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November 01, 2005

McAllister Hopes To Stay in The US

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News about Ireland & the Irish

IC 11/01/05 Malachy McAllister Hopes To Stay In The US
BT 11/01/05 60 IRA Fugitives To Return
IN 11/01/05 'Normality' In Two Years: Woodward
DU 11/01/05 OTRs: Greatest Surrender Of Any British Govt
DU 11/01/05 Paisley Voices Concerns On The Terrorism Bill
BT 11/01/05 Greysteel Killer Back Serving Life
BT 11/01/05 Murdered Man's Mum Warns Over Jail Release
IN 11/01/05 LVF Behind Killings Of At Least 28 People
IN 11/01/05 LVF Murals Come Down; Rear Guard Protects Guns
BT 11/01/05 McGoldrick's Father Backs Loyalist Move
BT 11/01/05 Publicity Campaign To Block Garland Extradition
IO 11/01/05 Hain Urged To Address 2-Tier Policing Fears
IN 11/01/05 Additional Fencing For Derry Interface
BT 11/01/05 Police To See Loyalist Road Protest Women
IN 11/01/05 NIO Biased In Parades Job Choice: Applicant
BT 11/01/05 Police Chiefs Condemn Loyalist Rioters
BT 11/01/05 Arson Attack On Family 'A Murder Attempt'
BB 11/01/05 Man Charged With Mother's Murder
BB 11/01/05 Fire-Fighters Come Under Attack
BT 11/01/05 Love Ulster May Go On Tour
BT 11/01/05 Viewpoint: LVF Must Now Dump Weapons
BT 11/01/05 Paisley Debates Kelly Show Invite
BT 11/01/05 Opin:Adams On Kelly:Like Being Mugged By Granny
BT 11/01/05 Kelly: Our King Of Chat
IN 11/01/05 Opin: Groups Must All Stand Down
IN 11/01/05 Kelly Widow To Meet Adviser
IE 11/01/05 Echo Editorial: Plan For Unity
IN 11/01/05 Ireland's First Motorway Stations
BB 11/01/05 Research Focus On Twin Tower Survivors
BT 11/01/05 Treaty Conducted w/ Whiskey Among Irish Team

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http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/Irelandclick/arts2005/oct31_McAllister_wants_to_remain_in_US.php

Belfast Man Hopes To Stay In The US

(Francesca Ryan, Irelandclick.com)

A Belfast man is currently fighting deportation from the US
where he has been living since he fled Ireland in 1988.

Malachy McAllister and his family, from the Lower Ormeau,
left Belfast in the late 1980s in the wake of an
assassination attack on their home by a loyalist death
squad.

Having made it to the US, Malachy's wife Bernadette and
their four children were initially granted political asylum
by an immigration court in New Jersey, the federal Judge
having found that they had suffered "severe past
persecution" because of their political beliefs.

Malachy's request for asylum, however, was denied as a
result of past convictions in Belfast during the conflict.

In a controversial decision by the Board of Immigration
Appeals (BIA), Bernadette and her children were soon
stripped of their asylum status.

The BIA, flying in the face of the facts and expert
testimony as exhaustively outlined in the Immigration
Judge's decision, ruled not only that the McAllisters had
failed to demonstrate that they had suffered "severe past
persecution" but that they had suffered no persecution at
all. The McAllister family's case has received notoriety in
the US where senior Washington officials, including Senator
Hillary Clinton, have come out in support of their campaign
to stay in the US.

Sadly, the family's plight was made worse when Bernadette
died suddenly in May of 2004 leaving Malachy, now a single
parent, to fight for his family's right to stay in the US
and work to keep the remaining two children that still live
at home.

"Basically I could be deported at any minute," Malachy told
the Andersonstown News. "I was actually on Capitol Hill
lobbying members of Congress when I got a phone call to
tell me my house was being raided and that officers of
Homeland Security were going to deport me. Fortunately, we
managed to challenge that decision and have it put on
hold."

This is how Malachy now lives, with the threat of
deportation hanging over him and his family on a daily
basis and despite claims that the situation in the North
has settled down, Malachy is still the subject of death
threats.

Just last year, Irish America's largest newspaper, The
Irish Echo, received an email from the Red Hand Commandos
threatening "next time we won't miss" should the
McAllisters be deported. With the help of his solicitor,
Eamonn Dornan, an Irish immigrant, Malachy is fighting the
threat of deportation which, he believes, would result in
his death at the hands of loyalist paramilitaries. The case
has gone as far as the Court of Appeals Third Circuit but
as of yet, no decision has been handed down.

November 1, 2005
________________

This article appeared first on the Irelandclick.com web
site on October 31, 2005.

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667613

60 IRA Fugitives To Return

Hundreds eligible for 10 year review amnesty

By Chris Thornton
01 November 2005

Around 60 IRA fugitives are prepared to sign up to a new
law which will allow them to return home without serving
jail time - with hundreds of others expected to qualify for
a 10-year amnesty from the ongoing review of unsolved
murders.

Security and political sources say that they expect about
60 republicans, and possibly more, to apply for clearance
of the crimes which led them to flee Northern Ireland.

The Government is due to unveil legislation dealing with
OTRs - short for "on-the-runs" - in a matter of days.

Last week Secretary of State Peter Hain said to the
Commons' Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that the
legislation would be published in early November and that
"dozens" of fugitives would qualify.

Under the proposed law, fugitives would apply to a quasi-
judicial system and would not be punished for any crime.

Sources say the law may now also include a provision
dealing with suspects who might be identified by the PSNI's
£30m cold case review. The review is re-examining
approximately 1,800 unsolved murders.

DUP Policing Board member Sammy Wilson has already said
that he is concerned that the investigations could be
undermined by the OTRs law.

The new legislation is expected to include a 10-year period
in which people who are suspected of a Troubles murder can
qualify for a virtual pardon.

Last week Mr Hain first suggested a link between the OTRs
legislation and the PSNI's historic cases review, saying it
"could be that people facing historic crimes could take
advantage of the OTRs process".

Such a provision could deepen the opposition that the
Government is expecting to face over the fugitives
legislation in the House of Lords.

It would also spark more unionist fury about the
concessions to the IRA. There has been speculation that the
Government delayed publication of the OTRs law in response
to police concerns that it could cause unrest at last
weekend's Love Ulster rally.

Unionist anger could be compounded by reports from the
Republic that the Irish government has vowed that two men,
still suspected of the IRA killing of Garda Jerry McCabe,
will not be included in any pardon - even though RUC
killers may well qualify.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506497

'Normality' In Two Years: Woodward

By Staff Reporter

NIO security minister Shaun Woodward last night told MPs
that legislation regarding 'on the runs' was not be an
amnesty.

Mr Woodward was speaking during a debate in Westminster on
legislation to extend the life of anti-terrorism

measures for Northern Ireland, which would otherwise expire
in February 2006.

The Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill means that the
powers, which are exclusive to the north, will stay in
place for at least an extra year, with a further 12-month
extension available if required.

Mr Woodward told MPs: "In absolutely no shape or no form
will this legislation be an amnesty.

"We have to look ahead. The government is mindful of its
responsibilities for the future but also the present.

"There have been significant and historic developments in
the past few months.

"These give rise to a realistic expectation that within two
years a return to a normalised security environment may be
achieved."

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http://www.dup.org.uk/articles.asp?Article_ID=1754

OTRs - The Greatest Unconditional Surrender Of Any British
Government

Speaking in response to a recent statement by the Northern
Ireland Secretary of State, Peter Hain, concerning OTRs the
DUP Leader said,

"The admission by the Secretary of State to the Northern
Ireland Select Committee in the House of Commons on
Wednesday is very very disturbing. It was quite clear from
the statement that whether there was decommissioning or no
decommissioning the blackmailing power of Sinn Fein/IRA is
such that the Government is bowing to their atrocious
demands. Call it what you may, the proposed legislation for
On-The-Run terrorists and terrorists under suspicion of
murderous deeds is to all intents and purposes an
unconditional amnesty.

Once a terrorist gets the certificate of clearance, they
are beyond the pale of the courts. Their lawlessness has
become lawful. This is the most unconditional surrender
that any British Government has ever engaged itself in.

