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April 14, 2007

Republicans' Details Held By Loyalists

News about Ireland & the Irish

BN 04/14/07 Republicans' Details Held By Loyalist Paramilitaries
SF 04/13/07 UVF Ammunition Found At Wrightbus
SF 04/13/07 Maskey Supports Investigation After SB Agent Claims
SF 04/14/07 Sinn Féin Is Ready For Government, North And South
BB 04/14/07 Paisley Accused Of SF Propaganda
BB 04/14/07 City Riots Inexcusable – Paisley
BN 04/14/07 Dermot Ahern Attends Meeting For Undocumented Irish
SF 04/14/07 Sinn Féin Candidates - General Election 2007
IM 04/14/07 Easter Lilies Protest At Maghaberry Gaol - Updates
AP 04/14/07 Opin: Sinn Féin and post conflict politics
BB 04/14/07 Titanic Voyager List Goes Digital
BT 04/14/07 Heroic Belfast Born Titanic Designer Revealed

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=306361&rss=rss2

Republicans' Details Held By Loyalist Paramilitaries

14/04/2007 - 14:49:53

A number of republicans in the North have been told their details
are in the hands of unionist paramilitaries, it was claimed
today.

Sinn Fein's Daithi McKay said republicans in Derry city, South
Derry and North Antrim were given the news during overnight
visits by PSNI officers.

The PSNI confirmed a number of individuals are in the process of
being provided with information by police.

"This forms part of an ongoing investigation into terrorist
crime," said a spokeswoman.

"If we receive information and believe that someone should be
made aware of that information we take steps to inform them."

The North Antrim Assembly member linked the visits to the court
appearance of a Wrightbus employee yesterday, who was charged
with various terror offences.

"Sinn Fein and the individuals concerned are obviously taking
this matter seriously," said Mr Kay.

"It is unacceptable that unionist paramilitaries continue to
target republicans in this manner, and the events of the past 24
hours clearly raise very serious issues for the wider unionist
community."

Darren Leslie Richardson, 30, of Moneynick Road, Randalstown, Co
Antrim, was yesterday charged with being a Loyalist terrorist and
accused of being a member of the outlawed Ulster Volunteer Force.

The factory manager at the major Northern Ireland bus builder -
which last week won a multi million pound order from the Irish
State bus company - was further charged with the possession of
documents likely to be of use to terrorists and possession of a
quantity of 9mm ammunition at the Wrightbus plant at Galgorm
outside Ballymena, Co Antrim between a date unknown and April 11.

Two further arrests were made by the PSNI last night as part of
an ongoing investigation into terrorist crime.

One arrest was made in Randalstown - where Mr Richardson lives -
and the other in Belfast.

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

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18658

UVF Ammunition Found At Wrightbus

Published: 13 April, 2007

North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Daith¡ McKay has said that the finding
of loyalist ammunition at Wrightbus will come as no surprise to
nationalists in the North Antrim area. Mr McKay was speaking
after a factory manager at Wrightbus was charged with membership
of the Ulster Volunteer Force. A quantity of 9mm ammunition was
found at the Wrightbus plant in Galgorm.

Mr McKay said:

"Last week Sinn Fein challenged the Irish Government to exert
pressure on Wrightbus over the under-representation of Catholics
in the workplace. Given these latest revelations it is quite
clear why Wrightbus is a 'cold house' for many from the
nationalist community and the Irish Government should call an
emergency meeting with the company to address this problem once
and for all.

"There have been many cases in this area in the past where
loyalists have been given a judicial 'slap on the wrists' for
possessing ammunition and firearms. There has to be much tougher
sentencing for those involved in this if loyalists are to be
deterred from this sort of activity in the future.

