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April 07, 2007

McGuinness: NI Executive Will Not Be Battle

News About Ireland & The Irish

BB 04/07/07 NI Executive 'Will Not Be Battle'
BB 04/07/07 'No Collusion' Over Bombing Probe
SF 04/06/07 SF Meet With Senior US Congressional Delegation
BN 04/06/07 US Politicians Urged To Pressure IRA
BN 04/05/07 IRA Issues Apology For 1990 Killing
BN 04/07/07 Sinn Féin Calls For Expanded 1916 Commemorations
SF 04/06/07 Adams To Address Dublin Easter Commemoration
AO 04/06/07 Opin: Statement By AOH On The Dublin/Monaghan Report
CS 04/06/07 Opin: Protestants May Yet Delay N. Ireland Peace
BN 04/04/07 Loyalist Escape Tunnel Found At Maze Prison
BB 04/06/07 Barrowlands Immortalised In Song By Christy Moore

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6534727.stm

NI Executive 'Will Not Be Battle'

Power-sharing at the Northern Ireland Assembly between Sinn
Fein and the DUP will not be a battle a day, Martin
McGuinness has said.

Mr McGuinness said he disagreed with both his party leader
Gerry Adams and others, including the DUP's Peter Robinson,
who had made the comments.

Mr McGuinness will be the deputy first minister in the new
executive.

"That is not the way we should be describing the work we
need to be doing within the executive," he said.

"I think that what we have to do is recognise that prior to
the decision by Ian Paisley to go into government, there
would have been an understandable view within the community
that it just might be a battle a day within that
government.

"Here we are preparing for government, meeting on a regular
basis, and thus far it has not been a battle a day."

Progress praised

Meanwhile, church leaders have used their Easter messages
to praise recent political progress in Northern Ireland.

The Catholic Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady, said the
challenge ahead was not just of a shared future, but of a
just one as well.

New Church of Ireland Primate Dr Alan Harper said the
developments justified celebrating Easter with additional
joy and conviction.

Presbyterian Moderator Dr David Clarke said the welcome
absence of begrudging comment indicated there was a
determination to provide a stable future for all.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/07 10:32:14 GMT
c BBC MMVII

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6528111.stm

'No Collusion' Over Bombing Probe

There is no evidence of collusion relating to the rapid
winding down of a garda probe into the 1974 Dublin and
Monaghan bombings, a report has found.

The long-awaited McEntee report was published by Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern.

Although the commission found no evidence to suggest garda
collusion, it did say that its investigation was hampered
by inadequate information.

This included the loss or destruction of an unquantifiable
amount of garda documentation.

The UVF was suspected of carrying out the attacks which
killed 33 people. No-one was convicted of the bombings.

Barrister Patrick McEntee said it was not possible to fully
account for how many files were missing, lost or destroyed
from the original garda investigation.

"The failure to account for security and intelligence
material is a serious failure, which could have very grave
consequences for individuals mentioned or implicated in
such material," he said.

He added: "The commission is satisfied that there is no
evidence available to it which is capable of establishing
any connection between the collusion alleged and the
'winding down' of the garda investigations into the Dublin
and Monaghan bombings."

No-one has ever been convicted of the attacks on 17 May
1974, which injured more than 250. It was the biggest loss
of life on a single day in the Troubles.

A 2003 report by Mr Justice Henry Barron said there were
grounds for suspecting the bombers may have had help from
members of the British security forces, but there was no
conclusive proof.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/04 20:52:36 GMT
c BBC MMVII

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18589

Sinn Fein Meet With Senior US Congressional Delegation

Published: 6 April, 2007

Sinn Fein meet with senior US Congressional Delegation

A Sinn Fein delegation led by the party's nominee for the
post of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and
including Bairbre deBr£n MEP, Gerry Kelly MLA, Jennifer
McCann MLA and Alex Maskey MLA met with a senior US
Congressional delegation at the party's offices in Belfast.

Speaking to the media after the meeting Mr McGuinness said:

"Firstly can I welcome the delegation to our offices here
in Belfast.

"This is the largest ever Congressional delegation to visit
Ireland and can I pay particular tribute to two old friends
of the process Congressmen Ritchie Neal and Jim Walsh who
have since the outset been significant influences in
promoting and assisting efforts to find agreement here in
Ireland.