Terrorists will say they have won the war in which they
were engaged and for all-time to come they will do nothing
but trample on the unionist population until the people of
Northern Ireland are made surfs of republicanism.

The greatest possible resistance must be organised against
these Government proposals. There must be no giving in to
these unjustifiable demands. If the British Government has
no stomach for the fight they will discover that the
unionist population will have none of the propaganda and
spin and in no way will they give tolerance to such
betrayal.

The next move will be the inclusion of IRA personnel into
the police and soon well known IRA men will be ruling their
own districts with the authority of the Government. In no
way must these serious surrenders be allowed to come to
fruition. It is now or never that the battle for Ulster's
soul will be won.

The unionist population are reaping the seeds of compromise
sown by Mr Trimble and his cohorts. We warned about this
at the time and the outcome is frightening to behold."

Commenting on recent reports on Northern Ireland MPs
attending the Dail Dr Paisley said,

"In no way will the Democratic Unionist Party allow itself
to be sucked into the Dail. Separate we are and separate
we will remain. This is not a matter for talks."

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http://www.dup.org.uk/articles.asp?Article_ID=1756

Paisley Voices His Concerns On The Terrorism Bill

DUP Leader Dr Ian Paisley MP, MLA has today voiced his
opinion on the Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill which is
currently passing through the House of Commons. Speaking
from Westminster where the Terrorism (Northern Ireland)
Bill is being debated Dr Paisley said,

"The fact that this Bill is being introduced stands in
stark contrast with what the Government is saying about the
situation in Northern Ireland and the actions they are
taking on the basis of the word of the IRA.

At a time when arrangements are being made to disband the
Home Service Battalions of the RIR and security
installations are being dismantled, to a political rather
than a security timetable, it is obvious that the need for
this Bill paints the true level of threat.

Until we see that all terrorist groups have given up their
violence and criminality for all-time. There must be no
surrender to those who would seek to terrorise the people
of Northern Ireland.

The very fact that there is a need to introduce particular
measures to combat terrorism in Northern Ireland is the
clearest evidence that an ongoing threat still exists in
the Province. The latest IMC report outlines the terror
and criminality threat from all of the terrorist groups in
Northern Ireland.

If terrorist offences are not committed then the provisions
are not triggered. It is my belief that no harm is done by
keeping them on the statute book as a safeguard. But, if
in a number of years from now, in a generally peaceful
society, there are still isolated terrorist incidents then
there must be protections in place."

Speaking with relation to prosecution procedures for
terrorist offences, Dr Paisley said,

"In my view it is right that bail should not be granted by
a magistrate for a scheduled offence to avoid the danger of
intimidation and the need for additional security for the
magistrates themselves. It is vitally important that the
magistrates themselves are protected.

Equally provision for the method of trial by judge alone in
certain circumstances needs to be maintained into the
future. Indeed, a number of years ago in Northern Ireland
attempts were made to normalise arrangements by allowing
what were clearly offences related to terrorist groups to
be tried by jurors. This approach made convictions
exceptionally difficult. I have no doubt the same would be
true if this approach were to be adopted again."

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667608

Greysteel Killer Back Serving Life

Licence taken away after football attack

By Paddy McGuffin
01 November 2005

Greysteel 'trick or treat' killer Stephen Irwin will now
have to serve out eight life sentences for his part in the
Greysteel massacre after slashing a football fan with a
Stanley knife, it can be revealed today.

Irwin is set to become one of the few prisoners freed under
the Good Friday Agreement to be returned to jail to serve
the remainder of a life sentence.

The 32-year-old, originally from Londonderry, still has a
right to appeal - although he has not responded to two
previous chances to appeal.

Irwin made headlines again last week when he was convicted
and sentenced to four years for slashing a Glentoran fan
with a knife during a brawl at Windsor Park during last
year's Irish Cup final.

Irwin, along with fellow UFF members Torrens Knight,
Jeffrey Deeney and Brian McNeill, carried out the infamous
murders in the Rising Sun bar on Halloween weekend 12 years
ago.

Eight revellers were gunned down in cold blood in the bar
on October 30, 1993 and Irwin was the brute who shouted
'Trick or Treat' before the killers opened fire.

The murders devastated the small village and sickened the
wider community.

Irwin was given eight life sentences for his role in the
slaughter and showed no remorse, laughing as he was led
from the court.

He was released under the Good Friday Agreement on life
licence in 2000 but he was arrested in connection with the
stabbing claim last year, and the Sentence Review
Commission today confirmed his licence was revoked by the
then Secretary of State Paul Murphy.

The former UFF man, who also has links to neo-Nazi group
Combat 18, was given leave to appeal the decision but
declined to do so, according to the Sentence Review
Commission spokesman.

While it is understood he still has the right to appeal,
prison bosses today confirmed that, when he finishes the
sentence for the Stanley knife slashing that left a victim
needing 200 stitches, he will continue to serve his terms
for the Greysteel massacre.

A spokesman for the Life Sentence Review Commission
spokesman said: "Stephen Irwin had his licence revoked by
the Secretary of State in July 2004.

"This recent slashing charge means he will be in jail until
next year at least, immediately he finishes this sentence
he will begin serving the eight original life sentences
handed down to him [for the Greysteel killings]."

He added that upon the revocation of his licence the
Sentence Review Commission had written to Irwin to offer
him the chance to appeal the decision.

"At that time the Commission wrote to Irwin informing him
that he had the right to appeal, but received no response.

"Irwin was contacted twice more on the issue but no
response was ever received. On the last occasion he was
informed that the Commission had no further involvement."

This was supported by a spokesman for the Northern Ireland
Prison Service who said: "I can confirm that Stephen Irwin
is now serving eight life sentences, which take primacy
over this more recent charge. He still has the right to
appeal.

"The Sentencing Review Commission wrote to him a number of
times asking him whether he wished to appeal and he did not
respond, but he still retains that right."

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667557

Murdered Man's Mum Warns Over Jail Release

Gunmen who killed lifelong pals 'should not walk free'

By Michael McHugh
01 November 2005

The mother of a Protestant man shot dead alongside his
Catholic friend in a Co Armagh bar by the LVF has warned
against releasing her son's killers from prison.

Ethel Allen said she was sceptical about this weekend's
ceasefire announcement by the loyalist group and added that
her son's killers should not walk free.

Her son Philip and his friend Damien Trainor were gunned
down by the LVF, which believed that they were both
Catholics, at the Railway Bar in Poyntzpass in March 1998.

Stephen McClean (31) and Noel McCready (34), from
Banbridge, were sentenced in February 2000 for the
indiscriminate shootings, which happened months before the
Good Friday Agreement.

A memorial garden to the victims was unveiled in Poyntzpass
earlier this year. Mrs Allen said she was treating the
cessation of violence with scepticism.

"If the ceasefire came in I would be disgusted if they got
out. I don't think any of them should have gotten out," she
said.

"If they were given a sentence they should have served it
and I think the early release scheme was the biggest
mistake ever."

Earlier this year McClean lost a House of Lords appeal
against his incarceration.

The then Secretary of State Peter Mandelson barred his
early release in 2000 but the decision was overturned in
the Court of Appeal and finally settled in the House of
Lords.

The LVF has opposed the Agreement and been responsible for
some of the most callous sectarian murders of the Troubles,
including the death of Catholic taxi driver Michael
McGoldrick from Lurgan.

A statement by the group, founded by UVF renegade Billy
Wright in 1996, ordered all units to stand down by midnight
on Sunday.

Mrs Allen said she was treating the announcement with
caution. "I will believe it when it happens, really I would
be sceptical," she said.

"Yes, perhaps there might be lives saved but I was told
that whenever Philip and Damien were murdered that that
would be the end of it.

"I hope it works but they are still there in the community
and you have to wonder if deep down they have really given
up violence.

"If it is genuine they should be apologising. McCready has
done a lot to try to get out of prison which to me is
wrong."

She added that she wanted answers from the pair about their
conduct.

"I would like to ask how they felt about shooting dead two
boys they knew," she said.

"McClean was acting in court as if as if you were talking
about shooting a dog, not as if it was about two human
beings."

