Tag: Derry

Bloody Sunday families demand case to be kept in Co. Derry

Brother says ‘Soldier F’ hearing should not be moved!

Bloody Sunday not forgotten your Poppy here for us means nothing

The Bloody Sunday families will fight “tooth and nail” to prevent the Soldier F murder case being moved out of Derry. Michael McKinney, whose brother, William was among those gunned down in cold blood by British Paratroopers said his family would not allow his brothers murder to be treated differently than any other victim. Mr McKinney (pictured below) was speaking after District Judge Barney McElholm suggested the case be moved to Belfast to ensure a suitable venue was available.

PLEDGE: Michael McKinney said his family will fight ‘tooth and nail’ to keep the ‘Soldier F’ case in Derry

Soldier F is facing two murder charges in connection with the 1972 murders of 13 innocent victims on Bloody Sunday.

“We as a family will not let Willie be treated differently from any other victim” – Michael McKinney 

The former British Paratrooper is to be charged with the murder of William McKinney and Jim Wray (both pictured in the featured image) as well as four counts of attempted murder. He denies the charges. At a preliminary hearing in Co Derry yesterday – at which ‘Soldier F’ was not present – a Public Prosecution lawyer said a decision must be taken on a venue for the case in the near future. Judge McElholm said it looked likely that the case would have to be moved out of Derry. “We cannot convene this in just some hall or public space. There are considerations of security,” he said. “We are willing to listen to any opposition put to us. “At the moment, despite trying to get somewhere closer to the city, I am afraid Belfast looks like the venue.” Solicitor for the Bloody Sunday families, Ciaran Shiels, said the case should be heard in Derry.

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY THE VICTIMS MURDERED IN 1972 WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN R.I.P

“This is where the killings occurred, a stone’s throw from these buildings,” he said. “We have always been of the view that ‘F’ should be attending here in person at his committal and that remains the position.” He said other arrangements could be made to overcome any logistical challenges while, in security terms, police favoured Derry over Belfast.

A very rare photograph of ‘Soldier F’ which was taken in Co Derry in 1972

His comments were echoed by Mr McKinney, who said the Bloody Sunday families were determined that ‘Soldier F’ should stand trial in Derry. “My brother was an innocent young Derry man who was shot dead on the streets of his hometown and now there are moves to take the trial out of Derry,” he said. “We’ll fight tooth and nail to keep this case in Derry.”

Follow this link to find out more in 1971 11 people were murdered in Ballymurphy  by by the same British Army regiment who murdered 13 innocent people on Bloody Sunday in Derry: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2295906417095915&id=100000297382246

The families are also opposing moves to continue anonymity for ‘Soldier F’. Mr Shiels said he been informed that if ‘Soldier F’ wished to maintain his anonymity, his lawyers should set out in detail the legal provision on which they rely.

Ballymurphy 1971 British State Murder For Hire

The Bloody Sunday families have two weeks to make submissions challenging the decision to move the hearings to Belfast. The case has been adjourned until February 7th 2020.

With many thanks to: The Irish News and Seamus McKinney for the original story 

Police event cancelled over Saoradh protest threat

The conference was set to take place in the Guildhall in Derry on Wednesday

 

A Londonderry youth club has cancelled an event involving police after a party representing dissident republicans threatened to protest.

The Long Tower Youth and Community Centre had planned to hold a conference for young people in the Guildhall.

But the political party, Saoradh, said it would protest at the presence of the PSNI.

The club said it had tried to discuss it with Saoradh, but was unsuccessful and had “no option but to cancel”.

‘Unfortunate’
PSNI Supt Alan Hutton said: “This event was a fantastic opportunity for young people to express their views on issues that matter to them to a range of partners and it is unfortunate that the whole day had to be cancelled.

“Our young people’s voices need to be heard.

“It would have been a welcome opportunity for young people to meet their local police officers, ask us questions, share their concerns and frustrations and to get to know us and the job we do.”