"The size and stature of this delegation and indeed the
timing of this visit is further evidence of the ongoing
interest in the US in the Irish peace process.

"The significant progress we have achieved in recent years
is due in no small way to the effort of Irish American
organisations, those on Capital Hill and of course
successive US Administrations.

"We look forward to this relationship developing and
strengthening further as we enter what promises to be a new
era of politics on this island." ENDS

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUOJMHGBID&rss=rss1

US Politicians Urged To Pressure IRA

06/04/2007 - 12:20:25

A delegation of US Congressmen visiting the North have been
urged to keep pressure on the IRA to dismantle its
structures, it emerged today.

Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell revealed that
during talks yesterday with the delegation of Republicans
and Democrats his party's supporters were looking for
reassurance that the IRA were no longer "a continuing sore
in the community".

Campbell said: "The US delegation were pressed by us to
assist on the economic front so that inward investment from
American companies can increase.

"We also told them it was essential that further moves
needed to be made by Sinn Fein on the further dismantling
of the IRA structures to give confidence to our community
that the IRA are not a continuing sore in our community.

"Over the coming months there will be increasing attention
- particularly by people from the unionist community
looking at the current state of this process - to determine
what the benefits are from political developments taking
shape at present.

"It is essential they see progress being made. Any
assistance that can be offered from the US will be gladly
received."

The delegation of eight members of the US House of
Representatives will today meet the North's Deputy First
Minister-in-waiting Martin McGuinness and his Sinn Fein
colleagues, Gerry Kelly, Bairbre de Brun, Alex Maskey and
Jennifer McCann.

Among those taking part in the visit are Massachusetts
Democrat Congressman Richie Neal and New York Republican
Congressman Jim Walsh.

The Sinn Fein leadership was accused today by hardline
republicans in the Continuity IRA of betraying the goal of
an Irish Republic to placate the Rev Ian Paisley.

Their annual Easter statement said: "This year many of us
will assemble (at 1916 Easter Rising commemorations) with a
heavy heart, following the further betrayal of the all-
Ireland republic by former comrades who have taken yet
another step in treachery with their recognition of the
PSNI/RUC, and their further acceptance and administering of
British rule in the occupied six northern counties.

"True republicans will have watched with horror the antics
and political posturing of the Provisional leadership over
the last 12 months in their attempts to placate militant
Paisleyism and their eagerness to hold a special Ard Fheis
to rush through a motion to support the armed wing of the
British oppressor.

"The true republican leadership will never compromise and
will never accept British rule in any part of our country."

The Continuity IRA also denied it had any involvement in
criminality, claiming there had been attempts to besmirch
its name by associating it with drugs and recent murders in
Belfast.

"The leadership of the Continuity Irish Republican Army has
already categorically denied involvement in any of this
activity and reiterates it once more in this statement," it
said.

"Due to the treachery of others our struggle faces greater
obstacles than before but this leadership is aware that
there has always been a significant body of opinion in
Ireland opposed to British rule.

"The task of the Republican movement in the immediate
future is to organise, harness and lead that support in
opposition to foreign rule and British imperialism."

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUOJCWSNAU&rss=rss1

IRA Issues Apology For 1990 Killing

05/04/2007 - 17:07:50

The IRA has issued an apology for the killing of a man 17
years ago.

Eoin Morley was shot and killed in Newry on April 15th
1990.

At the time, allegations were made that he was an informer.

In the course of a lengthy interview in An Phoblacht in
November 1992, the IRA leadership described those
allegations as "incorrect and totally inaccurate".

A statement in the current edition of An Phoblacht by the
IRA apologises to the Morley family for the grief and pain
they have suffered as a result of their actions.

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUOJEYOJEY&rss=rss1

Sinn Fein Calls For Expanded 1916 Commemorations

07/04/2007 - 09:09:28

Sinn Fein has called for the official celebrations marking
the anniversary of 1916 to be given a wider focus.

A scaled-down version of last year's military parade on
O'Connell Street in Dublin will take place tomorrow with
the President and Taoiseach due to attend.

However, Sinn Fein has claimed that the event should in
future include cultural and historical participants
reminiscent of Saint Patrick's Day.

