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Books
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A poem for the day – Launching the Whaler Juan Peron
A Belfast epic, and one of my oldest poems, the opener of my first collection, Grub. The gist of the story was found in Moss & Hume’s Shipbuilders to the World: 125 Years of Harland and Wolff, Belfast, 1861-1986, which tells how Eva Peron was due to launch a huge whaling vessel in Belfast, built [...] read our review » -
Do Words Matter?: Book Review of Political Discourse and Conflict Resolution – Debating Peace in Northern Ireland
I share many of the concerns of Andy Pollak, whose recent post ‘My Response to the Slugger Begrudgers’ zeroed in on the ‘relentless flow of negativity’ of some Slugger commentators. Pollak’s post was largely concerned with the medium of the blog. Indeed, I think the anonymity of the online world encourages extreme discourse and allows [...] read our review »
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“You can see Newton’s mind at work…”
To add to the open access treasure trove at the Royal Society, Cambridge University Library is putting online some of its collection of books, maps, manuscripts and journals. We have called the first phase of our work on the Cambridge Digital Library the Foundations Project, which runs from mid-2010 to mid-2013 and has been made possible [...] read our review »
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 18 February 2012 at 11:53 am
Nevin
Stop the obfuscation – You made a statement up above that viz referring to the SF/IRA:
‘We want to get out of violence but you have to help us’”
Presumably that senior member was Martin McGuinness.”
Your statement is incorrect. Those words. or their like, were used by Denis Bradley who in no way shape or form can be described as a Provo.
Nevin, you can dodge my “fact” as much as you want but you have made an incorrect assertion. Rather than acknowledging this, you dissemble. A familiar tactic.
The reality, God bless it, of a beautiful Saturday morning now beckons. May I (genuinely) bid you a joyful and relaxing day.
PL
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 18 February 2012 at 11:17 am
Nevin
Please address my point – Foras na Gaeilge is an All Ireland governmental body –
I repeat – nothing to do with simply “internal reform”
With regards to Denis – and once again you and others have attributed a statement made by him to the IRA.
This “IRA statement” was first put about by a FRU spook – as was the allegation that McGuinness (with fake text provided) was a spy for MI6. This latter was so bad that not even the Sunday Times would touch it and denounced the document as a fake.
You are welcome to throw other points about to distract from the above facts but facts they are.
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 18 February 2012 at 9:02 am
Nevin and Alias
As an Irish speaker – I have attended various functions over the last few years both in Derry, Belfast and Newry that were either organised or sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge the all Ireland Irish language body set up by the GFA. By definition, Foras na Gaeilge is an all Ireland governmental body.
Just one example of how your talk about the GFA being purely about internal reform is inaccurate – and probably just wishful thinking.
The grass is growing over those border roads boys – get over it.
With regards to Denis Bradley, whom I know personally, he was a million miles from SF’s position right throughout the Troubles. I don’t know who Denis voted for, if he ever voted, but the politics he espoused in my presence was pure John Hume.
FRU spooks
Isn’t it interesting that when tested – every statement or alleged/situation event put about by low ranking FRU spooks is found wanting – the IRA statement that was in fact Bradley’s statement, McGuinness was an MI6 spy, Scap was in a “nutting squad”, the IRA units that killed Buchanan and Breen were riddled with informers,
Go figure
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 11:17 pm
Nevin
The process in many ways was far more public than you suggest – In 1990 Peter Brooke declared that Britain had “no selfish or strategic interest” to be in Northern Ireland.
by the way your quote – “We want to get out of violence” was said by Fr Denis Bradley – fact.
Heres how Patto45 described it in the Guardian
Once again an urban legend takes legs and is quoted as facts.
Unfortunately for the poster the former Derry priest Dennis Bradley admitted that the phrase quoted came from him and not from the IRA.
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 10:53 pm
PaulT
they are fantastic and fascinating statistics and info – well done/maith thú
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 10:50 pm
My apologies for posting so many times – I got a message – “Bad Gateway” so assumed that my message was not going through
I shall only press once in future
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 10:33 pm
Reader
The Portadown/Lurgan gang along with a Belfast unit which carried out the Dublin and Monaghan bombs was the same terror unit that carried out a whole range of sectarian attacks with the aid of the security forces. The main killer in these units was Robin Jackson whose luger pistol was used to kill John Francis Green (whilst the IRA was on ceasefire) and in the Miami Showband massacre. The HET has confirmed that RUC SB warned Jackson to get offside when the forensics about his luger came out. (He would have walked from court anyway as he did on four occasions).
Jackson was a key suspect in the Dublin and Monaghan bombs but was allowed to kill UDR man Billy Hanna after he apparently felt terrible about children being killed. What is clear is that Jacskon was police protected.
See the recent report into the Showband attack then read the account of an SPG (SB) officer (John Weir) who describes how these attacks were carried out and the assistance they received from upstairs.
The Dublin and Monaghan bomb attacks were never repeated. Why? They had served their purpose – the South would not go near a peace process for a long time.
You may also notice that right wing coups by the various “Junta” were quite popular at the time.
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 10:33 pm
Reader (profile)
The Portadown/Lurgan gang along with a Belfast unit which carried out the Dublin and Monaghan bombs was the same terror unit that carried out a whole range of sectarian attacks with the aid of the security forces. The main killer in these units was Robin Jackson whose luger pistol was used to kill John Francis Green (whilst the IRA was on ceasefire) and in the Miami Showband massacre. The HET has confirmed that RUC SB warned Jackson to get offside when the forensics about his luger came out. (He would have walked from court anyway as he did on four occasions).
Jackson was a key suspect in the Dublin and Monaghan bombs but was allowed to kill UDR man Billy Hanna after he apparently felt terrible about children being killed. What is clear is that Jacskon was police protected.
See the report into the Showband attack then read the account of an SPG (SB) officer (John Weir) who describes how these attacks were carried out and the assistance they received from upstairs.
The Dublin and Monaghan bomb attacks were never repeated. Why? They had served their purpose – the South would not go near a peace process for a long time.
Go to comment
Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 10:32 pm
Reader (profile)
The Portadown/Lurgan gang along with a Belfast unit which carried out the Dublin and Monaghan bombs was the same terror unit that carried out a whole range of sectarian attacks with the aid of the security forces. The main killer in these units was Robin Jackson whose luger pistol was used to kill John Francis Green (whilst the IRA was on ceasefire) and the Miami Showband massacre. The HET has confirmed that RUC SB warned Jackson to get offside when the forensics about his luger came out. (He would have walked from court anyway as he did on four occasions).
Jackson was a key suspect in the Dublin and Monaghan bombs but was allowed to kill UDR man Billy Hanna after he apparently felt terrible about children being killed. What is clear is that Jacskon was police protected.
See the report into the Showband attack then read the account of an SPG (SB) officer (John Weir) who describes how these attacks were carried out and the assistance they received from upstairs.
The Dublin and Monaghan bomb attacks were never repeated. Why? They had served their purpose – the South would not go near a peace process for a long time.
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Comment on Why did Toby Harnden refuse to attend the Smithwick Tribunal?
on 17 February 2012 at 8:32 pm
typo alert – no choice
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