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Long Tower YC21 hours agoYouth work is about providing the platform for young people to engage directly with those who they have issues with. This has always been the basis of youth work, at no point do our youth workers allow their personal vaules to influence the work they do or how they go about their jobs.Youth work is about adopting an undue positive regard approach so that we take young people at face value and not judge them. When they present with an issue such as policing then our youth work

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Saoradh, which means liberation in Irish, was founded in 2016.

It campaigns for the release of all republican prisoners, and has the support of prisoners from the dissident group referred to as the New IRA in Maghaberry and Portlaoise prisons.

The Long Tower Youth and Community Centre said attempts were made to engage “in dialogue with the particular organisation who have a issue with this event as they have vowed to stage a protest.

“This request for engagement has been refused. Therefore we have no option but to cancel this event.”

About 20 people in paramilitary-style uniforms leading an Easter parade organised by Sarah in Derry in 2017

Saoradh spokesman Paddy Gallagher said youth clubs “should be a neutral environment for children to flourish, develop and associate with their peers. Not to be used as a political mechanism to adopt a broader acceptance of so called policing and normalisation within the Six Counties.”

The party said they had been willing to engage with the youth club “on the basis they cancelled the event first, otherwise our protest would go ahead as planned.”

With many thanks to: BBC News for the original story

Ex-Para’s ‘Bloody Sunday’ comments were nothing short of a disgrace

13 people were murdered on Bloody Sunday and another died of his injuries some months later

The sister of a man killed on Bloody Sunday has described a former soldier’s comments on the shootings as “very cold and very brutal”.

Thirteen people died on the day after troops opened fire in Londonderry in January 1972, and a 14th person died later from his injuries.

The former paratrooper told the BBC that he feels no guilt for what happened.

He said he still considers it a job well done.

Bloody Sunday: Tense wait for soldier prosecution decision
Bloody Sunday victim awarded thousands
The victims of Bloody Sunday
Key findings of Saville Report
The man known as Sergeant ‘O’ is one of a number of ex-soldiers who will find out next week if they will be prosecuted over the killings

The Saville Inquiry into the killings concluded that all the victims were innocent.

Speaking to the BBC’s Peter Taylor, Sergeant ‘O’ said that Lord Saville was not there on the day and whilst he accepted that some of those who were killed were innocent he did not accept that all of the victims were innocent.

‘Cold and brutal’
Kate Nash, whose 19-year-old brother William was shot dead described the soldier’s comments as cold and as a lie.

“What a horrible lie to continue to stand by, even as you become an older person.

“Very cold and very brutal.”

Eighteen ex-paratroopers have been reported to the PPS over the killings and the Bloody Sunday victims are currently waiting to hear if any will face charges.

Image caption
Michael McDaid, William Nash, John Young were killed on Bloody Sunday
Lord Saville’s official inquiry into the killings concluded that all victims were innocent and posed no threat.

The paratroopers, he said, lost their self-control and fired without discipline.

His unequivocal conclusion led the then prime minister, David Cameron, to deliver a historic apology in the House of Commons and to the people of Derry.

What happened on Bloody Sunday, he said, was “unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong”.

Investigation
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began a murder investigation following the report.

The BBC previously obtained a letter from a senior public prosecutor detailing the criminal charges the soldiers could face.

They include murder and attempted murder, wounding, perjury and joint enterprise, which means an offence where two or more people are involved.

With many thanks to: BBCNI for the original story

 

Famine art exhibition opens in the North of Ireland for the first time

The Home Coming Exhibition opened in Derry on Saturday.

An art exhibition on loan from the US about the Irish Famine has opened for the first time in the North of Ireland. Image copyright © LOCAL DOHERTY

The Coming Home Exhibition opened in Derry on Saturday

An art exhibition on loan from the US about the Irish Famine has opened for the first time in Northern Ireland.

The exhibition, ‘Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger’, will be in Londonderry until 16 March.

It is on loan from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University.

