UVF terror led to Quinn deaths

Only days before the horrific petrol bomb deaths of the three Quinn children in July last year five nationalist families residing in the same area of Ballymoney, Co Antrim received death threats from the UVF.

The British-instigated death squad was directly responsible for the murders of Richard, Mark and Jason, Belfast Crown Court was told on September 14.

Ballymoney salesman, Garfield Gilmour, of Newhill Park was accused of the killings.

Chief Inspector Terence Shevlin of the British colonial police (RUC) in Ballymoney told Gilmour's trial that five other families received death threats from the UVF ordering them out of the estate. Each of the families received a UVF Christmas card with the message "get out now" and a letter containing a 9mm bullet.

Shevlin also told the court that an uncle of the Quinn children, Colm Quinn, had received threats from pro-British death squads as far back as October 1997.

He said Gilmour and two other men had gotten out of a car, and Gilmour exclaimed, "do you know these guys here," at which point Quinn ran into his house.

On another occasion while in the village of Rasharkin Colm Quinn saw Gilmour and several others coming towards him asking to speak to him. "I responded by taking off," he said.According to Shevlin three masked men armed with claw hammers and claiming to be from the UDA had given Quinn 48 hours to leave the country. The following April a blast bomb was lobbed into his home in the Carnany estate.

Quinn himself told the court that following the blast bomb attack, he was confronted by Gilmour and two others Gilmour had named to the RUC as being responsible for the petrol bombing which claimed the lives of the Quinn children.

The previous day (September 13) the court heard how Garfield Gilmour had told the RUC that he was a UVF member but was threatened and forced by others to ferry them to the Quinn home in the mainly loyalist Carnany estate on the night of the attack.

In a series of 19 interviews the 24-year-old salesman revealed more and more of the details culminating in the attack.

The RUC had discovered UVF cards, key rings and a flag in his girlfriend's house.

While admitting that his girlfriend, Christine Loftus, probably hated Catholics, Gilmour denied being a member of the UVF. He also denied that he and Loftus had sent the threatening cards and bullets to nationalists in the town.

Gilmour had told the RUC that in the early hours of July 12 he was awakened by a knock on the door of his girlfriend's house. He went downstairs to find two men, Johnny McKay and Ivan Parkes, both of whom were UVF members.

Despite denying being present at the time of the attack on the Quinn children, Gilmour was to change his story several times. He was later to admit that he sat in the getaway car while McKay made his way to the Quinn house.

Shortly after the bomb being thrown McKay climbed back into the car and ordered Gilmour to drive away. Parkes had been sitting in the vehicle to keep an eye on Gilmour.

They were to return to the scene of the murders and Gilmour said he saw smoke and people gathered round the scene, before dropping off Parkes and returning home to his girlfriend's house with McKay.

The British-appointed Judge McCollum reserved his judgement.
Contents

Republican Sinn Féin slams prison restrictions

Des Long, vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin, in a statement on September 20, called on the Prison Authorities in Limerick prison to immediately restore prison visiting arrangements that have been withdrawn from female Republican POW Josephine Hayden.

Des Long demanded to know why Josephine Hayden's rotational prison visits to her partner, Republican Prisoner Michael Hegarty in Portlaoise Prison, have been curtailed. He has refused to accept explanations that have been given.

Republican Sinn Féin believe there is a more sinister reason, that being Josephine Hayden's outright opposition to the Stormont Agreement and her continued support for a British declaration to withdraw from the Six Counties of Ireland.

Des Long stated Republican Sinn Féin intends to fully support Josephine Hayden in her campaign for the restoration of her prison visiting rights and her fight for better conditions for female prisoners both political and social.

On September 15 a petition containing 8,000 signatures calling for Josephine Hayden's release was handed in to the Dublin department of justice.
Contents

Petition for prisoner's release goes to Dept of Justice

Eight thousand signatures calling for the release of Republican prisoner Josephine Hayden from Limerick jail were handed in to the Dublin Department of Justice in St Stephen's Green (South) September 15.

