NEWS FROM SAOIRSE (freedom). The Voice of the Irish Republican Movement. Republican Sinn Féin http://rsf.ie 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 229 Falls Road, Belfast

An té a léann The Irish Times go rialta, seans go gcuimhneodh sé ar aiste liom san áit a mbíonn Kevin Myers de ghnáth, mar atá An Irishman’s Diary. Chuireas an cheist san áit sin tamall gear r tar éis na tubaiste ach freagra ní bhfuaireas. Seo a leanas an cheist: Céard é an t-ordú a fuair na Gardaí a mharaigh John Carthy?

Sna dachaidí den aois seo caite bhí mise ar na daoine a chuaigh isteach in arm an tSaorstáit le neodracht na hÉireann a chosaint sa chogadh mór (1939-45). Oiliúint mhaith a fuaireamar. Faoi go leor leor atá mo chuimhne fabhtach ar na saolta seo, ach tá sí fíorghlan faoin tréimhse úd.

“Má thugtar ordú duit scaoileadh ar dhuine nó ar dhaoine, is é do dhualgas d’iarracht ionraic a dhéanamh chun an té sin, nó na daoine sin, a mharú. Má dhéanann tú iarracht le duine nó daoine a ghoineadh, agus má chruthaítear sin i gcúirt an airm, íocfaidh tú go daor as, a mhac!”

An mar sin atá cúrsaí agus tú id’ Gharda, bail ó Dhia ort? Bhí deis ag preasoifig na nGardaí mo cheist a fhreagairt ach níor bhacadar léi. Dá bhrí sin, cé a lochtódh mé as a cheapadh gurb ionann an scéal ag Gardaí agus ag saighdiúirí araon, agus scaoileadh i gceist?

Más amhlaidh atá, nach bhfuil sé thar a bheith in am an dlí (más dlí atá i gceist, más faoi choim féin é), nó eile, a athrú? Gach seans gur sean-nós na Sasanach atá i bhfeidhm sna cúrsaí seo agus go dtéann sé i bhfad siar, faoin am nuair nach raibh an tarna rogha ann.

An lá atá inniu ann, nuair a éiríonn le tigéir nó leon nó eile a bhealach amach ón bpríosún (zú nó eile) a aimsiú, gan chead, de ghnáth tig leis na húdaráis é a ghoineadh, sa chaoi nach dtig leis dochar dá laghad a dhéanamh don té a dteastaíonn uaidh é a chur isteach ina phríosún arís. Anaestéiseach a thabhairt don ainmhí, d’eile, mar a thugtar dúinne agus muid le dul faoi scian san otharlann.

Sin nós atá coitianta, mar tá an t-ainmhí sin luachmhar. Ceist eile a chuireas san aiste sin a d’fhoilsigh The Irish Times: Céard é is luachmhaire, an duine nó an t-ainmhí? De réir nóis, is cosúil, is é a cheapann an t-údarás gur luachmhaire beatha an ainmhí!

Faraor, tá a leithéid de dhearcadh coitianta go leor sa saol mar atá inniu. Nuair a bhuaileann galar duine, galar nach bhfuil aon leigheas air go fóill, níl i ndán don té sin ach an bás a fhulaingt. Is fíor sin, go fóill. Ach más féidir linn an chuid sin den saol atá fós sách cinnte roimh an duine sin a dhéanamh níos fearr dó, agus scaití, fiú cur leis, nár chóir dúinn ár ndícheall a dhéanamh chun sin a bhaint amach?

Cuir ceist ar an Disability Federation of Ireland, agus cuirfidh saineolaí dá chuid ar an eolas thú, an t-eolas searbh, mar atá, nach fiú acmhainní a “mhí-úsáid”, ná airgead, don té nach bhfuil roimhe ach an bás cinnte!

Ar feadh mo shaoil (cuid mhaith de cheithre scór bliain) casadh Gardaí ormsa. Bhí cuid acu go dona, go fíordhona; ach bhí an chuid eile díobh ann a bhí carthanach, béasach, cabhrach. An formhór díobh, gach seans. Tá an dá chineál ann i gcónaí, is dócha!

Ar an gcuid ba mheasa díobh, go bhfios dom, nó ceadaím daoibh mé a cheartú, bhí an dream ar tugadh i nGaeilge An Díorma Crua orthu nó, i mBéarla, The Heavy Gang.

B’iad a chéas mac liom, Osgur, go dtí go ndúirt sé go raibh sé sásta bréagadmháil a shíniú, cáipéis a chuir in iúl go raibh sé páirteach i robáil traenach i gCo Chill Dara. Ní raibh sé ina aonar faoin gcéasadh úd, agus d’éirigh leis na céasadóirí an admháil bhréagach chéanna a bhrú orthu siúd chomh maith; nó ar chuid díobh. Fianaise a bhí sna cáipéisí sin a shásaigh an Chúirt Choiriúil Speisialta, atá ró-shásta a shásamh, de réir chuntais. Agus dhaor sí Osgur, agus leads eile, do thréimhse fhada sa gcarcair.

Seanscéal agus a thóin leis, arsa tusa, má bhí tú beo faoin am, agus eolach faoi scéalta na haimsire. Ceart go leor, ní dhéanfad scéal fada de: Scaoil cúirt eile saor iad; fuaireadar cúiteamh éigin ón stát; ach iniúchadh ar iompar na nGardaí níor dearnadh riamh.

Nach bhfuil sé thar a bheith in am binse breithimh a bhunú le hiompar na nGardaí sin a iniúchadh? Is eol dom go maith go dtiocfaidh an oiread sin caca amach óna leithéid a chuirfeas samhnas ar an bpobal, mar cuirfidh na Gardaí in iúl nár ar a saorbhealach féin a rinne siad rudaí a sháraigh an dlí ar bhealach uafásach, ach nach rabhadar ach ag cloí le horduithe ó na polaiteoirí . . .