About a million people died of starvation and epidemic disease between 1845 and 1851, and some two million emigrated.

Ireland had witnessed a massive surge in population from 2.6 million to 8.5 million by 1845 when blight struck the potato.

BBC – British History in depth – The Irish Famine
How Irish Famine devastated Ulster

The exhibition will run in Derry until March
Few places on the island escaped its effects.

Local historian Ken McCormack told BBC News NI that people moved to Derry from Donegal for a better life.

“They quickly found out that things were not great here either,” Mr McCormack says.

“The blight didn’t hit us as such, but the amount of people coming to the north west was certainly problematic and workhouses didn’t like it.”

Mr McCormack also says a famine wall from Culmore to the roundabout at the bottom of Strand Road was built.

“This was to create a boundary,” he adds. “Landowners benefited from famine walls. They didn’t want to give anybody any of their space for free.”

The exhibition, which features more than 50 pieces of artwork by Irish artists, has been touring the Republic of Ireland for 12 months and has been viewed by more than 90,000 people at Dublin Castle and at the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen.

It will be on show at Derry’s Cultúrlann uí Chanáin.

The pieces of artwork on view are from Jack B Yeats, Dorothy Cross, Paul Henry, William Crozier, John Behan, Brian Maguire, Rowan Gillespie, Micheal Farrell, Hughie O’Donoghue and Alanna O’Kelly.

Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, Ryan Mahoney

Ryan Mahoney, director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, says it was always the ambition of Quinnipiac University to bring the exhibition to both parts of the island.

“We hand selected Cultúrlann due to its commitment to culture and the arts and its ambition to become Derry’s new creative quarter,” he says.

“In 1847, over 12,000 emigrants left the port here in Derry. It was important for the university to acknowledge the impact the great hunger had locally.”

The mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Boyle, said: “This exhibition is a huge coup for the city and north west region.

“It will put the city on the international stage.”

In “the great hunger” of 1845, 1.5m people emigrated to Canada, America and England

With many thanks to: BBCNI for the original story

 

Plastic bullet files ordered closed for up to 84 years

Paul Whitters (15) died ten days after being hit by a plastic bullet.

The mother of a teenager killed by a plastic bullet 37 years ago this week has called for all files on her son’s death to be published.

Helen Whitters was speaking after it was revealed that a file about the death of her son, Paul (15) in 1981 has been closed at the National Archives at Kew until 2059.

The Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) has discovered that other files at Kew relating to plastic bullet deaths are to remain closed for 84 years until 2071.

Paul Whitters was struck on the back of his head by a plastic bullet fired by an RUC constable on April 15 1981. He survived for ten days, dying on April 25. In 2007, then Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan found that the use of the plastic bullet round was “wrong and unjustifiable.”

The former Ombudsman found that the police officer fired the plastic bullet gun at under the minimum permissible range; that no attempt was made to arrest the teenager and that the police account was inconsistent with that of seven eyewitnesses. She criticised the police investigation for failing to interview civilian witnesses who said that when the fatal shot was fired earlier rioting had stopped. Almost a year to the day after the teenager’s death, 11-year-old Stephen McConomy, also Derry, died after being hit by a plastic baton round.

Mrs Whitters said: “What right does the government have to withhold information until those who knew and loved Paul are long dead.

“This is about the death of my son at the hands of a RUC constable. This file must be opened and I am appealing to everyone with influence to raise this matter with the Secretary of State.”

PFC spokeswoman, Sara Duddy said: “For years families have campaigned for information relating to the use of plastic and rubber bullets, lethal weapons that killed 17 people during the conflict, mostly children. Many more suffered life-changing injuries. It is unacceptable that information is still being withheld.”

With many thanks to: The Irish News for the origional story.

Welcome To The Peoples Gallery

The Peoples Gallery – The Bogside Artists – William Street, Co. Derry.