The petitions were collected by the Josephine Hayden Support Committee on the streets of Ireland, England and the USA and through an internet appeal worldwide.

A picket in support of Josephine Hayden was placed on the department from 12 noon to 1pm. The text of the letter accompanying the petitions is printed here:

"15 September / Mean Fomhair 1999
The Secretary, Department of Justice, Stephen's Green, Dublin

A chara
Political status has been denied to Josephine Hayden who has spent the last three-and-a-half years in Dickensian conditions in Limerick jail, although male prisoners arrested with her have been accommodated in Portlaoise prison with special status.

In addition she has suffered heart problems and been denied release or parole on humanitarian grounds. She has been treated in this manner because she is a woman political prisoner and because she does not accept the Stormont Agreement and remains true to the All-Ireland Republic.

Josephine is currently the only woman political prisoner in the 26 Counties and has been incarcerated with up to 16 ordinary female prisoners in 'C' Wing which has only eleven cells. As you are aware this wing -- built in 1821 -- was closed down for 17 years before being re-opened several years ago.

The wing was condemned by the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) Report (paragraphs 89, 90) -- adopted on June 10, 1994 and only published by you 18 months later in December 1995 -- yet it continues to be used as a women's prison.

The above committee which has been campaigning on Josephine's behalf has collected these 8,000 signatures both in Ireland and abroad calling for her release.

This is an indication of the widespread public interest and support for her case in Ireland and throughout the world. Pending her release Josephine Hayden should also be accorded the same status as her comrades in Portlaoise jail.

Is mise
Des Dalton, Rúnaí, Josephine Hayden Support Committee."
Contents

'Brits off our flats' call

Residents of a tower block in north Belfast are demanding that the British army vacate the roof of their building following a major sewage leak which has seeped through their homes in the aftermath of a recent spell of heavy rain.

On September 21, residents of Maeve House in New Lodge staged a protest demanding that the British army leave the eleven-storey building.

More than 100 people were still clearing up and are now forced to seek new homes. They claim the Brits are blocking the drains and the stench is so bad as to be uninhabitable and a health hazard, especially for their children.They say the British army were denying housing executive officials access to the roof to carry out repairs.

Jean McBride, whose son Peter was mercilessly gunned down by two Scots Guardsmen in 1992, resides in the tower.

She said she has had enough and is moving out. Pointing the finger at the British army, she said: "it's a health hazard. The stench coming from my bedroom and bathroom is a disgrace.

The smell of urine through the building is awful and people can't use the baths because of the sewage that fills it every day.

"I take this personally because of what happened to Peter and I have to cope with the British army destroying the home he lived in."

The residents are forced to pay the full rent of £39 a week to live in Crown Forces-engineered filth.
Contents

Portadown 'no-go area' for nationalists

An Armagh woman whose teenage daughter was intimidated out of her job by loyalists has branded Portadown town centre a "no-go area" for nationalists.

She claims the 18-year-old was spat at and called "a fucking Fenian bitch" outside a shopping centre in the town.

"It was her first job and a very promising post", she said. "She only started that morning and phoned me in tears at lunch time because of what happened." Speaking on September 21, the woman who does not wish to named for fear of retaliation said her daughter was not into politics and only liked pop music

She said her daughter had been subjected to an ongoing torrent of abuse from loyalist youths, both male and female.

"The girl who called her names was at the same tech as her and must have recognised her."The woman claimed that two days later her daughter was subjected to further abuse while using a bank link machine in the town centre.

"A boy who had been with the group earlier in the week, approached her and spat at her." She said: "at the end of the day the town is not an environment I would wish her to stay in. Who knows what is going to happen next?"

Meanwhile four nationalist families have been ordered out of a Co Antrim housing estate by a British instigated death squad.The terror-stricken families say they could think of no reason why they should be targeted except for the fact that they are nationalists.

The four families, residents of Neillsbrook estate in Randalstown have been told they have two weeks to leave.

