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July 09, 2005

McAllister's Hopes Raised By Trump's Sister

News about Ireland & the Irish

BT 07/09/05 McAllister's Hopes Raised By Trump's Sister
BT 07/09/05 Bombing Reminder For Drumcree
BT 07/09/05 This Life: Drumcree Revisited
SF 07/09/05 Sinn Féin Steps Up Campaign In Support Of Rossport 5
SF 07/09/05 British Parachute Regiment Manouvres In North Louth
DI 07/08/05 Belfast Man On The Spot
TT 07/09/05 Stiff Little Fingers Raucous, Reissued
IO 07/09/05 Thousands To See Off Tall Ships

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=651718

She is the sister of billionaire Donald Trump. She is now a US judge
who is raising hopes for ex-INLA terrorist

By Sean O'Driscoll in New York
newsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
09 July 2005

A SISTER of billionaire mogul Donald Trump has strengthened the case
of a former INLA man fighting deportation from the US.

Judge Maryanne Trump Barry has questioned the deportation of Belfast
man, Malachy McAllister and said he didn't pose a threat to US
national security.

During hearings at a Newark federal circuit court in New Jersey, Judge
Trump Barry questioned US government lawyers on why McAllister's
involvement in 1981 in an "800 year old war" could threaten US
national security in 2005.

She also sought information on why former Attorney General Janet Reno
ended deportation cases against six Irish republicans during the
Clinton administration.

McAllister's lawyers showed Judge Trump Barry a statement released by
Reno at the time in which she said that she had ended the cases to
help the Irish peace process.

A three-judge panel was sitting to hear oral arguments in the case and
noted that US anti-terrorism laws may prevent them from taking any
action.

Judge Marjorie Rendell, a wife of Pennsylvania governor, Ed Rendell,
agreed with McAllister's Belfast-born lawyer, Eamonn Dornan that US
immigration law's definition of "terrorist" is "extremely broad," and
included acts that "none of us would consider terrorist."

However, Government lawyer John McAdams Jr argued that an exception
for McAllister could open the floodgates and assist those involved in
attacks against the US.

McAllister was convicted in 1983 for involvement in the attempted
murder of RUC officer Gregory Conway. He and his family fled Belfast
after a loyalist attack on their home in 1988 and came to the US in
1996.

His wife, Bernadette, died of cancer last year after she and two of
her children won the right to stay in the US.

McAllister has argued that it has been unsafe for him to return to
Northern Ireland since the 1988 attack, when a loyalist paramilitary
gang fired 26 shots into his south Belfast home.

Attorney Dornan said that he was very pleased with the oral arguments
but said that the court's power to act may be hampered by sweeping
federal anti-terrorism laws.

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=651702

Bombing Reminder For Drumcree

By Michael McHugh
newsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
09 July 2005

THIS week's London bombing will be a fresh reminder to all sides in
the Drumcree dispute of the need for resolution, the minister in
Portadown said last night.

The Rev John Pickering, rector of Drumcree Church of Ireland, will be
hosting hundreds of Orangemen tomorrow as Portadown District gathers
for its annual parade and he said the events of this week brought home
the need for compromise.

Security provision has again been scaled down in the Co Armagh town
for this year's march, the eighth year since loyalists were stopped
from marching down the Garvaghy Road in 1998.

The Parades Commission has again rerouted the Orangemen away from the
nationalist enclave.

But Mr Pickering said the tragedy of London would be weighing heavily
on everybody's minds while the deadlock continues.

"This is the 11th year of this now and I think people want to see life
going on as normal in this area, just as life must go on after the
London explosions," he said.

Security and business figures in the town have appealed for a peaceful
march but relations between Portadown District Orangemen and the
Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition have remained publicly cool.