"The time of loyalists 'being handled with kid gloves' must now
come to an end and all parties, including the Irish Government,
must use their influence to tackle inequality and sectarianism in
North Antrim." ENDS

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

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18622

Maskey Supports Family Calls For Investigation After Special
Branch Agent Claims

Published: 13 April, 2007

Sinn Fein Assembly member for South Belfast Alex Maskey has added
his voice to calls made by families of those killed by the UDA in
the area for the Police Ombudsman to carry out an investigation
into the activities of Special Branch Agent 'Inch' McFerron who
was a leading UDA figure in the area for many years and is linked
to many murders. Mr Maskey's remarks come after fresh claims
about McFerron are made in today's Irish News.

Mr Maskey said:

"The UDA in South Belfast in the late 1980's and early 1990's
were responsible for scores of murders. Inch McFerron has been
for many years been named as a leading suspect in many of these.
It has also been widely believed for many years before the recent
revelations in court that McFerron was a highly placed Special
Branch Agent.

"McFerron was allowed by his handlers to murder Catholics and
nationalists with impunity. It has been further alleged that the
fingerprints of a Special Branch Officers were discovered on
weapons recovered from a UDA arms dump yet no action was taken.

"I would add my voice to those of the families of people killed
by the UDA in South Belfast during McFerron's time as a Special
Branch Agent who have demanded that the Police Ombudsman carry
out an investigation into McFerron and his handlers in the
Special Branch." ENDS

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

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18664

Sinn Fein Is Ready For Government, North And South

Published: 14 April, 2007

Head of Sinn Fein's Election Department Pat Doherty MP speaking
at a meeting of the party's leadership in Dublin this morning
said that "Sinn Fein is standing 42 candidates across 41
constituencies. In the coming weeks we will be putting a strong
republican platform before the electorate setting out our plans
to build an Ireland of equals. We are preparing to be in
government, north and south."

Mr. Doherty said:

"This is a huge election for Sinn Fein. We are standing 42
candidates across 41 constituencies and a quarter of our
candidates are women. And we expect to substantially increase
our representation in constituencies right across the country.
In the north our five government ministers are already working
with the DUP and the other parties for the return to government
on May 8th. And we are just as ready for government in the south

"This morning we finalised our candidate list and agreed the key
priorities for our manifesto. In the coming weeks we will be
putting a strong republican platform before the electorate and
setting out our plans to build an Ireland of equals.

"Our priority in government will be to end the crisis in the
health service, build social and affordable housing, advance the
peace process and build a strong, all-Ireland economy that
delivers for all. We want to build Irish unity and bring
together the experience of nationalists and unionists across the
island.

"In the last few weeks we have seen the Fine Gael and the Labour
Party alliance coming apart at the seams on key issues relating
to the economy, rural Ireland and international affairs. And we
have seen the negative impact which the PDs are having on their
government partners. We have seen a lot of desperate auction
politics. This is appallingly reckless given the depth of the
crisis in our public services.

"Sinn Fein has been canvassing extensively and one thing is
certain, after the debacle of the last election people are
looking for answers. They are looking for an alternative
government and we are confident that Sinn Fein is up for the
challenge of being at the centre of a new administration." ENDS

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6555117.stm

Paisley Accused Of SF Propaganda

Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey has accused Ian Paisley of
handing Gerry Adams a propaganda victory at their historic first
meeting.

Speaking on Inside Politics, he said the televised meeting
between the DUP leader and Mr Adams was "bizarre"

Sir Reg said it did more for the Sinn Fein leader than it did for
unionism.

"I'm not criticising Ian for meeting with Gerry Adams what I'm
criticising him for is for allowing it to be turned into a Sinn
Fein photo-fest," he said.

"He should have met him long ago and I called for that.

"But the point I have to make is that we in our party got dogs
abuse for trying to deal with the republican movement over the
years from Ian Paisley and his colleagues.

"And yet they've done things in the last few weeks which we'd
have been hounded out for," Sir Reg said.

The DUP and Sinn Fein leaders shared a news conference on 26
March to announce they were committed to restoring the power-
sharing assembly on 8 May.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/14 09:47:04 GMT
c BBC MMVII

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6552463.stm

City Riots Inexcusable - Paisley

Rioting by young people in Belfast is "inexcusable and
unacceptable", DUP leader Ian Paisley has said.