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506502

Loyalist Terror Group Behind Killings Of At Least 28 People

By Barry McCaffrey and Catherine Morrison

The LVF was responsible for at least 28 murders during its
nine years of terror. It was formed in 1996 by then mid-
Ulster UVF leader Billy Wright because of his opposition to
the 1994 loyalist ceasefires.

In 1996 the group was blamed for the murder of Catholic
taxi driver Michael McGoldrick during the Drumcree
protests.

The murder was said to have been a 'birthday present' for
Wright.

In May 1997 the LVF abducted and killed 61-year-old Sean
Brown as he locked up a GAA club in the Co Derry village of
Bellaghy.

Wright's close associate Mark 'Swinger' Fulton was linked
to the murder.

An RUC investigation into the killing would later be
heavily criticised by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan.

The LVF was not proscribed by the British government until
June 1997. One month later the group murdered Catholic
teenager Bernadette Martin (17) as she slept in her
boyfriend's home in the village of Aghalee, Co Antrim.

In the same month Catholic teenager James Morgan was
abducted and murdered near his home in Castlewellan, Co
Down.

The killers attempted to hide the teenager's body in a pit
of animal carcasses.

In November the LVF was blamed after former UDA prisoner
Robert Kerr was killed by an explosion on his boat near
Newry.

In December 1997 it was blamed for the murder of Catholic
man Gerry Devlin at St Enda's GAA club at Glengormley, on
the outskirts of north Belfast.

The murder weapon would be used to kill two Co Armagh men a
year later.

Later that month Billy Wright was shot dead by the INLA
inside the Maze, where he was serving an eight-year
sentence for threats to kill.

The LVF and UDA murdered 10 Catholics in the weeks
following Wright's killing.

Within hours former republican prisoner Seamus Dillon was
shot dead while working as a doorman in Dungannon.

Four days later Catholic man Edmund Treanor was shot dead
in a gun attack on the Clifton Tavern in north Belfast.

In January 1998 the LVF struck again when it murdered
Catholic man Terry Enright while he worked as a doorman at
a Belfast club owned by a relative of PUP leader David
Ervine.

In the same month LVF gunmen abducted and killed 28-year-
old Fergal McCusker in the Co Derry village of Maghera.

Five days later Catholic man Liam Conway was shot dead
while working in north Belfast.

Less than 24 hours later 33-year-old Catholic taxi driver
John McColgan was murdered in west Belfast.

Mr McColgan was murdered with the same weapon used to kill
Sean Brown in Bellaghy.

In March best friends Damien Trainor and Phillip Allen were
killed when LVF gunmen opened fire on a packed bar in
Poyntzpass in Co Armagh.

LVF man David Keys was charged with the murders but was
killed by his LVF associates, who suspected him of
informing, while he awaited trial in the Maze prison .

In April 1998 Catholic man Adrian Lamph (29) was murdered
while working at a council dump in Portadown.

Later that month 22-year-old Ciaran Heffron was shot dead
in the Co Antrim village of Crumlin.

The gun used to kill Mr Heffron had been used in six other
murders.

Police blamed the LVF for the killing.

In May 1998 the LVF announced a ceasefire des-pite being
opposed to the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

However, less than five months later the LVF in the
Ballysillan area of north Belfast was blamed for the murder
of Catholic man Brian Service close to Ardoyne.

In December the LVF became the first paramilitary
organisation to decommission weapons, although the event
was seen as little more than a publicity stunt.

In June 1999 it was blamed for the murder of Catholic
solicitor Rosemary Nelson, killed by an bomb attached to
the bottom of her car.

Three months later Protestant grandmother Elizabeth O'Neill
was killed when a pipe bomb was thrown through the window
of her home in Corcrain Drive, Portadown.

An LVF man convicted of her manslaughter was a Special
Branch informer.

In January 2000 a feud erupted when the LVF killed mid-
Ulster UVF leader Rich-ard Jameson.

The feud would not claim a life for more than a year until
LVF man Adrian Porter was shot dead in March 2001.

A month later the LVF struck back, killing 37-year-old
Grahame Marks at his home in Tandragee, Armagh.

In May 2001 the LVF was blamed for the murder of former UVF
prisoner Stephen Manners, who was shot dead in a bar in
Newtownards.

Four months later the LVF shot dead Sunday World journalist
Martin O'Hagan as he and his wife walked to their home in
Lurgan.

The weapon used to kill the 51-year-old journalist had
previously been used to kill Grahame Marks.

In December the LVF in Ballysillan were blamed for the
murder of drug dealer Frankie Mulholland.

In June 2002 LVF leader Mark 'Swinger' Fulton was found
dead in his cell in Maghaberry prison.

He is understood to have died by suicide.

In September LVF leader Stephen Warnock was shot dead as he
sat in a car with his three-year-old son in Newtownards.

While the UDA was blamed for the murder, it would later
emerge that it had been carried out by the UVF-linked Red
Hand Commando (RHC).

One month later the LVF was blamed for the murder of east
Belfast loyalist Alexander McKinley, although it is unclear
if the killing was linked to the UDA/LVF feud.

In May 2003 the LVF was blamed for the murder of RHC leader
Jim Johnston at his home in Holywood, Co Down.

It was later claimed that Johnston had driven the motorbike
used in the killing of Stephen Warnock.

In May 2004 a loyalist feud erupted again when UVF gunmen
shot dead LVF man Brian Stewart in east Belfast.

Mr Stewart was buried with his father William, who had been
a senior UVF figure.

In February 2005, 25-year-old Lisa Dorrian was abducted
from a caravan park in Co Down and presumed killed by the
LVF.

Ms Dorrian's body has never been recovered.

Four men – Jameson Lockhart (25), Craig McCausland (20),
Michael Green (42) and Stephen Paul (28) – were killed by
the UVF in the latest round of feuding during the summer.
None were members of the LVF.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506503

Murals Come Down As 'Rear Guard' Stays To Protect Guns

By Barry McCaffrey

LVF murals are to be removed from loyalist estates across
the north in coming days, The Irish News has learned.

The move is seen as bringing an end to all visible signs of
the paramilitary group which announced it was standing down
on Sunday.

An LVF mural in the Ballysillan area of north Belfast is
understood to have already been removed.

Loyalist sources say the LVF will continue an internal
debate over future decommissioning.

While the LVF's arsenal is thought to be limited, it is
known to have imported a consignment of assault rifles from
eastern Europe in 2002.

Loyalist sources claimed that the majority of the LVF's
weapons were now under 'central control'.

One senior loyalist said the LVF would adopt a 'wait and
see' approach over future UVF actions before it agreed to
complete decommissioning.

It is understood the UVF and LVF have both given assurances
that neither side will seek reprisals on named individuals.

"The LVF says it is going away and that individuals will
not be allowed to use its name as cover," the source said.

"It will have to be seen if individuals can accept that,
but there will be no more LVF. The only LVF people
remaining are the rear guard protecting the guns."

It is understood the LVF disbandment will allow both the
UVF and UDA to complete internal discussions aimed at
standing down.

"There are separate talks going on within the UVF and UDA.
I don't see anything happening in the immediate future but
there are efforts to move things forward.

"They will want to see the response from the wider Prot-
estant community and the government before they take any
final decisions," the source said.

The DUP's Nigel Dodds praised those who had helped to bring
the feud to an end.

Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey described the LVF move as
a 'positive' development.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly welcomed the LVF move but said that
nationalists remained to be convinced.

The SDLP's Dolores Kelly said it was a "useful first step
but there are many more steps to take."

Alliance leader David Ford said that the LVF/UVF feud had
only served to destroy the Protestant community.

Methodist leader the Rev Desmond Bain said the community
now expected other paramilitary groups to follow suit.

Ministers welcome move

The LVF's decision to stand down was welcomed as a "step
forward", by Secretary of State Peter Hain yesterday. The
loyalist paramilitary group took the step in response to
the IRA's decision to decommission its weapons and the
ending of the loyalist feud.

"I welcome any move which brings such murderous violence to
an end," Mr Hain said.