******************************************

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/features/story.jsp?story=651790

This Life: Drumcree Revisited

By Alf McCreary
newsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
09 July 2005

TOMORROW will see the latest episode of the long-drawn Drumcree stand-
off which, apart from those directly involved, bores the rest of the
world beyond tears. This is a pity, but Orangemen are usually their
own worst enemies - who else, for example, except the stiff-necked
Belfast Orange leaders would object to their colleagues talking to
republicans to try to head off trouble?

Recently I talked to the Rector of Drumcree, the Rev John Pickering,
who has spent half of his entire ministry embroiled in that energy-
sapping conflict. He has been praised and often criticised, but he is
trapped in one of the most unenviable positions of any cleric in these
islands.

It is his dearest wish that an honourable peace for all sides may be
achieved before he retires - but he may have to wait some time yet.

The truth is that nobody outside the area cares badly enough about
Drumcree to settle the issue - and, until this happens, it will
continue to be a running sore to community relations throughout
Northern Ireland.

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/10390

Sinn Féin Steps Up Campaign In Support Of Rossport 5

Published: 8 July, 2005

Sinn Féin is stepping up its campaign in support of the Rossport 5
with protests taking place at Shell and Statoil garages across the 26
Counties between 5-7pm this evening (Friday 8th). Protests are
planned in Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Galway, Leitrim, Waterford,
Laois, Kilkenny, Kildare and Westmeath.

Speaking prior to the protests Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris said:

"It is not good enough for the government to wash their hands of the
Corrib Gas debacle and allow Shell to ride rough shod over the people
of Rossport. It is a disgrace that Micheál Ó Seighin, Vincent
McGrath, Philip McGrath, Willie Corduff and Brendan Philbin are now
into their second week of detention at Cloverhill prison.

"Serious issues have arisen at every stage in this process going
right back to the original granting of licenses and the allocation of
the site at Bellanboy, all of which are shrouded in mystery. To
add to that we now have the ludicrous situation where one part of a
company engaged in a potentially dangerous pipeline development is
asked to conduct an 'independent review' of the risks involved.

"This is at a time when Shell is attempting to bully people whose
lands lie along the route of the proposed pipeline, and where none
of the serious concerns that have been raised are being properly
addressed.

"The five men should be released immediately. The government should
initiate an independent review of health and safety risks and
institute a thorough public investigation into every aspect of Shell's
involvement in this project right back to the shoddy deal that gave
them control over the Corrib Field in the first instance".ENDS

Below are details of some of the protests that are taking place.

Dublin South West - SHELL garage at Tallaght By-pass
Dublin North East – SHELL garage at Clare Hall, Malahide Road
Dublin North Central – Statoil Garage across from Donnycarney Church
Dublin Central – SHELL garage at Finglas Road, Glasnevin
Dublin Mid West – SHELL garage Lucan by-pass, Palmerstown
Dublin South and Dublin South East – SHELL garage Taney Road Dundrum
Dun Laoghaire – SHELL garage in Dalkey
Dublin West – Castleknock and Hartstown Statoil stations

Wexford - Shell service station, New Ross

Laois - Shell service station, Portlaoise road, Mountmellick

Kilkenny - Shell service station, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny

Kildare - Shell service station, Kilcullen Road, Naas.

Westmeath - Shell service station, hospital road, Athlone

Leitrim - Statoil filling station on the Dublin road Carrick-on-
Shannon

Cork – Douglas Village and Blackpool Shopping Centre

Kerry - Tralee Town Centre

******************************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/10391

British Parachute Regiment Manouvres In North Louth

Published: 8 July, 2005

A British Army Puma helicopter landed in the Rassan area of North
Louth at 8.40 pm on Thursday night last, 7th July 2005. Two heavily
armed PSNI officers and 8 British paratroopers were dropped off in a
field next to

the Dundalk/Derry road 3/4 miles south of the border. The helicopter
then flew towards Co. Armagh, leaving the 10 members of the security
forces behind in Co. Louth.

