Provisional IRA

“The Provisionals must accept that this will happen to them, too.”

Pete Baker on November 10, 2010, 2:53 pm

| Readers 9

Liam Clarke was invited to speak at the launch of Richard O’Rawe’s second book on the disputed offer to end the hunger strike in the Maze – Afterlives: The Hunger Strike and the Secret Offer That Changed Irish History. In the News Letter he explains why and, in doing so, addresses a recent topic on Slugger. It is long past time we were free of this heavy hand, this atmosphere of threats and intimidation for anyone who tries in a serious way to …

“You have to ask yourself – are they (the leadership) the only ones allowed to write books?”

Pete Baker on October 29, 2010, 3:56 pm

| Readers 503

On Thursday the International Representative for west Belfast, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, and his party colleague the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, may have been expressing their concern at a “crisis meeting” about an apparent increasing number of suicides in the area… But they don’t yet seem to have found time to comment on the suicide of a former comrade. Former Provisional IRA member Gerard ‘Whitey’ Bradley’s body was found in a car parked at a marina near Carrickfergus Castle on Wednesday. Bradley, with the assistance …

Brendan Hughes: “I had no control over this squad. Gerry had control of this particular squad”

Pete Baker on October 26, 2010, 7:27 pm

| Readers 1005

Peter Wilson, a 21-year-old with learning difficulties who went missing in 1973, was only added to the official list of those abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries in October last year. Today, on the basis of information described as “of good quality, it is reliable and from a good source”, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains announced details of a search for his remains. Meanwhile, as Rusty flagged up on Sunday, tonight RTÉ will broadcast Voices From the Grave …

“The panel [] is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public from serious harm that Mr McCartney be confined.”

Pete Baker on July 31, 2010, 10:22 pm

| Readers 58

The Irish News reports today that the Life Sentence Review Commission has released Máirtín’s mate, Ronald McCartney, despite the then Secretary of State Shaun Woodward having revoked his release licence in 2008 “as a result of information received from police that he presented a serious risk to the public.” The Irish News report includes references from Maghaberry Prison governor Fred Caulfield of his “very positive view” of McCartney’s relationship with loyalist and republican prisoners in Maghaberry as well as former trade union chief …

“who pull down statues, who deny the history of any place”

Pete Baker on July 30, 2010, 10:32 pm

| Readers 186

With Londonderry keen to capitalise on its 2013 UK City of Culture title, despite the apparent confusion of some, Mark Devenport notes a singular failure of irony by Northern Ireland junior Minister, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly. Rejecting TUV calls for the historic buildings at the Maze to be demolished, Gerry Kelly told reporters in North Belfast this afternoon that the people calling for the bulldozers to be sent in were the kind of people “who pull down statues, who deny the history …

“Sure you know how it is…”

Pete Baker on July 17, 2010, 9:31 pm

| Readers 5

Before it vanishes into the ether… Earlier this month in the Derry Journal Eamonn McCann offered, what should be, a salutary tale from the recent past In the Sunday World more than 25 years ago, I wrote some of the first pieces to appear in the Irish media about the spread of drug-abuse in Dublin and the human reality of addiction. I covered the emergence of Concerned Parents Against Drugs – and then the marginalisation of the CPAD as armed elements …

High Court rejects Arthurs’ challenge to non-jury trial ruling

Pete Baker on June 30, 2010, 5:38 pm

| Readers 16

I noted in May the start of “prominent Co Tyrone republican” Brian Arthurs’ legal challenge to the ruling that he should stand trial in a non-jury court, on charges of converting criminal property and obtaining a money transfer by deception. The original case against Arthurs collapsed in August 2008 when the judge ruled that the Public Prosecution Service had failed to provide any evidence to the court. The BBC reports today that the High Court has rejected Brian Arthurs’ legal challenge The …

Enda Kenny to Gerry Adams: “no party require[s] an army council in a time of peace”

Pete Baker on June 21, 2010, 6:22 pm

| Readers 41

Having survived an attempted leadership coup last week, Enda Kenny was in Belfast today. The BBC reports that the Fine Gael leader again ruled out any possibility of his party forming a coalition government with Sinn Féin because the Provisional IRA army council has not been ‘stood down’. Gerry Adams is “hugely” offended. From the BBC report The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has again said he would not share power with Sinn Fein because the IRA army council has not been stood down. Mr Kenny is …

Civil servant failed 2004 security vetting due to intelligence report on brother

Pete Baker on May 19, 2010, 10:28 pm

| Readers 136

BBC Northern Ireland home affairs correspondent, Vincent Kearney, reports on the case of Kevin Kennedy, who is suing the PSNI after he was forced to resign from a job with the Northern Ireland Policing Board in 2004 after failing a security vetting. Last month, Mr Kennedy failed in a legal attempt to gain access to the intelligence information on which the police based their assessment. During a hearing at the High Court in Belfast, it was revealed that the Board was told during …

Hanlon jailed for three years and three months for IRA membership

Pete Baker on May 19, 2010, 3:26 pm

| Readers 216

To add to the convictions resulting from Operation Phoenix noted previously – “Northern Bank robbery – redux”. Former Sinn Féin councillor, and unsuccessful candidate in the 2002 general election, Tom Hanlon has been sentenced to 3 years and 3 months for IRA membership at the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Convicting Hanlon, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that the court was satisfied that Hanlon was “intimately involved in highly suspicious financial transactions involving monies which have been proved to have included …

Fourth member of Tohill abduction gang re-arrested

Pete Baker on May 12, 2010, 7:52 pm

| Readers 149

An iol report notes that Liam Rainey, formerly of Belfast’s Ballymurphy Road and New Barnsley Crescent, appeared before the High Court in Dublin today following his arrest by gardaí in Bettystown, Co Meath, on Tuesday on foot of a European Arrest Warrant. Rainey is the fourth member of the Provisional IRA gang to be recaptured after jumping bail in May 2006 while awaiting sentencing for attempting to abduct dissenting republican Bobby Tohill in 2004. No doubt, “He was just following orders” too… As …