He also called for a complete and permanent end to all
paramilitary activity. Irish minister for foreign affairs,
Dermot Ahern, said it was an important step towards
bringing about complete paramilitary decommissioning.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667555

McGoldrick's Father Backs Loyalist Move

By Michael McHugh
01 November 2005

The father of the LVF's first murder victim has challenged
politicians to use the group's ceasefire announcement to
resurrect peace settlement talks.

Michael McGoldrick (63), from Craigavon, Co Armagh, whose
Catholic taxi driver son Michael was murdered in July 1996,
believes the commitment by the paramilitary group to stand
down marks a significant step forward in the peace process.

His Lurgan son, a married 31-year-old father-of-one, was
killed during the Drumcree protest by renegade members of
the UVF who formed the LVF.

Mr McGoldrick yesterday said he hoped the weekend
announcement marked a final chapter in the group's history.

"I am very glad that they have stood down and I would be
glad if all paramilitary groups stood down," he said. "I
can only hope that it is genuine and I think this is a
wonderful opportunity for the politicians to get together
and make Northern Ireland a better community for all, I
think that is important for everyone.

"I am happy because I see this as a positive step in the
right direction towards taking all guns away."

In a statement, the LVF said it was standing down all units
from midnight on Sunday in response to the IRA's
decommissioning.

The group, set up by notorious loyalist Billy Wright from
Portadown, has been responsible for a string of sectarian
murders in its short history.

Mr McGoldrick was shot twice in the head after picking up a
passenger on July 8 at a bar.

"I would say that there are a lot of people imprisoned
that, had it not been for the Troubles, would never have
seen the inside of a prison," his father added.

"I never wanted revenge, not even justice, all I wanted was
for it to stop."

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667597

Massive Publicity Campaign To Block Garland Extradition

By Senan Molony
01 November 2005

A Colombia Three-style publicity claim is to be launched
this week in a bid to stop the extradition of a veteran
republican accused of being a key figure in the massive
counterfeiting of US dollars.

A petition to stop the extradition of Sean Garland is being
started in a bid to block his being handed over to the US,
following his recent arrest at a Workers Party conference
in Belfast.

TDs and Senators have already been circulated by the
Workers Party to ask for their support and endorsement for
the campaign.

Former Labour party leader Ruairi Quinn surprised many by
raising in the Dail the issue of Mr Garland's detention in
the North.

The campaign says it is concerned at the arrest of an Irish
citizen outside the jurisdiction, amid suspicion it may
have been orchestrated because of the North's stronger
anti-terror laws.

Mr Garland was seen refusing to make any comment in recent
television documentaries which alleged that he was a
central figure in the laundering of "super dollars"
released into the global economy through the Embassy of
North Korea in Moscow.

The campaign claims that Garland, as a citizen of the
Republic, is entitled to the protections and legal
safeguards which the Constitution and judicial system would
afford him. He is "effectively deprived" of these rights,
say supporters.

It also asserts that Mr Garland could not get a fair trial
in the US.

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http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=85306408&p=853x678z

Hain Urged To Address 'Two-Tier' Policing System Fears

01/11/2005 - 07:10:28

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will be asked today
to allay Policing Board concerns in the North about British
government plans to fund controversial community
restorative justice schemes.

Mr Hain will meet a delegation from the board at Stormont
following their chairman Desmond Rea's warning two weeks
ago they will oppose back door moves to allow community-
based schemes in the North to act like a quasi-police
force.

In a hard hitting statement, Mr Rea and his colleagues told
the British government: "The board is unanimous on this
matter – if the rumours are right, we are in imminent
danger across Northern Ireland of seeing a two-tier system
of policing introduced by the back door, with self-
appointed groups taking on quasi-policing roles – including
stopping and searching people in the street - squeezing out
PSNI, and being paid out of public funds.

"The board is taking this unprecedented stand today to call
for an immediate halt to any deals on a fundamental aspect
of policing being carried out behind closed doors,
completely excluding the Policing Board, despite board
representations."

Community restorative justice groups bring victims face to
face with the perpetrators in local neighbourhoods to agree
how they will pay for their crimes.

Supporters of the schemes say they are aimed at developing
an alternative to so-called punishment attacks in areas
where paramilitaries have shot or beaten people accused of
crimes.

However Policing Board members and critics of the schemes
fear republicans, who have refused to endorse or
participate in policing in the North, could use the
programmes to create local police forces.

They want the British government to insist community
restorative justice programmes applying for British
government funding liaise with the police and other
criminal justice agencies.

The Policing Board has also suggested it may be in the best
position to also act as a scrutiny body for community
restorative justice schemes.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Judith Gillespie also
insisted the schemes should not be viewed as or become
alternative police forces.

In a statement which heaped further pressure on the British
government, she insisted: "The police service would wish to
support any community-based initiative, whereby that
community is seeking to take responsibility for their area
and work to make it safer and improve the overall quality
of life for all who live there.

"However it is absolutely vital that such an initiative
works in partnership with, and complements, not undermines
or competes with the traditional criminal justice system
and all the agencies working within it.

"It is a fundamental principle that community-based schemes
cannot and do not operate without the involvement of the
police, do not provide what any reasonable person may
perceive to be an alternative policing service and cannot
be involved in determining the guilt or innocence of an
individual."

The Northern Ireland Office has rejected claims that the
schemes will be allowed to operate outside the law.

"As the Secretary of State and ministers have continually
made clear there is no way that restorative justice schemes
will be authorised to operate outside the rule of law," a
spokesman said.

"The (British) government will not allow two-tier policing
structures to develop."

Sinn Féin policing and justice spokesperson Gerry Kelly
also discuss the plans with Northern Ireland Office
minister David Hansen at Stormont Castle.

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506548

Additional Fencing For Interface

By Staff Reporter

ADDITIONAL security fencing is to be erected along Derry's
Fountain interface.

The move follows months of attacks both on the Fountain and
from within the Fountain on Catholic homes along Upper
Bennett Street and Harding Street.

Welcoming the news, SDLP leader and Foyle MP Mark Durkan
said it would give comfort and reassurance to residents.

"When I met with residents of Upper Bennett Street a few
weeks ago after a serious blast-bomb attack on one home,
they told me how they often have to stay with family or
friends elsewhere in the city for fear that their homes
will come under attack."

Mr Durkan said residents on both sides of the divide were
being denied the basic right to be able to sleep in their
own beds at night.

He said that he raised residents' fears at a meeting with
Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and wrote to the Housing
Executive.

"However unfortunate it may be, the fact is a compelling
case does exist for increasing the height of the fence. It
will give all residents in the local area greater comfort
and reassurance as well as peace of mind, Mr Durkan said.

"This represents a positive outcome for residents who
deserve to sleep safely in their own homes at night," he
added.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667625

Police To See Loyalist Road Protest Women

Talks are held over Friday demo plans

By Deborah McAleese
01 November 2005

Senior police officers were today due to meet loyalist
women who intend to block a number of roads across Belfast
on Friday.

And PSNI officers were facing calls not to adopt a "softly
softly" approach amid concerns of a repeat of the protests
which brought misery to commuters and havoc to the city in
September.

Although protest organisers have stressed that their
demonstrations will be peaceful, SDLP Assemblyman and
Policing Board member Alex Attwood said police have to
intervene quickly and ensure that no roads are blocked
illegally.

The PSNI was unable to provide statistics for the number of
people arrested during the September road blocks.

During the demonstrations there was major concern that
police were not taking a tough enough stance against
loyalist protesters.

However, police today said officers will ensure that all
main arterial roads remain open and that anyone caught
blocking roads illegally will be reported for prosecution.

Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland has agreed to
meet with representatives of the Women Restoring Unionist
Culture (WRUC) group - who were planning the protest in a
bid to ensure the Government listens to loyalist grievances
- to discuss policing issues within the loyalist
communities.

Group chairwoman Jean Barnes said she does not believe the
protests will lead to serious disorder across Belfast.

"Our group is entirely peaceful and we are not out to cause
trouble," she said. "We are merely highlighting legitimate
concerns from the unionist community.

"We are opposed to violence from whatever quarter and all
we want is for the Government to listen to us."

Mr Attwood said that the women have a right to have their
concerns heard but not to bring the city to a standstill.

"The police have to intervene quickly if there are illegal
protesters and illegal road closures," Mr Attwood added.