Within minutes, local residents who were alerted by the noise
gathered at the scene and confronted the security forces. A number of
motorists also stopped in the area. there have been reports that some
people threw stones

at the paratroopers. At this point the Puma helicopter returned,
landed in Co. Louth and collected the soldiers and PSNI officers. The
helicopter then flew further south and hovered over a house. The lady
of the house

went to her front door and witnessed a British paratrooper point his
rifle at her while other soldiers made obscene gestures. The
helicopter then returned to its base in Crossmaglen.

Local Sinn Féin Councillor Tomás Sharkey has reacted angrily to the
incident;

"The border area is being saturated by British security forces who
seem hellbent on inciting local communities. Only two weeks ago, a
parachute regiment patrol waved a car through a checkpoint outside
Crossmaglen and

then fired on it. The border communities are living in fear of this
maverick behaviour.

"I do not accept that the helicopter was lost or simply off course.
It flew over a British base at Drummucknavall, a local school, and the
main Castleblayney road. I believe that the soldiers were on british
army business in Co. Louth, attempting to either place or remove their
own surveillance equipment. Irish people are well aware of the
parachute regiments track record here.

"I met the junior minister for Foreign Affairs, Conor Lenihan only 2
hours after the incursion. His officials have been in contact with me
and are waiting for a resonse from the British security forces. I
made it clear to them that I will not accept yet another standard
response on this issue. The Parachute Regiment are not welcome in
County Louth."

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http://62.253.251.16/dailyireland/home.tvt?_ticket=3XGR6983BHSJ53J94NN
AD0UEAKLAFS6DJQRFL1PAASTLAUNBGNSMTRRITI5N9NTHNMLEGGSGX2L24NNAD0SEARP9C
HYPTRRIT5X&_scope=DailyIreland/Content/News&id=6578&opp=1

Belfast Man On The Spot

by Zoe Tunney

A Belfast man who works for London Underground last night described
the devastation after yesterday's bomb attacks.

Thomas McKeown, who works as an electrician for London underground,
was at work yesterday at Baker Street Tube station, one stop away from
Russell Square when the first device exploded.

As a senior technician, Mr McKeown was one of the first called to the
scene and arrived at Russell Square Tube station within five minutes
of the bombs exploding.

Speaking to Daily Ireland from the street outside the station, he said
the scene was one of "utter devastation".

"There is panic but everyone is working calmly although it is a very
serious type of emergency."

As Mr McKeown waited for casualties to be taken from the wreckage and
the all-clear from police before he and his team of 100 London
Underground technical staff went down to start repair work, he said
the news from other emergency services was grim.

Although no figures had been confirmed, Mr McKeown said he was told
there was between 35 and 40 bodies trapped in the wreckage of the
train.

"They are coming up saying it's not good down there but nobody will
give official figures.

"Police are trying to prevent any bad news from getting out and have
banned the press from anywhere near the scene.

"First aiders were allowed down at first but then they realised it was
going to take more than first aiders to deal with the injuries down
there.

"People coming up are saying it is worse than we think. The number of
people dead is definitely more than the 35 they were saying in the
news today."

The Belfast man, who has lived in London for 30 years, also described
the manner in which police handled events in the immediate aftermath
of the attacks.

"I arrived here almost straight away and the police had the area
cordoned off. They are treating this like a crime scene. Nobody is
allowed to move. There are hundreds of them going over the area with a
fine tooth comb and more of them are arriving all the time," Mr
McKeown said.

Other Irish people living in London also spoke yesterday to Daily
Ireland.

Kyra Morrison, from Co Fermanagh, is a director of Invest NI and works
from offices in Westminster in the city of London.

Kyra's family were visiting from Ireland and she was supposed to take
her nephews on a day trip to London Zoo yesterday morning. They would
have taken the train to Russell Square.

"We have been very lucky. Things just weren't running to plan so we
didn't head off for the zoo when we were supposed to, thank God."

"The saddest thing is," Kyra said, "last night we had tears of joy in
our eyes after London got the 2012 olympics. Today we have tears of
grief in our eyes for the poor families who lost somebody today."

