neither McCurrie or Neill were involved in any trouble but the Provos decided to murder them.
The Provos clearly planned this attack and the other attacks in the Woodvale area where other innocent Protestants died.
For many Provos this may well have been the first time they had fired shots in anger. Does it surprise me that the Provos used McElhone to suit them and didn’t give a toss about his family? No.
It would be interesting to see the Coroners report and to the type of bullets that killed him. That would tell it’s own story.
Posted by on May 27, 2009 @ 04:48 AM