The first minister elect has urged parents to "exercise greater
control over their children".

It follows violence involving nationalist and loyalist youths in
the west of the city.

Petrol bombs were thrown at police during disturbances in the New
Barnsley area on Wednesday night involving youths as young as 13.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Paisley said he wanted young people to
grow up "enjoying the pleasures of youth and we want a prosperous
future for them".

"However, they must realise and recognise that they have a
responsibility to the communities in which they live," he said.

"Respect is a much used phrase by young people. But it cuts both
ways: young people need to be shown respect.

"But they also need to respect the communities in which they
live, particularly the most vulnerable living there. Parents need
to know where their children are and what they are doing."

The DUP leader paid tribute to local community workers who had
defused the situation.

During the disturbances, several police vehicles were damaged.

A police spokeswoman said bricks, large stones and boulders were
among the "heavy missiles" thrown.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/13 12:44:32 GMT
c BBC MMVII

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=306363&rss=rss2

Dermot Ahern Attends Meeting For Undocumented Irish In US

14/04/2007 - 14:59:08

A public meeting is taking place in Dublin for families and
friends of undocumented Irish emigrants now living the United
States.

The meeting is part of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform's
campaign to secure rights for the estimated50,000 Irish people
living in America.

The lobby has gained support from the Irish Government, which is
donating $50,000 (?37,000) dollars to the group.

"The Irish Government has been very central in the lobby over
this for the last two years. The Taoiseach and I have raised it
with President Bush on each of our meetings over the last three
St. Patrick's days in the Oval Office," said Foreign Affairs
Minister Dermot Ahern.

"In the meantime my embassy and I were out in America on 16
occasions in the last two years and I have always raised the
issue with the congressmen and women - ultimately it is they who
will have to change the legislation."

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

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/18665

Sinn Fein Candidates - General Election 2007

Published: 14 April, 2007

Sinn Fein candidates - General Election 2007

Dublin

Dublin Central Mary Lou McDonald MEP
Dublin North Central Peter Lawlor
Dublin North East Larry O'Toole
Dublin North West Dessie Ellis
Dublin North Matt McCormack
Dublin West Felix Gallagher
Dublin Mid West Joanne Spain
Dublin South West Sean Crowe TD
Dublin South Shaun Tracey
Sorcha Nic Cormaic
Dun Laoghaire Eoin O'Broin
Dublin South Central Aengus O Snodaigh TD
Dublin South East Daith¡ Doolan
Connaught/Ulster
Cavan Monaghan Caoimhgh¡n O Caol in TD

Roscommon/Sth Leitrim Martin Kenny

Sligo/North Leitrim Sean MacManus

Donegal North East Padraig MacLochlainn

Donegal South West Pearse Doherty

Galway West Ann Marie Carroll

Galway East Jason Devlin

Mayo Gerry Murray

Munster

Kerry North Martin Ferris TD

Kerry South Lynn N¡ Bhaoigheall in

Clare Anna Prior

Limerick East Maurice Quinlivan

Cork South West Cionnaith O Suilleabhain

Cork North Central Jonathan O'Brien

Cork South Central Henry Cremin

Cork East Sandra McLellan

Waterford David Cullinane

Tipperary South Liam Browne

Tipperary North Seamus Morris

Leinster

Louth Arthur Morgan TD

Meath West Joe Reilly

Meath East Joanne Finnegan

Longford Westmeath Paul Hogan

Laois Offaly Brian Stanley

Kildare North Crist¡n McCauley

Kildare South Teresa Bennit

Wicklow John Brady

Carlow Kilkenny Kathleen Funchion

Wexford John Dwyer

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

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81964

Easter Lilies Protest At Maghaberry Gaol - Updates

International Rights And Freedoms News Report
D‚ hAoine Aibre n 13, 2007 21:43 by IFC POW Dept -