Thousands of International visitors come to Derry each year just to see and photograph the Murals of the open air gallery on one of Ireland’s most historical streets regardless of it being dumbed down in promotional terms by the powers at be.. Word of mouth is the greatest thing, it travels far and wide.

This is City Council workers installing street signs for directions to The People’s Gallery of murals. They were put in place just a couple of years ago. This came after many years of lobbying for them by us something we felt we shouldn’t have had to lobby for, but none the less we were delighted when they were finally installed.

Currently we have been waiting patiently for the erection of spotlights on all twelve murals of the open air gallery which was agreed upon and signed off by Derry City and Strabane District Council with the support of the NI Housing Executive last year.

Just like the street signs the agreement on the spotlights came also after many years of lobbying for them. Its been a whole year now since Council signed it off and we are still waiting.

With many thanks to: Tom Kelly.
Check out his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bogsideartists.derry

Máire Drumm murdered in her hospital bed.

On 28th October 1976, 28 years ago, Sinn Féin Vice President Máire Drumm was shot dead in her hospital bed.

Máire Drumm (née McAteer), was born in the townland of Killeen, South Armagh, on 22 October 1919 to a staunchly republican family. Máire’s mother had been active in the Tan War and the Civil War.

In 1940, Máire joined Sinn Féin in Dublin. In 1942, she moved to Belfast, which became her adopted city and she continued her republican activities. Every weekend, Máire would carry food parcels to the republican prisoners in Crumlin Road Jail and it was here that she met Jimmy Drumm, who she married in 1946.

When the IRA renewed the armed struggle in the late 1950s, Jimmy was again interned without trial from ’57 to ’61.

Máire became actively involved in the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s. She worked tirelessly to rehouse the thousands of nationalists forced from their homes by unionist/loyalist pogroms.

During her work as a Civil Rights activist, Máire emerged as one of the Republican Movement’s most gifted leaders and organisers. Máire was the first to warn that the British troops sent in as “peace keepers” were a force of occupation. Máire was a dynamic and inspirational speaker. Once, when addressing a rally in Derry after the shooting of two men from the city, Máire said:

“The people of Derry are up off their bended knees. For Christ sake stay up. People should not shout up the IRA, they should join the IRA.”

In 1972, Máire became Vice President of Sinn Féin. Due to their dedication to the republican struggle, Máire’s family was continuously harassed by the RUC, British Army and by loyalist intimidation. The British Army even constructed an observation post facing their home in Andersonstown. At one point, her husband and son were interned at the same time. Her husband, Jimmy became known as the most jailed republican in the Six Counties. Máire was also jailed twice for ‘seditious’ speeches, once along with her daughter.

In 1976, her eyesight began to fail and she was admitted for a cataract operation to the Mater Hospital, Belfast. On 28 October 1976, as Máire lay in her hospital bed, loyalist killers wearing doctors white coats walked into her room and shot her dead.

Máire Drumm, freedom fighter and voice of the people, was buried in Milltown Cemetery. One of her most famous quotes was:

 

“We must take no steps backward, our steps must be onward, for if we don’t, the martyrs that died for you, for me, for this country will haunt us forever.”

https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsAbout maire drumm https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/maire-drumm-1919-1976/

 

With many thanks to: Easter Rising War of Independence and Irish Civil War History.

‘IRA” says it struck police vehicle with EFP (explosively formed projectile).

THE Republican paramilitary group known as the ‘IRA’ last night claimed it was “confident” it struck an RUC/PSNI vehicle with an EFP mortar in Strabane last week.

In a statement the organisation, sometimes referred to as the ‘New IRA’, said it fired the potentially lethal device at the passing patrol car at Townsend Street in the Tyrone town last Tuesday night. The group claims the EFP (explosively formed projectile) mortar contained Semtex and was triggered by command wire and fired from a distance of nine feet at the police vehicle as it passed at around 8pm. The ‘IRA’ claims that the mortar was moved from another location in the border town earlier on Tuesday after the security forces failed to show up.