"We just cannot have the city being brought to a standstill
again.

"The protesters need to put people and children first, not
their own particular anxieties and concerns.

"Of course they have a right to express themselves but not
over the rights of the citizens."

A PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police are always willing to meet
with any individual or group who wish to discuss and make a
contribution to any policing issues.

"Protests blocking roads are illegal and those breaking the
law will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.

"Police re-affirm their commitment to keeping main arterial
roads open."

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506492

NIO Biased In Parades Job Choice: Applicant

By Maeve Connolly

A FORMER head of the Probation Board has claimed that she
was unfairly dropped from the running for a post with the
Parades Commission.

Breidge Gadd, pictured, has accused the NIO of "ignoring"
equality rules and being "manipulative" in its selection
process.

"I can't see how on paper I could not have been shortlisted
and my suspicion is that there are peo-

ple still in the NIO who play the game according to their
rules," she said.

"The reason for my suspicion is that, in terms of meeting
their criteria, I don't think there are a huge number of
women in Northern Ireland who would be better than me."

Chief probation officer from 1986 to 2000, Mrs Gadd has had
lengthy involvement in public bodies and the voluntary
sector.

An expert adviser to the Council of Europe, she was a
founder member of the European Conference on Probation, is
vice-chair of the north's Legal Services Commission and was
a board member of the New Opportunities Fund.

All seven parades commissioners are men. With their four-
year terms coming to an end, the jobs were advertised
earlier this year.

The Irish News columnist, who writes about the issue today,
ap-plied but was not even shortlisted for the next round of
selection.

"I am fed up with what I think is manipulation by people in
the NIO in the Security Policy and Operations Division and
my suspicion is that they don't follow the rules of
equality and op-portunity when they are selecting people,"
she said.

"I am convinced it was the same people who said to the
Secretary of State, 'ignore all the rules in appointing the
Victims' Commissioner'. I have nothing against the person
who has been appointed and she could be the very best
person but she has been app-ointed under a cloud."

Mrs Gadd said she would make a complaint but by the time it
was dealt with the positions would have been filled.

"There is no way I can have a chance now. The complaint
will have to go to the ombudsman in England because it is
an NIO position and because it's a commission it is outside
all the equality legislation here," she said.

"The legislation doesn't apply to appointments made by the
Secretary of State."

Mrs Gadd said if there were oth-er criteria, such as a
preference for candidates nominated by parties, these
should be published.

An NIO spokeswoman said it had been "a particularly strong
field" with almost 100 applicants.

However, she said it would be inappropriate to comment on
in-dividual cases or reveal the number of female
applicants.

"The competition was regulated by the Office of the
Commissioner for Public Appointments, a representative of
which has been in-volved in the shortlisting and the
interview process," she said.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667563

Police Chiefs Condemn Rioters

£3m parade bill for Whiterock PSNI operations

By Debra Douglas
01 November 2005

The PSNI last night revealed that policing the contentious
Whiterock parade and the unrest which followed cost a
staggering £3m.

And they confirmed that repairs to police vehicles damaged
over the summer period totalled £938,000.

During a week of fierce loyalist rioting, which broke out
after the Orange Order march was barred from going through
security gates on west Belfast's Springfield Road in
September, 93 police officers were injured, 82 people were
arrested and 12 weapons were recovered.

Around 150 live rounds were fired at police and 167 blast
bombs hurled.

More than 160 vehicles were hijacked and over 1,000 petrol
bombs were thrown during some of the worst rioting ever
seen in Ulster.

The huge cost has been condemned by Policing Board chairman
Sir Des Rea, who said there were also indirect costs to the
PSNI with officers being taken away from other duties.

In a statement released last night, Chief Constable, Sir
Hugh Orde said: "The events of the weekend of September 10
were unprecedented.

"My officers, as I have said before, acted like heroes in
the face of the worst public disorder this Police Service
has ever witnessed," he said.

"The costs are unacceptable, not only in financial terms
but more importantly the human cost both to the police
service and local communities."

He said his officers would continue to uphold the law.

But he added: "The reality is, however, that policing alone
will not solve the problems around parading.

"It gives us no pleasure to stand in numbers between
communities who refuse to engage with each other to resolve
their differences but until they do we will continue to do
our job and it will continue to cost money on this scale.

"The community as a whole has other policing needs and
priorities to which these resources could be better
directed.

"I am appealing to all those involved in parading and
protesting, not only in the Whiterock Parade, but in all
contentious parades, to consider this and engage in
dialogue.

"No one wants to see the events of the weekend of September
10th repeated."

He said his officers were continuing to investigate the
public disorder.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667616

Arson Attack On Family 'A Murder Attempt'

By Deborah McAleese
01 November 2005

A young family today said they believe an arson attack on
their Antrim home early this morning was attempted murder.

A couple and their two children have been left shaken after
the attack on their Renown Court home.

It is believed that flammable liquid was poured through the
letter box at around 4am and set alight.

The fire caused minor scorch damage to the front door.

The family said they do not know why they were targeted.

Lisa Allen, who was downstairs with a friend at the time of
the attack, told the BBC: "If we had been in bed, my
children would not have been here.

"If me and him had been sleeping in bed, the smoke would
have got to my kids. I think it was attempted murder."

UUP councillor for the area Adrian Cochrane-Watson, said
there have been a number of similar attacks in Antrim over
the past few days.

He added: "This attack could have led to the deaths of this
family. I view any attack of this sort as attempted
murder."

A police spokesman said an incident at a house at Renown
Court in Antrim was reported to them at around 4am.

He said: "Scorch damage was caused to the letter box and a
door but at the moment we do not know how it was caused.

"There are no further details at the moment."

The motive behind the early morning attack was unknown.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4390700.stm

Man Charged With Mother's Murder

A 35-year-old man has been charged with murdering his
mother at their home in north Belfast.

Maureen Little's body was found on Sunday in Richmond
Square. She had suffered head and chest injuries.

Her son, Seamus Little, had handed himself over to police.
In court, a detective inspector said he believed he could
connect him with the charge.

A solicitor said he had been asked to express Mr Little's
deep regret at what he called a "very tragic incident".

A post mortem examination was carried out on the body of
Mrs Little, 63, on Monday.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/11/01 11:10:36 GMT
© BBC MMV
----

She lived in the house, in the shadows of Antrim Road
police station, with her two sons Peter and Seamus Lyttle.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4395088.stm

Fire-Fighters Come Under Attack

Fire crews have come under attack while attending call-outs
during Halloween celebrations in Northern Ireland.

The Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 339 incidents during
a 12-hour period from 1800 GMT on Monday. The figure last
year was 455.

Senior divisional officer Jim McCallum said crews came
under attack as they dealt with some of the calls.

In one incident in Jonesborough, County Armagh, fireworks
were thrown at fire-fighters as they tackled a blaze.

"There was one incident in Jonesborough where fireworks
were thrown at crews and at their vehicle as they tried to
tackle a fire.

"That is additional aggravation that our crews really don't
need as they are trying to go about their job," Mr McCallum
said.

He said there were also localised areas where they had a
number of calls about bonfires, rubbish on fire or bins on
fire in the middle of the road.

In a number of incidents, fireworks were thrown, he said.

Meanwhile, police in Londonderry said about 20 people were
arrested during Halloween festivities in the city on Monday
night.

Police said the majority were detained for minor offences.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/11/01 08:28:04 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667567

Love Ulster May Go On Tour

By Debra Douglas
01 November 2005

The organisers of last weekend's Love Ulster parade are
hoping to spread their message with further rallies in the
rest of the UK.

The Love Ulster committee has confirmed it has received
requests to hold rallies in other venues around the
province as well as in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and
Dublin.

It is believed that around 14,000 people attended the first
Love Ulster rally in Belfast at the weekend.

A spokesman said: "This campaign will continue to grow and
grow.

"We'll be actively pursuing all these options. We'll
continue to pursue a 'people's agenda', to encourage and
enable unionist people to stand up and be counted and to
make their voice heard."

Expressing thanks to those who attended the parade in the
Shankill area, he added: "Despite the atrocious weather
conditions it was hugely encouraging to see such large
numbers turning out for the parade. Many from around the
province were visiting the Shankill for the first time.

