IRELAND , JANUARY 15th , 1920 : ELECTIONS .......
....... the 'Sinn Fein Courts' were dealing with land issues as well as other civil matters , and were respected by the population who had now turned their back on the British 'Court' system.......
Parish Courts , District Courts and a Supreme Court were established , and a Republican Police Force was mobilised to assist in the running of the Republican Court system ; by late 1919 , the British 'writ' in Ireland was so weak that 'Sir' Hamar Greenwood , the then British 'Chief Secretary for Ireland' , stated to other British Ministers -
- " We can only rely on the Navy , Military and RIC . The Dublin Police cannot be relied on , nor the Post Office , nor the Civil Service . "
On that same day when the All-Ireland Dail Eireann met for the first time in Dublin's Mansion House (ie 21st January 1919) , two RIC men were shot dead in Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary by the IRA ; the cartload of gelignite they were guarding was the target , but they would'nt hand it over without a fight . They lost .
That IRA Active Service Unit was led by Dan Breen and Sean Treacy , who had acted without approval from Michael Collins (military) or Eamonn de Valera (political) ; Dan Breen was called on to account for his IRA Unit's actions on that day by his own leadership .......
(MORE LATER).
Why We Ended The Hunger-Strike .
The full text of the H-Block Blanket Men's statement announcing the end of the 1981 Hunger-Strike .
First published in 'IRIS' magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2, November 1981 , pages 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 .
Re-published here in 18 parts .
(7 of 18).
" The British government , having been exposed for the hypocrites they are at the first Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election , had instigated and passed legislation which erased our right to participate in elections and , this done , they fixed the by-election for Bobby Sands' seat for August 20th , 1981 .
By this time a new , active ,treacherous and vigorous campaign was underway to break the hunger-strike ; it was orchestrated by clerics who received approval from the Catholic Church and , on occasion , other individuals were involved also . Attempts were made to discredit we prisoners and the National H-Block Armagh Committee . Most damaging was the promotion of the 'hopeless' syndrome , the projection of which , plus the private lobbying of relatives to effect intervention when hunger-strikers were going into a coma , was proving to be a serious threat to the continuation of the hunger-strike....... "
(MORE LATER).
ONE THAT GOT AWAY .......
Donegal IRA man , Patrick McIntyre - wanted by the RUC and by Gardai - was released by the High Court last month when his lawyers convinced the Court that he was not properly arrested and held by the Gardai . Tommie Gorman details McIntyre's story of two escapes and meets him 'on the run' .
From ' Magill ' magazine , June 1987 , pages 24 , 25 , 26 , 28 and 29 .
Re-produced here in 13 parts .
(10 of 13).
A Supreme Court ruling of April 3rd 1987 confirmed that a Chief Superintendent must give evidence of his suspicions when he is issuing an extension order ; it is not sufficient to confirm that he issues the order , he must say why .
Patrick McEntee SC had been added to the defence team - McIntyre's supporters were confident of victory . On the afternoon of 7th May 1987 , Patrick McIntyre was freed , courtesy of a legal loophole which has since been closed ; the Provisionals had a motorbike waiting outside the courtroom and he was driven off at high speed and buried in city centre traffic .
Garda have eighteen further warrants in relation to Patrick McIntyre ; his extradition is still being sought by the British , and he is now on the run .......
(MORE LATER).
('1169...' Comment - We would like to congratulate Republican Sinn Fein on its 100th Ard Fheis this weekend , Saturday 13th November and Sunday 14th November . It has been a long and hard road for RSF , but that's as it has always been ...)
