BRITISH OCCUPATION AND THE LONDON 'TIMES' .......From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .
On December 12th , 1957 , 'The Irish Independent' newspaper reported - " Early yesterday morning a jeep-load of British soldiers accompanied by a member of the RUC crossed the border into the republic at Tyholland Frontier Post on the Monaghan-Armagh road . They were part of a Six-County 'police patrol' operating along the Armagh-Monaghan border . Mr. M. Crowley , the Customs Officer on the republic side , thought at first that the patrol had lost its way and allowed it to return to the Six Counties unchallenged . A few minutes later , however , the same vehicle again crossed the border into the republic , but this time Mr. Crowley stood in the centre of the road and forced the patrol to stop .
He informed the N.C.O. in charge that they were invading republic territory and that the vehicle and arms were liable to seizure . He then told the RUC man that he should have been aware of the patrol's position . The RUC man left the jeep and returned on foot to the Six Counties . Mr Crowley telephoned his Chief at Clones , Monaghan , and telephoned Garda Superintendent Collins , also stationed in Monaghan . When the Gardai arrived a few minutes later , the British soldiers had returned to the Six Counties . The matter was immediately reported to the Revenue Commissioners who referred it to the Department of External Affairs . A number of people who were passing the Customs Post at the time saw what happened ."
A jeep-load of British troops to 'reinforce' one RUC 'guide' !
Another article in 'The London Times' , entitled ' Actors In The Political Scene' , exposed the links between "...the country families and the Captains of Industry......."
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A PORTRAIT OF IRELAND , by Saoránach.......First published in the Republican Bulletin - Iris Na Poblachta , November 1986.
Dr Mary Kelly wrote - " Four frames were used which can be summarised briefly , if rather grossly , as follows : a republican frame , highlighted in some of the representations of the IRA in 'The Irish News'newspaper and to a lesser extent in 'The Irish Press' newspaper. This overlapped with the committed 'men of violence' frame highlighted in some of 'The Irish Times' coverage , but particularly in that of 'The Irish Independent'newspaper.
This frame again veered towards the 'terrorist' frame , central in 'The News Letter', 'The Belfast Telegraph' and 'The Times'(London) which overlapped with the 'animals/scum' frame which characterised some of the reports in 'The Mirror' and 'The Express'. "
The understanding that people in the 26 Counties have of events north of the border is confused and ambivalent . Mary Kelly continued on to talk about that confusion and ambivalence , and mentioned Conor Cruise O'Brien in relation to same.......
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ROBERT EMMET - THE DARLING OF ERIN.......Margaret McKearney looks at the life and death of one of Ireland's most enduring heroes.
From 'Fourthwrite' magazine, Autumn 2003.
Arms depots were established in Dublin for the manufacture and storage of weapons for the incipient rising . Former soldiers mixed their practical skills with the scientific knowledge that Robert Emmet had acquired on the continent , and an innovative rocket device was produced .
Elaborate plans were drawn up to take the city and in particular Dublin Castle: supporters from the surrounding counties of Kildare , Wicklow and even Wexford were pledged to assist . Emmet bided his time waiting for an opportune moment when English troops would be withdrawn to serve in the renewed war in France , but his hand was forced when a premature explosion on the evening of July 16 , 1803 , at the Patrick Street depot, caused the death of John Keenan .
Though there was no obvious wide scale search or arrest operation by the British following the explosion , the leadership of the movement decided to set July 23 , 1803 (the following Saturday) as the date for the rising . Emmet hoped that success in Dublin would inspire other counties to follow suit . Patrick M. Geoghegan, in a recent publication , says that "...the plan for taking Dublin was breathtaking in its precision and audacity . It was nothing less that a blueprint for a dramatic coup d'état . Indeed , over a century later , Pearse and Clarke would also refer to the plan for their own rising..."
Emmet's plan depended on two factors - arms and men . As Geoghegan states , when the time came , Robert Emmet had not enough of either.......
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