"We know that many of the victims' relatives were deeply
moved by the strong support shown to them as they were
applauded the whole way up the Shankill and Woodvale Roads
by the crowds which lined the route.

"There was also strong support from the Orange Order and
some 30 bands from around the province."

He said many of those who attended the parade had travelled
from England, Scotland and the Republic.

"It was an excellent turn-out, despite buses being
cancelled for several groups and bands, and despite the
scare-mongering by nationalist politicians, the security
forces and elements within the media," he said.

"This was a peaceful and democratic event in support of
unity of purpose within the unionist family. It also sent a
strong message to Peter Hain and Tony Blair that the
unionist people will not be treated as second class
citizens within the political process."

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/story.jsp?story=667573

Viewpoint: LVF Must Now Dump Weapons

01 November 2005

Now that the war is over for the LVF, with the standing
down of its "military units", when will the UVF and UDA
follow suit? It must be merely a matter of time before all
loyalist paramilitaries accept that the will of the people,
including their own supporters, is for an end to
hostilities of all kinds.

In recent years, the greatest threat of organisations like
the LVF was to fellow loyalists - never the IRA - so the
sooner it fades from the picture the better. It was a mid-
Ulster breakaway from the UVF, with a reputation based on
sectarian killing and drug-dealing. It has been on a
downward path since the prison murder of its notorious
leader, Billy Wright, in 1997.

Its one moment of fame came in December 1998, when nine
weapons and two pipe bombs were shredded in front of the
cameras in the first - and only - act of loyalist
decommissioning. The credit it won has long since
disappeared and it had few defenders this summer against
the UVF's brutal campaign of murder and intimidation, which
must have precipitated the weekend announcement.

There is only one way in which the LVF can bow out with any
vestige of respect, and that is to be the first loyalist
organisation to complete the decommissioning process. Its
initial venture proved to be little more than a PR
exercise, but now it could lead the way for other loyalists
to follow - letting the cameras, and independent witnesses,
detail the full extent of the destruction of arms.

The secrecy surrounding the final decommissioning of IRA
arms has detracted significantly from its effect, despite
the evidence of clerical witnesses, so the LVF could show
it has learned the lesson. Afterwards, it would be up to
the UDA - already in talks with the decommissioning body -
and the UVF to draw an inglorious period of loyalist
paramilitarism to a close.

Many people, working behind the scenes, have made possible
this welcome break with the past. They deserve the
gratitude of the whole community, as they seek to ensure
that an end to paramilitary activity also means an end to
criminality.

All paramilitary organisations and their leaders should
know that now that the main threat - the Provisional IRA -
has sworn off paramilitary activity and is disarmed, they
have lost whatever reason for existence they claimed.
Terrorism is no longer acceptable anywhere, for any cause,
and can only hold back political reconciliation, which is
the unavoidable way forward for both unionists and
nationalists.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667547

Paisley Debates Kelly Show Invite

By Noel McAdam
01 November 2005

Ian Paisley is actively considering an offer to appear on
UTV's Gerry Kelly Show.

The DUP leader has been invited to sit on Gerry's sofa
following last week's landmark interview with Sinn Fein
President Gerry Adams.

It will be the first time the political firebrand - now 79
- has appeared on UTV's most popular programme in 12 years.

Friday night stalwart Kelly revealed he had also asked Mr
Paisley to appear on the programme - due to end in
December.

A spokesman for Mr Paisley said: "It is under
consideration. There has been no decision made at this
juncture."

The question which can be asked is - can Ulster's chat show
king help nudge the province's two main political rivals
closer together before his programme passes into history?

It is thought Mr Paisley may be reluctant to follow-through
immediately on the heels of the Adams appearance, in which
he said "the war is obviously over".

The last time Mr Paisley went on the show, in 1992, was
with his mentor, Professor Bob Jones.

There is speculation Mr Paisley could appear on the final
Kelly Show due to be broadcast on December 17 - bringing
the series to an end after 17 years.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/story.jsp?story=667582

Opin: Adams On The Kelly Show: Just Like Being Mugged By
Your Granny

Gail Walker
01 November 2005

If the latest Kelly Show was anything to go by, Gerry has
obviously decided he's nothing left to lose and is going to
spend his last series just slapping people about the face.

His interview with Gerry Adams was so cold and clinical, it
was like watching Basil Brush suddenly come out with a
mouthful of expletives.

It was an interview between a man of extraordinary menace
who appeared by his ominous silences and cynical grin to be
capable of extreme acts?

?and Gerry Adams.

Kelly's handling of Adams was forensic and funny. He asked
questions Adams has never been asked, like who does he talk
to when he talks to the IRA?

And was there any single occasion over the years when Adams
could have made just one phone call and averted a
slaughter?

These are things conventional political interviews tend to
steer clear off. It's almost as if it would be rude to ask.

Apparently Kelly is about to get a new UTV series of longer
half-hour chats with people - and that can only be a good
thing.

Just let the biggest and shiniest suit in the business
loose on the people he seems to like least.

Drop the endless procession of C-list celebs with books to
plug and fading soap stars (who always seem to end up being
interviewed bizarrely in character), and bring on Ulster's
grittiest politicos.

The great thing about last week's show was that Adams was a
man who turned up expecting a cup of tea and a chat about
Falls memories and ended up getting mugged by his granny.

More please.

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/features/story.jsp?story=667580

Kelly: Our King Of Chat

In a few weeks, Ulster Television's king of chat Gerry
Kelly (53) will be bringing down the curtain on The Kelly
Show after 17 successful years. Here Gerry, who has been
married for 29 years to Helena and has two grown-up
daughters, tells Janet Devlin of his plans for a book, a
new chat show, a new radio show - and his love of Ardglass

01 November 2005
----

You are coming to the end of a long reign as Ulster's chat
show king - how do you feel about that?

At the moment I am that busy I haven't given much thought
to it, but there are only half a dozen shows left. There
has been some talk bandied about in the Press, but the
truth is that I finally decided 18 months ago that the show
should come to an end. I'm sure I'll feel quite emotional
nearer the time, but I'm looking forward to some new
challenges.
----

There is talk of a book, another TV series and a radio
show. Can you tell us more?

I am talking to a publisher about a book, but our
discussions are still in the early stages and I am
considering the format. I want to write something not just
about who has been on the show over the past 17 years, but
to place that against the backdrop of what was happening in
Northern Ireland at the same time.

The annoying thing is I haven't been keeping any diaries,
so I need to do a bit of research. Sometimes I can't
remember what happened last Friday let alone 17 years ago,
but once I look through the running orders of the shows, it
will all come back to me and I will recall particular
nights and events quite clearly. UTV are also making a
documentary history of the show which will be shown late
next year.

An exciting new project for me will begin in the New Year,
when I will be making around 35 half-hour one-to-one chat
shows, which is what I have always wanted to do. On Kelly
we are always so rushed that after eight to 10 minutes with
a guest we have to wind it up. The guests on my new show
will come from the local, national and international arena
_ and I won't be confined to whoever can make it over to
Belfast on a Friday night; I have carte blanche to talk to
who I want, when I want.

Probably 90% of the interviews will be done in-studio, but
some will also be done on location. I am really looking
forward to getting out and about the place. You can feel a
bit studio-bound with Kelly.

Also, this month I will start presenting a Sunday morning
show on the new UTV radio channel U105. Is it a religious
programme? Good God no! It will be a live show airing from
10am until 1pm with a mixture of middle-of-the-road music
and celebrity guest spots. I am looking forward to it
because I thoroughly enjoyed doing a radio show for
Downtown for three or four years at the start of the 90s,
responding to weekly events. The one I did just after the
Shankill bomb won what I believe was DTR's first Sony Gold
Award.
----

There must have been lots of highs and lows with the
hundreds of Kelly shows you've done over the years,
though...

The bomb scares - they were the lows! The biggest low was
the night the IRA ceasefire broke down and they bombed
Canary Wharf in London. The show was late that night -
11.30 - because of all the news coverage and I thought,
'How can we possibly go on after all the bombing and
killing with half an hour of fun and entertainment?' As it
happened, we used to do a coin game and a man from
Portadown came on the show and won £25,000, so that was a
little bright spot on what was a very low night for
everyone.