The threats were posted to the families on September 21 and were signed Ulster Volunteer Force and read: This is no idle threat -- get out or be put out. We have done it before and we will do it again. You have two weeks to put up a for sale sign." Saying the RUC could not protect them, the death-squad added: "There is no second chance."

Some of the families have lived on the estate for 30 years.
Contents

Larkin parade leafletted

The Second Annual Jim Larkin commemoration was held in Liverpool on Saturday, September 25. Consisting of a march and rally in the city centre, the event was supportive of the Stormont Agreement with the theme, 'End Sectarianism'.

While few would disagree with that sentiment the Republican analysis has always been that sectarian violence is part and parcel of British rule. Until recently even the Provisionals said this. They also told us that the Six-County state was beyond reform. To now call for such reform in a part of Ireland still under British rule is to stand on its head everything they used to say.

Republicans know that unionists have always reacted violently whenever they perceived a threat to their marginal privileges. To expect an end to pro-British sectarian violence while still under British rule requires a large measure of wishful thinking. As the nationalist population increases and token positions are taken up by former comrades, unionist tension is bound to increase. Far from the situation improving, to paraphrase one of Tony Blair's 'soundbites', 'Things can only get worse!'

The parade assembled outside the old Irish Centre building and members of the John Whelan (Liverpool) Cumann of Republican Sinn Féin and comrades from Glasgow had got there before them. This allowed members of the [Provisional] Wolfe Tone Society to view our posters, which were plastered all over the walls of the building, for a full hour before the march commenced. Two hundred leaflets were then distributed demanding "Don't join the sell-out!" and "Stand by the Republic".

Speakers at the rally included former POW, Nick Mullin, and two speakers from the Connolly Association, all supporting the Agreement.

The most genuine and fitting tribute to Larkin was a poem read by locally based man, Donnchadh Aghas. After sounding off all afternoon about sectarianism the same party then headed for a Catholic Church club for a social!
Contents

Special Branch effort to recruit informer in Dublin

Dublin Special Branch Sergeant Colm Hilliard and two colleagues stopped a Republican Sinn Féin member in his car at 9.45pm on October 1 last.

They asked Tom Ryan to get out of his car just beyond the Ballymun Roundabout in the north of the city and asked him for insurance. They searched the car thoroughly and frisked and searched him.

On going through the Republican's wallet Branchman Hilliard said "a man on the dole should not have so much cash" and threatened to go to Social Welfare and report it. They threatened to take the post office book of his daughter and other items, Hilliard saying, "We can do what we want".

Then the Special Branchman's tone changed and he said to the Republican, "Look, I know you're not a bad man, but for the RUC to have let you go you must have been giving them information". He was referring to a situation where the Republican was imprisoned in Maghaberry for five days and harshly treated by the RUC because his car insurance was two days out of date.

Hilliard then asked Tom Ryan to get into the car with just himself as he "didn't trust his colleagues". When he said he certainly would not, Hilliard said "OK, I'll say it to you out here then. Will you give us information?" Tom refused.

He told SAOIRSE that it is vitally important for people when stopped like this to come forward immediately and report and log such incidents.
Contents

Moonlighters' leader to be honoured

A plaque to commemorate the life, times and achievements of Bob Finn -- the celebrated leader of the Moonlighters -- is to be set into the wall of the Library in the Co Kerry town of Castleisland later on this year.

It will be unveiled sometime in the New Year according to John Houlihan, the Kerry Representative for the National Graves Association of Ireland. Bob Finn, according to Fr Kieran O'Shea's excellent 1981 publication Castleisland Church and People was often referred to as Captain Moonlight and was the principal force behind the movement in that area.

In the violent days of the early 1880s when land wars, evictions and murder were the order of the day, Castleisland had more than its share of the action. Bob Finn is remembered to this day as an inspirational figure in the struggle against the tyranny of the landlords. As such, John Houlihan feels that his association should commemorate Finn and the Moonlighters as a millennium project in the Castleisland area.
Contents