Ach ní mór dúinn an tír bheag seo a ghlanadh anois nó is measa a bheas cúrsaí feasta. Chomh maith leis sin, tá fós i gceist mise agus gaolta eile na ndaoine a céasadh. Ni bhfuaireamar cúiteamh as an méid a d’fhulaing muid, as an méid a chaill muid. Nach bhfuil sé ag dul dúinn go bhfeicfidh muid faoi dheireadh ar a laghad an fhírinne shearbh ar nuachtáin na tíre.

Ar ndóigh, tá an achainí mar a chéile ag muintir John Carthy, agus ag an bpobal i gcoitinne i Mainistir Leathrátha, Co Longfoirt; agus ag muintir Mhic Bhriartaigh i dTír Chonaill; agus ag gaolta na ndaoine a mharaigh na Sasanaigh agus a gcairde i mbuamáil Bhaile Átha Cliath sa mbliain 1974.

Ar na ceisteanna is riachtanach a chur maidir le scrios eitleáin de chuid Aer Lingus, agis maidir leis an mbuamáil sa mbliain 1974: Cén fáth gur chuig na saineolaithe gallda a cuireadh fianaise na dtubaistí úd in ionad an jab sin a fhágáil faoinár saineolaithe in Éirinn? Nó, ar a laghad ar bith, go dtí saineolaithe eile a mbeadh muinín againn astu?

San dá eachtra úd bhíothas ag ceapadh go mb’fhéidir go raibh lámh ag na Sasanaigh sna cúrsaí seo. Agus an t-amhras sin ann, nach mbeadh sé ag luí le réasún nach dtabharfadh muid deis do na Sasanaigh an fhianaise a bhí ina n-éadan a scrios?
-- Deasún Breatnach
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The man was waiting on the street for a lift to work shortly after 7am when at least three shots were fired at him from a passing car. The 49 year-old father of five was hit once in the hand. Two masked men were seen in the car as it speeded off. The car was later found burned out at Gortgole Road, Kilrea.

Speaking afterwards the man said there was no doubt that the only reason he was targeted was because he was a nationalist.

“The first I knew about it was when I heard the crack. I put my hand up to my face and that is the only thing that saved me,” the man said.

“As I ran off they shot at me twice. I just ran for my life.

“Normally there would have been three or four people standing there at that time. They just wanted an easy target and it was me.”

The UDA has been blamed for the attack.

This attack followed a previous murder bid by the UDA in Derry’s Waterside area on November 8. In that incident a 35-year-old nationalist lorry driver from Donegal was sitting alone in the cab of his lorry at Rossdowney Drive when he notice a masked man approach the vehicle around 5.15pm.

As the gunman took aim the man ducked for cover inside his cab. After firing several shots at the cab which shattered its windows the gunman escaped towards Lincoln Courts estate.

The man, who was shocked but uninjured by the attack was able to drive away from the scene of the attack.
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Thomas Ashe, Kerry; died under forcible feeding, Mountjoy jail, Dublin, September 1917.

Michael Fitzgerald, Cork; died in Cork jail, October 1920.

Terence MacSwiney, Lord-Mayor of Cork and Deputy for Mid-Cork in the First (All-Ireland) Dáil, died in Brixton prison, London, October 1920.

Joseph Murphy, Cork; died in Cork jail, October 1920.

Joseph Whitty, Wexford; died Curragh Internment camp, September 1923.

Denis Barry, Cork, died Newbridge Camp, November 1923.

Andrew Sullivan, Cork; died Mountjoy jail, Dublin, November 1923.

Tony Darcy, Galway; died Arbour Hill prison, Dublin April 1940.

Seán McNeela, Mayo; died Arbour Hill prison, Dublin, April 1940.

Seán McCaughey, Belfast; died on hunger and thirst strike, Portlaoise jail, May 1946.

Michael Gaughan, Mayo; died after force-feeding, Parkhurst prison, England, June 1974.

Frank Stagg, Mayo; died in Wakefield prison, England, February 1976.

Bobby Sands, Belfast; TD for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, May 1981.

Francis Hughes, Derry; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, May 1981.

Patsy O’Hara, Derry; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, May 1981.

Raymond McCreesh, Armagh; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, May 1981.

Joe McDonnell, Belfast; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, July 1981.

Martin Hurson, Tyrone; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, July 1981.

Kevin Lynch, Derry; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, August 1981.

Kieran Doherty, Belfast; TD for Cavan-Monaghan, died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, August 1981.

Thomas McElwee, Derry; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, August 1981.

Micky Devine, Derry; died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh camp, August 1981.

The parade marched from Bearna school at 12.30 to the Fr Griffin Monument at Cloch Scoilte, Bearna, where the priest’s body was found in November 1920, after being murdered by British forces.

On the night of November 14, 1920, Fr Michael Griffin was lured from his home at No. 2 Montpelier Terrace, Galway.  Six days later, on Saturday November 20, his partially-buried body was discovered at Cloch Scoilte near Bearna.  His funeral cortege was attended by over 12,000 Galway people, and led by over 150 priests.  The Bishop of Galway, Dr O’Dea wrote in a letter later that Fr Griffin’s murder was the culmination of a concerted campaign by Crown forces in the Galway area, including “burnings and murders at Lahinch, Ennistymon and Oranmore”.
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Web layout by SAOIRSE -- Irish Freedom December 13, 2001 Send links, events notifications, articles, comments etc, to the editor at: saoirse@iol.ie.