Irish Freedom Committee Saoirse@irishfreedomcommittee.net

Punishments, isolation underway - 3 POWs on Blocks

IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE POW DEPT.
HTTP://WWW.IRISHFREEDOMCOMMITTEE.NET
UPDATES from MAGHABERRY GAOL - EASTER LILIES PROTEST
Friday April 14, 2007

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PLEASE SEE:
EMERGENCY STATEMENT FROM MAGHABERRY PRISON - IFC POW Dept.
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/POWs/easterlilies_...y.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PUNISHMENTS, ISOLATION UNDERWAY - THREE POWS ON BLOCKS

As a result of their refusal to remove Easter Lilies on Easter
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; fifteen Irish Republican Political
Prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol met with aggression and sectarian
abuse from prison staff this week. Adjudication for three of the
POWs in the incident commenced on Wednesday last, with all three
POWs refusing to co-operate with the adjudication process and
being immediately placed on punishment blocks. Eight other POWs
face adjudication in the coming week.

The Irish Freedom Committee condemns the racist and sectarian
singling out of Republican prisoners for prison aggression,
isolation, and extreme measures of punishment as a result of
their right to wear the Easter lily emblem to commemorate
Ireland's dead. The Republican prisoners have a right to wear
Easter lilies to commemorate Ireland's dead, just as the prison
staff and loyalist inmates wear poppies for Remembrance Day in
November in recognition of Britain's dead.

Please CONTACT the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland
Prisons Service today and register your concerns regarding the
harsh and unacceptable treatment of Irish Republican POWs at
Maghaberry. Contact information and a suggested letter are below.
Please ACT TODAY! Our voices can speak volumes if we act now.

IFC ACTION REQUEST

We ask that our supporters immediately contact the NIO and Prison
governor at Maghaberry and protest the unwarranted aggression
against Republican prisoners. There is a Sample Letter below, use
as is or modify in your own words.

1. Enter the following email addresses in your email "TO" bar:
info@niprisonservice.gov.uk, press.nio@nics.gov.uk
Subject: "Maghaberry prison Easter aggression"
2. Copy and paste the suggested text below into your email body
3. Add your name and location to the text.
4. SEND

---------------- SAMPLE LETTER COPY & PASTE ---------------------

MAGHABERRY PRISON
Mr. Alan Longwell - Governor
Upper Ballinderry Road
Lisburn, Co. Antrim
BT28 2PT
NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE

Mr. Peter Hain - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Block B
Castle Buildings
Belfast BT4 3STGTN
NORTHERN IRELAND PRISON SERVICE

Mr. Robin Masefield - Director General
Room 321
Prison Service Headquarters
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast BT4 3SU

Dear sir,

We are writing to protest the aggressive treatment of the
republican prisoners at Roe house yesterday morning, Easter
Sunday. We have learned that the republican prisoners were forced
to run a gauntlet of over twenty guards yesterday and have been
denied food, visits and exercise because they wore Easter lilies.

It is unacceptable that prison guards and loyalist inmates can
openly wear enormous poppies for Remembrance day in November, yet
the republican prisoners are annually treated to abuse and
punishment for wearing small Easter lilies to commemorate their
patriot dead.

We remain concerned over the deteriorating conditions at
Maghaberry prison. We will continue to closely monitor
this situation.

Sincerely,

NAME/ADDRESS
------------------------------------------------

The Irish Freedom Committee will continue to monitor events at
Maghaberry and will post more news here shortly. Please contact
Saoirse@irishfreedomcommittee for more information.

##### ENDS

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PLEASE SEE:
EMERGENCY STATEMENT FROM MAGHABERRY PRISON - IFC POW Dept.
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/POWs/easterlilies_...y.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Related Link:
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/POWs/easterlilies_...y.htm

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

http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/18635

Opin: Republicans need to build a broad based coalition to
transform society

Sinn Fein and post conflict politics

By Eoin O Broin

If and when the DUP enter the Executive, a sustained and stable
period of power sharing will slowly become reality and
implementation of all aspects of the Agreement will eventually
follow. This opens the way for a post Agreement politics whose
contours will be substantially different from that which has
dominated politics since partition.

