Friday, September 21, 2007

THEY ARE HELD IN BELFAST JAIL .......

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .

HELD WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL :

Brendan Lennon , Francis Street , Lurgan , County Armagh .
Hugh Brady , 28 Waring Street , Lurgan .
(Held after serving a four-year sentence)
Brendan Lavery , 124 Edward Street , Lurgan . (Held after serving a four-year sentence)
Eamonn McConville , Derrymacash , County Armagh . (Held after serving a four-year sentence)
Kevin Breen , 17 Clarendon Park , Marlin , Lurgan .
Patrick Duffy , 23 Clara Street , Lurgan .
Arthur Thornbury , 47 Brown Street , Lurgan .
Gerald Magill , Cherrymount , Lurgan .
John J. Rafferty , 13 Cusher Green , Mountmorris , County Armagh .
Thomas Mellon , 24 Elmwood Terrace , Derry City .
Canice O' Kane , Drumsurn , Limavaddy , County Derry .
Thomas Toner , Dungiven , County Derry .
Sean Keenan , 8 Saint Columb Street , Derry City .
John O' Hagan , Desertmartin , County Derry .
James McReynolds , Chapel Road , Dungiven , County Derry .
Art Kerr , 19 North Street , Derry City .

(MORE LATER).



ECONOMY IN CRISIS - An Historical Perspective.......

By any standards the economy of Ireland , North and South , can be described as being in a sorry mess with crisis , recession and imminent bankruptcy the most constant themes of economic discussion , intermittently over the last decade and ceaselessly in the last three years . In this article , Peter Graham surveys the factors which have produced this economy , and the historical role of foreign and native Irish capital.

From 'IRIS' magazine , November 1982.

Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt saw the benefits for nationalism in linking it to the new economic force in farming - the native-tenant-turned-landowner who , in turn , found the national cause a useful rallying call . The rural population which continued its nationalist zeal within Fenianism and into the next century , and supplied the blood spilt in the Tan War, was largely that of the small farmers and the declining agricultural labourers .

Those who had gained most from the Land War and the subsequent enabling legislation from Westminster financing their purchase of land , were by that time solid farmers repelled by any further revolution . For them , increasing their newly-won private property was , and has remained , their priority . The nationalisation of land , which Michael Davitt himself preached as the real economic freedom for the rural population , remains anathema for them today , as it was then .

Obviously the link to Britain was economically , as well as politically , the dictator of Ireland's agricultural economy . And so it was Britain's foreign wars and foreign trade , its laissezfaire phases , its uncaring attitude to the 'Famine', its penal legislation and so on , that set the pace and direction for all economic development . For most of Ireland , that was in agricultural terms.......
(MORE LATER).



DIVIS FLATS : Building Towards A Demolition Campaign .
Divis Flats , at the bottom of the Falls Road in West Belfast , have acquired a reputation for 'trouble' - of all kinds - and social deprivation ever since they were built in the 1960's . They have also endured some of the severest British repression meted out during the past 14 years , and replied with some of the fiercest resistance . Local resident and community activist Jim Faulkner examines the new resurgence of morale in the flats complex and the prospects it faces in its biggest battle yet - for total demolition .
From 'IRIS' magazine , November 1983 .

Much has been happening on the political front in West Belfast's Divis Flats complex since the Assembly and Westminster elections mobilised local residents to work and vote for Sinn Fein: people who had never taken much interest in political activity before could then be seen addressing election manifestos , canvassing , making tea for election workers and generally feeling part of the fight .

Sinn Fein's victories have renewed hope that the day will be hastened when the flats will be totally demolished and we can all live on the ground in decent homes again .

The victories also showed those that attempt to live in Divis Flats what they themselves could achieve by coming together and working hard to achieve what they want and they have not looked back since - they have gone on to form new groups to tackle the many problems faced by the Divis Flats community . One of those groups is the Divis Youth and Cultural Development Group which has recently opened a new 'Drop-In' centre for the youth of the area in an attempt to tackle the epidemic of joyriding and other anti-social activity going on in the flats.......
(MORE LATER).