Gabrielle McManus is an IT consultant from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh,
who has lived in London for nine years.

Her first appointment yesterday morning was to collect documentation
from an office in Russell Square.

Gabrielle says she would definitely have been on an underground train
on her way to Russell Square when the explosions went off during rush
hour.

"I feel so lucky," Gabrielle said, "I slept in and was running late. I
couldn't make up my mind whether I should hurry in to the city or not,
but then the news began to filter through.

"The people who did this are scum. I thought we had seen the end of
all this carnage after New York. I don't know how the people of London
are going to get over this."

Belfast man Michael Hawkins (24), who works as a solicitor in central
London, said there was an atmosphere of 'stunned silence' in the wake
of the attacks.

"The streets are eerily quiet, in stark contrast to the normal weekday
rush," he said.

"Everyone in London knew that events like this were inevitable, as
we're told on a daily basis by the London Underground's Metro paper,
but we had definitely grown complacent in our dealing with this threat
– how is it possible for us to be constantly aware of an invisible
risk?

"The attacks today are a sad reflection of the world we're now living
in."

Co Antrim social worker Brenda Matthews is now based in Walthamstow,
north-east London. She told Daily Ireland that people are appalled by
the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.

Brenda's brother and several friends passed through Moorgate,
Liverpool St and King's Cross just minutes before the explosions
occurred.

"My brother went through Moorgate ten minutes before the attack there.
As news of the attacks came in the whole phone system went down so
there was frustration and fear in not being able to contact friends.

"The sickening thing is this wasn't an attack on the politically
powerful. It was an atrocity against people who have to work for a
living and who have to use public transport.

"As sickening and tragic as this is, we also need to remember that
this kind of barbarism is happening each and every day in places like
Iraq.

"It didn't matter to those responsible. They were attacking people
that had to work for a living regardless of their demographics."

Brenda said that the most concerning thought is that anyone could have
been on the bus or trains affected yesterday – including people who
protested against the Iraq war.

******************************************

http://www.thetriangle.org/media/paper689/news/2005/07/08/Entertainmen
t/Stiff.Little.Fingers.Raucous.Reissued-961458.shtml

Stiff Little Fingers Raucous, Reissued

By Jon Carrelli
Published: Friday, July 8, 2005

Upon their entry into the punk scene, Stiff Little Fingers were
labeled with the inaccurate title of being the "Irish Clash." However,
this title seems to be more appropriate for The Undertones, a band the
Fingers influenced. Aside from being name-checked in the film High
Fidelity where they are likened to Green Day, the average music
listener has had little exposure to Stiff Little Fingers. Just like
peers The Jam, the Fingers enjoyed most of their success overseas in
the U.K. Although SLF and the Jam will never rightfully be hailed as
much as the Clash have been in the states, reissues are always a good
place to start. Although SLF's early catalogue was reissued by EMI in
the U.K. in 2001, the bonus track versions were not available in the
States until now. In conjunction with Ryko, Restless Records has
reissued the first three proper SLF albums and a live album as well.

The Fingers combine the political leanings of the Clash with the sound
of the Sex Pistols on their 1979 release Inflammable Material. Parts
of the album detail the conflict between the Royal Ulster Constabulary
and the Irish Republican Army. Songs like "Suspect Device" and
"Alternative Ulster" are the album's highlights. The barbershop
quartet rave-up "Barbed Wire Love," the Marley cover "Johnny Was," and
the rest of the album is charming and highly listenable.

The uninitiated will wonder why they haven't heard SLF already! The
2005 reissue is identical to the 2001 version that has the single
version of "Suspect Device" as well as the terrific "78 RPM" B-side.

The reissue closes out with part one of a four-part interview with
lead man Jake Burns. Inflammable Material is an out-and-out classic
and is the most essential SLF album.