Deputy Caomhighin O'Caolain said there was plenty of time
to plan ahead: "There are opportunities (to include) a
whole disparate range of Irish culture, language, history.

"We would hope that in the period running up to the 100th
anniversary of 1916 a much wider platform will be
initiated, leading to that very special commemoration in
2016."

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18588

Gerry Adams To Address Easter Commemoration In Dublin On
Sunday

Published: 6 April, 2007

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will address a major
commemoration in Dublin on Sunday 8th April to mark the
91st anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The commemoration
will assemble at 1.30pm at the Garden of Remembrance on
Parnell Square and proceed to the GPO on O'Connell Street.

Speaking in advance of more than 100 commemorations which
will take place across Ireland this weekend Sinn Fein
Chairperson Mary Lou McDonald said:

"It is now less than a decade to the 100th anniversary of
the 1916 Rising and we are closer than every before to
ending British jurisdiction and bringing about Irish unity
and independence.

"I want to invite people to join with us at commemorations
across Ireland this weekend to remember the men and women
of 1916 and to support the campaign for re-unification. I
would also call on people to wear an Easter Lily this
weekend.

"1916 saw the coming together of nationalists, republicans,
language activists, Trade Unionists and the women's
movement in the cause of Irish Unity. We need to build
similar alliances today if we are to make freedom a reality
and ensure we build an Ireland based on equality and
justice."ENDS
----

Mary Lou McDonald spoke at a commemoration at Arbour Hill
this afternoon, the first of many which will take place
over the next four days. Below are details of some of the
commemorations.

Sinn Fein Easter Commemorations - 2007

Friday, 6th April
Dublin (Arbour Hill) Speaker Mary Lou McDonald MEP

Saturday 7th
Tyrone (Coalisland) Assemble at 3pm Speaker Martin
McGuinness Dublin (Ballyfermot) Assemble 11am Speaker
Cr¡ona Ni Dhalaigh Meath (Oldcastle) Speaker Alex
Maskey Belfast ( Whitewell) Assemble 5pm Speaker Jennifer
McCann MLA Waterford City Assemble 3pm Speaker Bairbre de
Br£n Armagh (Portadown) Assemble lunchtime Speaker Jennifer
McCann MLA

Easter Sunday 8th
Dublin, assemble 1.30pm Speaker Gerry Adams MP Belfast
Assemble 1pm Speaker Gerry Kelly MLA Tyrone (Carrickmore)
Assemble 3pm Speaker Martina Anderson MLA Cork City
Assemble 2.30pm Speaker Conor Murphy MP Waterford (Ardmore)
Assemble 3pm Speaker Bairbre de Br£n MEP Cavan Town.
Assembly 3pm Speaker Eibhlin Glenholmes Derry City
Assemble 2.30pm Speaker Pat Doherty Monaghan Assemble 3pm
Speaker Michelle Gildernew MP Wicklow (Kilcoole) Speaker
Dessie Ellis Armagh(Crossmaglen) Assemble 11am Speaker
Francie Molloy MLA Donegal(Drumboe) Assemble 3pm Speaker
Martin McGuinness MP Derry (The Loup) Assemble 2.30pm
Speaker Michelle O1Neill MLA Kerry (Tralee) Assemble 3pm
Speaker Martin Ferris TD Leitrim, (Mohill) Assembly 3pm
Speaker Caitr¡ona Ruane MLA Louth (Dundalk) Assemble 2.30pm
Speaker Alex Maskey MLA Newry Assemble 12.30pm Speaker
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA

Easter Monday 9th
North Belfast (New Lodge) Assemble 2.30pm Speaker Gerry
Kelly MLA Wexford (Enniscorthy) Assemble 2pm Speaker Aengus
O Snodaigh Armagh City Assemble 2.30pm Speaker Barry
McElduff MLA Downpatrick Assemble 6pm Speaker Caral Ni
Chulain Tyrone (Ardboe) Assemble 2pm Speaker Arthur Morgan
TD Derry (Swatragh) Assemble 2.30pm Speaker Francie Molloy
MLA Donegal (Pettigo) Assemble 3pm Speaker Cllr Pearse
Doherty Monaghan (Clones) Assemble 2.30pm Speaker
Caoimhgh¡n O Caol in TD