A high point was when I had George Best on the show. It was
just a fantastic night; the love and affection everyone
here has for George is enormous. You could feel the
affection and warmth for him permeating through the studio
and transmitting itself to the people watching at home.
----

You must have met some very interesting people over the
last 17 years. Who stands out in your memory?

In many ways, it is not the big celebrity names that you
remember most vividly. I felt honoured to meet the
astronaut Colonel Jim Irwin. It was a privilege to talk to
one of a handful of the first men who walked on another
planet. To me, that's perhaps more interesting than meeting
some celebrities; it's the icing on the cake.

I'm also very proud that the show brought celebrities to
Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles and showed them
another side to our society. The show did tackle some hard
issues, but mostly we stayed clear of party politics and so
on. I used to worry about it being regarded as just a light
entertainment show, but then again what's wrong with that?
By the end of the week, after all the bad news, people were
ready for a bit of fun.
----

Live television being what it is, The Kelly Show must also
have had its share of disasters. Share one with us.

The biggest disaster that could befall the show is fog at
Heathrow! There is nothing worse than fog-bound guests... I
remember one night when all our guests were stuck in the
airport. We hired a jet to fly over and Cliff Richard made
his way to RAF Brize Norton, where we collected him. We
managed to round up a few local guests to come on, but
Cliff ended up doing most of the show, which was wonderful
but not quite what we had planned.

Then there's what we call the Friday Morning Disaster.
That's when guests call at the last moment to say they
can't make that night's show. I remember that happened when
Lionel Ritchie fell ill. When you have 20-25 minutes of
airtime set aside for that one person, it's no joke.

----

You do not have the quintessential chat show host image, so
how do you think a former teacher with a beard has come so
far?

(Laughs) There are many ways to do a chat show. Jonathan
Ross does it his way... he is the star of the show and that
works for him. I tend to approach it from the point of view
that the guests are the stars. You can't be the star of the
show for 17 years, the show has to be bigger than the
person presenting it, so I take a back seat and give guests
a blank canvas from which to shine. I think that's the
success of it. I don't analyse it too much, because once
you start questioning yourself...

Also, I really like talking to people and I ask them the
questions that the people sitting at home want to have
answered. When I first started Kelly, there were two fellas
and a dog looking after the show, but today it is quite a
sophisticated set-up. Guests are very well-researched by
the team, so when I go in not much can go wrong because
practically every angle has been covered. If the ceiling
fell in, it wouldn't fluster me much.

I honestly don't think you could get anyone more ordinary
than me. It wasn't part of my career plan to become a chat
show host, but I really love doing it. If I didn't enjoy it
so much, I would be behind the scenes producing, because I
love the whole process of television.

----

Yes, you certainly come across as Mr Ordinary, Mr Clean, Mr
Nice - can't you at least tell us one scandalous thing
about yourself?

Sorry, I can't. I'd love to be more interesting, but I
can't think of anything. I am very happy and content with
who and what I am. Television has never been all-consuming
for me; it is my job. Life doesn't begin and end in
television, but in Ardglass, Co Down, where I live.

It pays my way for my wife, my family and my home. But
don't get me wrong, I know lots of people would give their
eye-teeth for my job and I love it and want to hold on to
it. I am very fortunate.
----

In an era of falling TV viewing figures and ever-increasing
chat shows, do you think there is a future for the genre?

I think it is probably coming full circle. It depends on
how you do it. Not so long ago, there were lots of
celebrities and footballers and so on presenting shows and
I think that demeaned the process. The thing is, if you are
someone like Frank Skinner you can only do six to eight
shows at a time, but I was in it for the long haul so the
show had to be bigger than the host.

I admire Parkinson, who presents a great show and has been
doing it for many years. He's not as exciting as he used to
be, but he was the first to do all the really big names
and, let's face it, celebrities are not what they used to
be!

On The Kelly Show we didn't centre things on big names, but
local content, local people, local stories. We tried to
make the show part of the Northern Ireland psyche, part of
the Northern Ireland viewing habit.
----

What do you do when you are not chatting?

I have lived in the Ardglass area for 30 years and been
married to my wife, Helena, for 29 years. We have a new
house at Coney Island and I'm sitting here looking at the
waves washing up. It's a small community and we're part of
it and it's fantastic. Plus, it's only a 40 minute drive
into Belfast.

My daughters, Sarah and Claire, are grown up now. I'm very
proud of them. Sarah is an actress in Dublin and Claire,
having earned a degree in business management, is now also
job hunting in Dublin. Sarah has a love of singing and may
end up doing something with that. She gets her talent from
Helena, who used to sing with a group called The Islanders.

I am a past captain of Ardglass Golf Club and play off a 12
handicap (though I am strictly a 1-18th hole man - I gave
up the 19th hole thing years ago!) I also own my own
television production company, Gerry Kelly Enterprises,
which will be expanding as we move on.
----

What will you do with your Friday nights now?

Answers on a postcard please! Although my life is different
from week to week, there is still very much a routine to
it, and on Fridays every minute of the day is accounted
for. I will be sad to say goodbye to Kelly, but I am also
genuinely looking forward to it. I was 57 last month, but
that is only a number. I still have TV programmes to make.

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

http://www.irishnews.com/

Opin: Groups Must All Stand Down

THE LVF was not the biggest loyalist paramilitary group.
But during its nine years of violence this group of
fanatics are believed to have killed at least 28 people.

If they are true to their word then we have at last seen
the back of the LVF. Unfortunately for relatives of their
victims this demise comes nine years too late.

The last murder carried out by members of this organisation
is believed by many to be that of Lisa Dorrian.

To date Lisa's family have been unable to properly grieve
for her because Lisa's body has never been found.

While we all want the LVF to stick to its word and to
decommission its weapons, it could also show a rare streak
of humanity by disclosing the whereabouts of Lisa's remains
and bring at least some consolation to her family.

Now that the IRA and the LVF have effectively said that
their "war is over" we look forward to the day when all the
paramilitary groups – large and small – follow suit.

It is a moot point as to whether violence is or is not
effective when being used in pursuit of a political
objective.

The real point is that it is wrong.

And the wrong that violence brings has for too long been
inflicted on our community, our whole community, no matter
what flag they follow or church they attend. We have all
suffered.

With the actions of the IRA and now the LVF the way is now
clear for all other paramilitary groups to follow suit.

They should do so sooner rather than later and do us all a
huge favour.

If they need any more lessons on the futility – not to
mention far-reaching consequences – of violence, these
groups should look at the cost to the community of the
recent riots surrounding the Whiterock Orange parade.

It has been estimated that the policing operation and
repairs to PSNI vehicles cost in the region of £3 million.

How many houses would that money have upgraded in deprived
areas?

And of course it is impossible to quantify what may have
been lost in terms of investment due to bad publicity.
There is absolutely no doubt that the UDA and UVF where
involved in those disturbances given the number of
shootings and bombings which occurred.

Those main loyalist groups – and the existing republican
ones – should follow the example of the IRA and LVF.

They will be doing far more for their community by simply
ceasing to exist, than by throwing blast bombs or shooting
at the police.

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506551

Kelly Widow To Meet Adviser

By Seamus McKinney

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern is to delegate one of his advisers
to meet the widow of arms trial defendant Captain James
Kelly.

The move follows a campaign launched in Derry last year to
clear the name of the former Irish army intelligence
officer.

Campaign spokesman Fionbarra O Dochartaigh confirmed
yesterday that Captain Kelly's wife, Shiela would be
invited for talks with an advisor to the taoiseach at
government buildings in Dublin.

The move is being seen as a major breakthrough.

Captain Kelly, from Co Cavan, was accused of illegally
importing arms into the Republic in 1970 along with former
taoiseach Charles Haughey and former cabinet minister Neil
Blaney among others.

Although he was acquitted of the charge, the former
intelligence officer found himself ostracised from Irish
society with his reputation in shreds.

Throughout his life he attempted to raise the matter on
numerous occasions but without success.