SLF's next album, Nobody's Heroes came in 1980. Heroes is just as
essential as Inflammable Material and shows the band progressing
musically, adding reggae and dub into the mix. While not as full of
sheer energy as Material, Heroes is chock full of brilliant songs from
the minds of Jake Burns and journalist Gordon Ogilvie. "Fly the Flag"
and "Wait and See" are among the highlights, as well as a fantastic
cover of the Specials' "Doesn't Make It Alright." Among the excellent
bonus tracks are "You Can't Say Crap on the Radio," "Straw Dogs" and a
continuation of the charming Jake Burns interview from 2001.

The next album in the reissue series is the live Hanx!. Recorded in
1980, Hanx! presents the band at its most ferocious.

The album is comprised of live material from one show at the Rainbow
in London and another at Friars in Aylesbury. Although the least
essential of the four reissues, Hanx! is a superb live recording and
highly enjoyable. The listener can hear the sheer energy of an adoring
crowd before a highly inspired SLF playing intense versions of songs
from Inflammable Material and Nobody's Heroes. Bonus tracks include
"Running Bear," "White Christmas" and a continuation of the Jake Burns
interview.

SLF's last classic album, Go for It, was released in 1981. Although
the weakest of the three classic albums, Go for It is in no way a bad
record. In fact in the closing interview about the making of the
album, Jake Burns explains how he wanted Go for It to play like a
classic Sinatra album. He details how an album was originally
comprised of multiple singles bound together in one package, hence the
term "album." Burns set out to write and record 10 A-sides with
Ogilvie, and they succeed in amazing fashion.

Although original label Chrysalis messed up the title (it was truly
named Roots Radics Rockers & Reggae), the opener "Roots Radicals
Rockers & Reggae," as well as the singles "Just Fade Away" and "Silver
Lining," are some of the finest songs of the era. This reissue
features the best bonus tracks of the bunch with the single "Back to
Front," a cover of "Mr. Fire Coal Man" and a live version of the
Specials' "Doesn't Make It All Right."

Although Stiff Little Fingers went on to make more records, such as
the somewhat disappointing Now Then..., they were never again as
sincere, energetic, melodic and hooky as they were on these four
albums. Only recently has a reformed version of the band achieved such
high heights, which can be witnessed on last year's release Guitar and
Drum.

Restless has put out a fine set of reissues, although liner notes on
the first three would have been peachy. The important part is that
these great recordings (with bonus tracks) are available for easy
purchase at any quality record store. If you haven't heard Stiff
Little Fingers and you've been looking for a new favorite band for the
summer, sink your teeth into these reissues. You most certainly will
not be disappointed.

Stiff Little Fingers can be heard periodically on Drexel's own WKDU
91.7 FM.

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http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=122318520&p=yzz3y9yxx&n=122319129

Thousands To See Off Tall Ships

09/07/2005 - 11:10:19

Thousands of people are expected to line the Waterford Estuary as the
Tall Ships sail out in formation for the start of the 2005 race series
today.

Hundreds of thousands have turned out over the past few days to see
the 86 tall ships which have been berthed in Waterford Port.

Today's Parade of Sail is formally kicking-off the 2005 race series
and will see all the Tall Ships sailing down the River Suir in
formation, led by the Irish sail-training vessel Asgard II.

Organisers said they expected vantage points to be thronged with
onlookers as the ships sail down the estuary ahead of the Race start
at 3pm.

Visitors are expected to watch the visual spectacle from spots all the
way down to Dunmore East as well as from the Co Wicklow side of the
estuary and from their own boats.

Spectators have already been treated to parades, an Air Corps fly-by
and a firework display in Waterford, as part of the free festival.

A spokeswoman for the organising committee said 240,000 people had
already taken part in the festival and that the atmosphere in the city
was brilliant.

The ships, from countries as diverse as France, Uruguay, United
States, Bulgaria, India, Ireland, Indonesia, Russia, Germany,
Netherlands, UK, Poland, Finland, Belgium, Latvia, Portugal, Spain and
Norway, have been open for free to visitors between 10am and 3pm for
the last three days.
Posted by: Unknown / 8:05 AM
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