Using a recognised codeword, the republican group claimed that an attempt to target a police car with the same device at Townsend Street was abandoned an hour before the attack because of the prescence of civillian vehicles in the area. The RUC/PSNI has said that the device, which it described as a “roadside bomb with command wire attached” was “designed to kill or seriously injure” its officers. Three officers who were travelling in the vehicle were uninjured but believed to be left shaken. The RUC/PSNI vehicle left the area after the attack and police were later criticised for failing to cordon off the scenne for three hours.

Several people were removed from their homes during a follow up operation but later allowed to return. Politicians have condemned the latest attack which came just weeks after the ‘IRA’ tried to kill a Catholic police officer in Derry using an undercar bomb. Policing Board member and SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said: “Such attacks on the PSNI (RUC) have no place in a modern progressive society.” DUP MLA Tom Buchánan said: “There must be a united and resolute stand from right across the political spectrum to such activities.”

In August 2015, a motar was discovered and disarmed at a cemetery in Strabane after a security operation. EFPs, which can pierce armour over a long distance, have been used by the ‘IRA’ in Derry and Belfast in the past. On those occasions no-one was injured. Unexploded EFPs have also been recovered by the security forces accross the north. Believed to have been developed in Iran, the homemade weapon was regularly used in Iraq. It is considered by some as the modern version of the horizontal mortar – known to republicans as a ‘doodle bug’ – which was used by the Provisionals. Meanwhile, police have been given additional time to question a 20-year-old man arrested in Newtownstewart in connection with the attack last week, while a 31-year-old man arrested on Saturday continued to be questioned last night.

With many thanks to: The Irish News, for the orgional story.

Please Write To Irish Republican Political Prisoners.

This list is updated on a regular basis.

List of Republican prisoners that are looked after by Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA)

Portlaoise Gaol

E3 & E4, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois

Dublin: Tallaght
Michael Finlay
Dean Byrne
Edward McGrath

Clondalkin

Patrick Brennan

Donard

John Troy

Bluebell

Sean Connolly

Ballymun

Stephen Hendrick

East Wall

Pierce Moran

Rush Co Dublin

John McGrail

Killester

Donal O’Coisdealbha

Goatstown

Connor Hughes

Ballybrack

Darren Fox

Louth:

Owen McCann
Conan Murphy

Carlow:

James Smithers

Cork:

Tony Carroll
Brian Walsh
Joe Walsh
Sean Walsh
Mick Gilmartin
Martin McHale

Derry:

Kevin Devlan

Tyrone:

Damien (DD) McLaughlin

Maghaberry
Roe 4, Maghaberry Prison, Old Road Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn BT28 2PT

Armagh:

Dee Duffy
Shea Reynolds
Ciaran Magee
Brendan McConville
Sean McVeigh
Luke O’ Neill (held on a non-political wing on protest)
John Paul Wotton

Belfast:

Anto Davidson
Christie Robinson

Derry:

Barry Concannon
Jason Ceulmans
Damien Harkin
Neil Hegarty
Nathan Hastings
Seamus McLaughlin

Fermanagh:

Barry Petticrew (Held on a non – political wing in isolation)

Meath:

Darren Poleon
Brian Walsh

Tyrone:

Gavin Coyle
Martin McGilloway (CSU)

Magilligan
Point Rd, Limavady BT49 0LR

Belfast:

Brian Millar

————————————————————————————————

List of Republican prisoners that are looked after by Cogús prisoner support group

Roe House MAGHABERRY

Old Road Ballinderry Upper,
Lisburn,
County Antrim,
BT28 2PT

Conor Hughes

Gerard Flanagan

Carl Reilly

Tony Taylorq

Ta Mc Williams

Ciaran Mc Laughlin

Paddy O’ Neill (teach na failte)

Cogús Prisoners E2, Portlaoise Co Laois:

Charles Anthony Deery

Garret Mulley

Seamus McGrane

Ryan Glennon

With many thanks to: Stephen Codd @ Revolution Ireland.

 

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