Last year Captain Kelly's family joined a number of civil
rights' veterans at Derry's City Hotel to formally launch a
new campaign to have his name completely cleared.

An international petition was established and the help of
senior political figures was enlisted. Mr O Dochartaigh
said he recently received a note from the taoiseach's
appointments' secretary stating that Mr Ahern couldn't meet
Mrs Kelly because of his heavy work load although he had
named a special advisor to meet with her.

Mr O Dochartaigh said: "This I view as a major breakthrough
although disappointed Bertie didn't allocate an hour or so
to meet this woman who is in poor health."

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

http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=17345

Echo Editorial: Plan For Unity

Last weekend, Fianna Fáil put Ireland on notice that it was
reclaiming the mantle of Irish republicanism.

In speeches to the Ard Fheis, or party conference, the
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern spoke of his intention to
commemorate the 1916 rising, and his desire for a united
Ireland.

"Unity...is not just at the heart of Fianna Fáil, but in
the hearts of the Irish people," he said.

He warned that while Irish unionism would have time to come
to terms with the changing Ireland, "we are determined that
it will not take too much time."

And he added: "Here, more than anywhere, we must continue
to make history happen."

Many Irish Americans have been waiting a long time to hear
these words from an Irish taoiseach, and will welcome them.

It must be noted, however, that the timing is suspicious.
Fianna Fáil knows it will soon be locked in an electoral
battle for Dáil seats with Sinn Féin, which although a
smaller party also claims the republican mantle. It must be
tempting for Ahern and Fianna Fáil to match Sinn Féin's
rhetoric and little else.

But that would be a terrible and shortsighted mistake.

Bertie Ahern now stands on the brink of a cherished place
in history. Instead of falling into the same trap as John
Bruton, who saw himself as a mediator between the two
communities in the North, Ahern should become an enabler
for re-unification.

With unity possible within a decade and likely within two,
he should initiate the vast planning operation required to
bring the smooth transition to a 32-county Ireland.
Everything from industrial strategy, tax structures and
pensions to postal systems and schools and healthcare
management will have to be merged.

The absence of such a plan would herald nothing short of
administrative chaos, and also expose Fianna Fáil's
republican rhetoric as a cheap betrayal.

This story appeared in the issue of October 26 - November
1, 2005

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=506493

Ireland's First Motorway Stations

EXCLUSIVE
By Gary McDonald Business Editor

IRELAND will have its first motorway service stations by
the middle of next year.

Four sites – two on either side of the M1 between Lisburn
and Belfast and another two adjacent to each other on the
M2, just north of Glengormley – have been sold for £3
million.

An unnamed Northern Ireland-based operator is understood to
have acquired them from Portadown property developers
Turkington Holdings.

Planning approval has been granted and it is believed that
the new owner-occupiers plan an investment of up to £20
million in preparing the sites.

They will be Ireland's first motorway service stations, as
such facilities are prohibited in the Republic.

Barney Goan of Belfast-based commercial property consultant
McKibbin, who is handling the sale, said negotiations with
potential developers had begun in summer of last year.

"But the deal was only concluded over the weekend and work
should begin on site fairly soon," he said.

The sites straddle the northbound and southbound
carriageways of each motorway and will cover around four
acres each.

The stations will comprise petrol forecourts, a convenience
store, hot food outlets and other potential retail
providers such as off-licences.

They will operate around-the-clock, with access from the
motorway only.

Around 100 jobs will be created.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4392744.stm

Research Focus On Twin Tower Survivors

Researchers from the University of Ulster will be among a
team of UK scientists to interview survivors of the 2001
terrorist attack on New York.

Two thousand people who escaped from the city's World Trade
Center after the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers will be
surveyed by the team.

The information gathered from the survivors will be used to
influence the way architects and engineers design multi-
storey buildings in the future.

The research is being conducted along with academics from
the University of Greenwich and the University of
Liverpool.

The team of six, who has already analysed written accounts
of 250 survivors of the attacks, will travel to New York in
January to begin the interviews.

The three-year project, which started last year, is costing
£1.5m.

Jim Shields, professor of Fire Safety Engineering at the
University of Ulster, said the team has spent the past year
preparing and arranging access to the people who had
survived the attack.

"There has been concern for a number of years about safety
escapes from high-rise buildings and 9/11 focussed great
attention on that," he told the BBC news website.

"After having established all the contacts, it was a
process of contacting and talking to the survivors to find
out their information and experiences."

An estimated 2,700 people were killed when the two planes
crashed were into the buildings.

Design changes

The researchers have already conducted some interviews with
some of the survivors.

Professor Shields said that so far their research had shown
a number of changes could be have been made to the Twin
Towers which would have helped people trying to escape.

He said one problem which hindered the evacuation was the
fact that staircases in the buildings were clustered
together in a "central core design" and were constructed of
plasterboard.

This meant that, when the planes struck, the staircases
collapsed and people were trapped on the floors above.

He said changes, such as constructing wider staircases from
concrete and using alternative escape routes like
skybridges, would have made it easier for people to get out
of the building.

He also said that firefighters sent to rescue those trapped
inside had to use the same staircases as the office workers
trying to escape.

The fact the emergency services had no alternative point of
entry hampered both their rescue operation and the
evacuation of those inside the building, he said.

"It is a fascinating project and we hope the outcome will
shape the creation of safer environments for everyone," he
said.

The findings of the research and the experiences of those
interviewed will be published in 2007.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/10/31 13:59:55 GMT
© BBC MMV

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=667636

1921 Treaty Talks 'Conducted With Whiskey Galore Among
Irish Team'

By Senan Molony
01 November 2005

Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith were drinking
excessively throughout crucial Anglo-Irish Treaty
negotiations in London in December 1921, according to a new
book.

Recently-published memoirs of former Irish government
minister and Nobel Peace prizewinner Sean MacBride
reported: "My colleagues did far too much drinking,
everybody, Collins included. There were bottles of whiskey
around the place and everybody went to help themselves
whenever they wanted."

MacBride was a lowly courier at the crucial talks, which
led to a British commitment to withdraw and the setting up
of the Free State.

"I was rather horrified when I learned that Griffith
(founder of Sinn Fein) was also drinking," wrote McBride of
the man seen as the most sober and serious member of the
Irish negotiation team.

"The drinking was excessive and I became conscious of this
rapidly," he says in a book published posthumously this
week.

"I was rather revolted by it, though I did drink a good
deal with them.

"But I felt it was having a bad influence on the delegation
- on Collins, on Dan McCarthy and Eamon Duggan. I felt that
they were letting down the country, that matters were not
being taken sufficiently seriously."

MacBride, who died in 1988, was a teenage despatch-carrier
at the time. But his account is given credibility by his
illustrious subsequent career, which saw him become
chairman of Amnesty International and a UN Commissioner
with the rank of Assistant Secretary General.

He said that he learned subsequently that Michael Collins
was also going out a good deal from his London base because
he "had some relationship with a woman" at the time of the
negotiations.

"I have heard the accounts of the various houses visited by
Collins and other members of the delegation in London, but
I was not aware of any of this.

"What I do remember were the long sessions of drinking at
night by my colleagues, and sometimes by Collins and Dan
McCarthy."

The Irish delegation was split between two London houses,
with one party in Cadogan Gardens and the others quartered
in Hans Place. Collins and McCarthy had "brought over with
them a waiter from the Gresham, a housekeeper and some
maids".

"I remember there was a great 'hoo-hoo' on one occasion:
Arthur Griffith had gone off with a couple of the girl
secretaries, Miss Lyons and somebody else, to the theatre.
They had lost their way on the Tube."

The book, 'That Day's Struggle', is an editing of
MacBride's contemporaneous diaries by Catriona Lawlor, and
is published by the Currach Press.

MacBride also tells of escorting Eamon De Valera, when he
was a wanted man, through London on his way to a special
congress in Paris. De Valera was disguised as a priest.

"There was a particular pen or nib he wanted, so we went to
a special shop on the Strand.

"He proceeded to try out the fountain pen. I was watching
him. To my horror he proceeded to sign his name, Eamon De
Valera, on a sheet of paper, in order to try out the pen. I
gave him a strong kick and took the piece of paper away
quickly."

----
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