Real IRA
Canning pleads guilty on 2011 Easter Monday charges
Tweet The BBC has a report on the on-going trial of one of the three Londonderry men charged, along with Marian Price, in relation to a 32 County Sovereignty Movement Easter Monday parade in the city in 2011 – the charge is of managing a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation, the IRA. And we [...] more »
Belfast Court refuses to order Liam Campbell extradition to Lithuania
Tweet Lithuanian authorities may be regretting their apparent preference for dealing with the Northern Ireland Courts in the attempt to extradite Liam Campbell, one of the men held to be responsible for the Omagh bombing, on weapons and terrorism charges. As the BBC reports, Mr Justice Burgess has refused to order Liam Campbell’s extradition to [...] more »
“Non-conformist republican groups” merge under banner of the “IRA”
Tweet Under the banner of the “IRA”, the Real IRA, Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) as well as smaller groups often referred to as Óglaigh na hÉireann have formed a “unified structure under a single leadership”. They will be “subservient to the constitution of the Irish Republican Army”. Only the Continuity IRA remains outside the [...] more »
“the war against British rule must continue until freedom is achieved…”
Tweet Dissenting republicans gave their response yesterday to Sinn Féin’s various Easter messages – Declan Kearney’s “there is no other IRA“, Gerry Adams’ seven step ‘plan’, or Martin McGuinness’ “We are on the road to freedom” [and his responsibility "to defend and promote the integrity of our struggle" - Ed]. And it was delivered to a reported [...] more »
Michael Campbell sentenced to 12 years after MI5 sting operation
Tweet After a two year trial in Lithuania, suspected Real IRA member Michael Campbell, 39, from County Louth, has been found guilty of supporting a terrorist group, illegal possession of weapons and attempted weapons smuggling and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was arrested in Lithuania in January 2008 as a result of [...] more »
Marvin Canning back in court
Tweet Marvin Canning, brother-in-law of Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, has been charged with two terrorist offences in connection with a 32 County Sovereignty Movement Easter Monday parade in Londonderry. An unrelated prosecution against Mr Canning was stayed in November last year when late disclosure of “pivotal” statements by prosecutors had “resulted in [...] more »
Arrest in Denis Donaldson murder probe?
Tweet Previously adjourned, for the fifth time, in August last year, the inquest into the 2006 death of former senior Sinn Féin figure Denis Donaldson was adjourned again in January ahead of a further pre-inquest hearing on May 5. Now the BBC are reporting that a 70-year-old man has been arrested and is being questioned in Letterkenny Garda station, County [...] more »
Denis Donaldson inquest adjourned again – redux – redux
Tweet Previously adjourned, for the fifth time, in August last year, the Irish News reports that the inquest into the 2006 death of former senior Sinn Féin figure Denis Donaldson has been adjourned again – a further pre-inquest hearing will be held on May 5. From the Irish News report It is understood a key witness in the [...] more »
“The IRA is not unwilling to talk, in fact there needs to be talks…”
Tweet The Guardian carries an exclusive front page interview with the Real IRA - ”a series of written answers to the Guardian’s questions”, “the product of several months of contacts through intermediaries who contacted Real IRA members with a view to establishing a link.” Henry McDonald responds to the ‘oxygen of publicity’ argument. The Guardian article contains [...] more »
Two convicted in Real IRA arms plot trial
Tweet As reported here. 35 security service agents applied for anonymity before the start of the trial. Previously, the judge ruled that a third defendant had been entrapped by MI5. From the BBC report The judge described the Security Services’ operation as an “elaborate and successful” hoax. The trial was the first for 20 years in [...] more »
Judge rules MI5 “entrapped” one of Real IRA arms plot accused
Tweet The BBC reports that, at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Hart has ruled that one of the accused in an alleged Real IRA arms plot was “entrapped” by an MI5 agent. From the BBC report Mr Justice Hart said that given the evidence of two meetings between Amir and Mr Kearns in particular, Mr Kearns [...] more »
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Books
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Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
Tweet I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the [...] read our review » -
A Political History of the Two Irelands competition…
Tweet It’s not often we get free things to give away to our readers, but courtesy of Palgrave Macmillan we have a nice paperback copy of Brian M Walker’s excellent history of partition of the island and how identities shifted in both the north east and the south and west: as most of the territory [...] read our review »
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Douglas Murray – Bloody Sunday: Truth, Lies and the Saville Inquiry, Book Review
Tweet The aftermath of the Saville Inquiry into the events around Bloody Sunday has left me, and I suspect many others, with one enduring image: Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology in the House of Commons, where he says that the actions of the British Army were ‘unjustified and unjustifiable.’ But there’s a lot more to [...] read our review »
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