Easter Tuesday 10th
Antrim(Toomebridge) Assemble 4pm Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin
MLA North Belfast (Ardoyne) Assemble 1pm Speaker Matina
Anderson MLA

For a full listing of Easter Commemorations go to the Sinn
Fein website - www.sinnfein.ie

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

http://www.aoh.com/

Statement By The National President Of The Ancient Order Of
Hibernians On The Dublin/Monaghan Report

The investigation of Barrister Patrick MacEntee into
certain questions regarding the conduct of the Irish
government and An Garda Siochana in response to bombings
of Dublin and Monaghan Towns on May 17th 1974 is, at best,
a disappointment. It does, however, make some interesting
revelations.

On that fateful day the Irish nation suffered an attack
which considering the size of Ireland and the impact of the
attack on the Irish people could be said to be as heinous
as the 9/11 attack in NYC. It was conducted by at least 6
loyalist terrorists and, according to the Barron Report,
with the full knowledge and possibly with the aid of
certain elements of the British Army. The British
government refused to cooperate in the investigation. Now
Mr. MacEntee concludes that the Garda lacked much of the
basic documentation necessary for a thorough investigation
and some of those documents are still missing,
specifically,10 highly sensitive security files. This is
indicative of an institution that is disinterested,
disorganized and, more importantly, may have something to
hide.

Amazingly, the Garda concluded its investigation into the
largest crime in the nation's history in less than 6
months, without a single interrogation or arrest of the six
suspects sought in the North. The Irish government did not
even raise the matter at the U. N. The British documentary
Hidden Hand in 1993 actually conducted a more thorough
investigation than that of the Garda.

Today in the Christian world we are reminded of the
cowardice of Pontius Pilate who tried to wash his hands of
the death of an innocent man. With this report, we have
yet another attempt to wash the deaths of 34 innocent men,
women and children from the conscience of a nation. We

prayerfully remember those who died and were injured and
their families. Further, we vow to join with others and
continue our quest for the truth of Bloody Sunday and the
numerous collusion murders that took place during the
conflict and that only now are being exposed.

For more information please contact Jack Meehan at 617-285-
5113 or Mike Cummings at 518-482-0349.

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http://www.suntimes.com/news/greeley/330261,CST-EDT-GREEL06.article

Opin: Protestants May Yet Find Excuse To Delay N. Ireland
Peace

April 6, 2007
By Andrew Greeley

Ireland finally made it big in the American media last
week: front page in the New York Times and three minutes on
the evening news. Protestants and Catholics had made peace
in Northern Ireland. The heads of both warring political
factions sat at a table with each other and made statements
about political cooperation. Finally, a conflict that went
back to Oliver Cromwell had come to an end.

This was not the first such an announcement of peace. The
scene, with different characters, had been performed
several times since the original Good Friday agreement. It
was different in two respects: Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley
represent the extremes of Catholic and Protestant
sentiment, and the British and Irish governments were
willing to pour major subsidies into Northern Ireland to
help it catch up with the prosperity of the rest of the
island.

Will the agreement hold? Anyone who has studied the history
can only cross his fingers and hope.

Ireland is the only country in Western Europe with a
foreign colony imposed on it, a colony with gerrymandered
boundaries which permits a minority in the whole island to
impose its will on the part of the majority group that
lives within its artificial boundaries.

The descendants of the Protestant genocidal colonizers
believe as self-evident that they are morally,
intellectually and humanly superior to the descendants of
the Catholics who were not quite eliminated. Hence, it is
difficult for them to accept any agreement that constrains
them to share power with Catholics -- just as whites in
Mississippi found it so difficult to share power with
blacks. Paisley is very sensitive to the emotions of his
hard-line constituents. He knows that he must humiliate the
Catholics by cooking up new requirements (added to the
substance of the Good Friday agreement) to prove their good
faith.

The Ulster Protestants share this conviction of the racial
inferiority of the Catholic Irish -- slovenly, ignorant,
superstitious, lazy, no'count and responsible for all their
problems -- with a substantial proportion of the population
of Great Britain, including their intellectuals, liberals
and academics. There are not many people left that the
English can feel superior too, so it's a good thing the
Irish are still around. That the standard of living (as
measured by per capita gross national product) in Ireland
is the highest in Europe (save perhaps for Norway) and
higher than that of England has yet to penetrate English
consciousness.

The small print in the recent agreement is that power-
sharing will begin only after two months. That gives
Paisley and his allies time to discover that the Catholics
are still violating some of the conditions for power-
sharing -- new conditions that they will have dreamed up.
The history of the last 10 years of negotiations in
Northern Ireland have been a story of "just one more thing
you have to do --," thus establishing that the Protestants
are still in charge.

The security agencies of the British government have
cooperated with this stalling process. They raided the Sinn
Fein offices in the Ulster Parliament and removed carloads
of "evidence" that Sinn Fein was working with the IRA. The
evidence oddly disappeared. Then the Ulster police blamed a
big bank robbery on the IRA, though they never did get
around to arresting any suspects. It would be unwise to bet
against more such delaying tactics before May 21.

c Copyright 2007 Sun-Times News Group Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUOJKFGBOJ&rss=rss1

Escape Tunnel Found At Maze Prison

04/04/2007 - 20:50:25

An escape tunnel discovered on the site of the North's
infamous Maze Prison may have been dug by loyalist
paramilitaries 30 years ago, it was claimed tonight.

Workmen found the 60ft long underground passageway as they
moved in to demolish the compound near Lisburn, Co Antrim.

It is believed to have been part of a break-out plot
hatched during the 1970s while hundreds of loyalists and
republicans were held in the Long Kesh camp first erected
in the grounds.

One theory is the route out was abandoned when inmates
discovered it was actually in the middle of the site where
the notorious H-blocks were being built for the opening of
the Maze in 1976.

But Billy Hutchinson, a former prisoner later elected to
the Stormont Assembly, claimed it may have been another
part of a tunnel Ulster Defence Association were caught
building.

He said: "It sounds like it could have been linked to the
opening they found at Compound 20.

"The UDA dug one there, but heavy rain caved part of it in.

"The prison authorities came in, took all the UDA ones out,
put them in plastic handcuffs, beat the c**p out of them
and made them run the gauntlet.

"But whether they discovered it all or not, maybe this is
another part of where they dug."

Mr Hutchinson, held at Long Kesh and the Maze with rival
Ulster Volunteer Force men, told how UVF leader Gusty
Spence demanded a halt to the alleged punishment.

"Gusty told them to stop or he would get his men to come
over the wall at them.

"It was a breach of their human rights, and once he issued
his warning to the prison governors they stopped it."

The new discovery was made after bags of dirt were found
hidden in the roofs of the Nissen huts where the Long Kesh
prisoners were kept.

The earth was also packed into the outer walls of toilet
blocks.

Gavin Smyth, a digger operator with the demolition firm
brought on to the Maze site as part of a multi-million
pound renovation plan, told the Belfast Telegraph: "There
was tons of it.

"The dirt was all in bags in the roof, like sugar bags,
made from blankets and pillow cases."

It was only when Mr Smyth's digger fell into the tunnel
that the escape route was uncovered.

Desmond Rodgers, foreman with John McQuillan and Sons,
said: "It was half filled with water."

Colleague Sammy McVeigh added: "There was a big roll of
cable in there as well.

"It was used, so they must have stripped it from somewhere
else to use it for lights."

Attempted break-outs were part of the history of the
compound, with IRA men also involved numerous bids to
tunnel their way to freedom.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6529075.stm

Barrowlands Immortalised In Song

Glasgow's iconic Barrowlands Ballroom has been immortalised
in song by veteran Irish singer Christy Moore.

The track, titled Barrowland, pays tribute to the venue and
all those who have passed through its doors.

Released this week, the song features the lyrics: "There's
an easy place down Gallowgate...Its a ballroom of
remembrance and a disco".

Moore is set to perform the track live for the first time
during his Barrowlands concert on Friday.

Affection

Best known as one of the founding members of Planxty, Mr
Moore first played the venue in 1987.

Despite his current affection for the Barrowlands, he once
threatened never to appear there again following a rowdy
concert.

Speaking on his website, he described performing there as
"not for the faint hearted".

He said: "It has been one of my favourite venues in the
world. It is a basic room but it is imbued with the spirit
of 10,000 gigs."

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/05 12:21:10 GMT
c BBC MMVII

----
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