Post conflict politics poses both risks and opportunities for
Sinn Fein. Just as we strategisied and planned what was to become
our peace strategy from the mid 1980s, so too today must we
stratagise and plan ahead for the coming decades.

We need to open up a debate, throughout all levels of the party
and beyond, on a number of key issues. Most importantly, we need
to ask if and how Sinn Fein can build sufficient political
strength across Ireland to achieve our objectives?

Throughout the 20th century progressive politics in Ireland has
revolved around two key themes - democracy and equality.
Republicans, socialists, feminists and environmentalists have at
their core, commitments to deepening the width and depth of
democracy while attempting to attain the maximum degree of social
and economic justice and political and cultural equality.

Progressive politics presents its most powerful challenge to the
status quo in Ireland when it combines both the demand for deeper
democracy and greater equality, infusing each theme with the full
force of the other, combining both into a single powerful
ideological and organisational force. This force is left
republicanism - a commitment to radical participatory democracy,
popular pluralist sovereignty, social and economic justice, and
political and cultural equality coupled with a commitment to
confront and challenge the centres of power and inequality which
constitute the architecture of modern society and in the process,
radically alter the way in which we as human beings organise our
lives.

The fact that progressive politics in Ireland throughout the 20th
century has remained an all too often marginal force is as much a
consequence of our failure to understand both the potential which
this articulation offers, and our own inability to transform it
into a social and political movement for meaningful change.

The growth of Sinn Fein since the 1980s demonstrates that for the
first time we are overcoming these obstacles. Today, our party is
managing to combine the democratic and egalitarian impulses of
the republican tradition in such a way as to speak directly to
the needs of people across the country.

At the core of this republican project is the ending of
partition, the withdrawal of the British state from Ireland and
the creation of a new national democracy for all of the people
who inhabit the island. This new republic must be participative,
inclusive, pluralist, secular and radically democratic. The
potential social, economic and political benefits, to all of the
people are profound. But today, the majority across Ireland still
fail to understand what difference, if any, this would make to
them. This is our failure, and ours alone.

Sinn Fein has committed itself to building a community for
reunification. Our All Ireland Agenda envisages party activists
promoting the material benefits of reunification and building
practical examples of the benefits of all Ireland development.

To date, however, both the practical out workings of this agenda
and our own collective understanding of its radical potential
remain, at best underdeveloped, at worst confused. Much of this
work, particularly that involving local government, cross border
development and European funded initiatives has become opaque,
technocratic and detached from the lives of ordinary people.

A new approach is needed. We need to make our agenda for
reunification meaningful to ordinary people in their day to day
lives, not just in the 12 border counties, but across the island.

Sinn Fein advocates an Ireland of equals. We campaign for the end
to a two tier health system, for housing and education as a
right. Our pre-budget submissions priortise childcare. We call
for a rights based society, an end to discrimination and poverty,
and for greater levels of assistance for the developing world.
But to date we have yet to design and articulate the actual
economic, fiscal and social policies which will enable us to
achieve any of these ends. Recent media commentary of Sinn Fein's
coyness when discussing issues of taxation is symptomatic of the
problem.

If we are to be taken seriously as a party whose destination is
government, North and South, then we need a serious and credible
economic and social programme which prioritises achievable
objectives in the short and medium term while never losing sight
of the broader long term process of transformation, which marks
us out as different to others.

We not only need a programme, we need to build a broad based,
social, political and community based, equality coalition, with
the capacity and determination to transform our society.

Who would such a coalition involve? Where would it operate? How
can it be built? How much can be avhieved from within the
parameters of Leinster House and the Assembly? What must be
achieved from without, and how can we successfully combine the
two?

We need to resist the logic of institutionalisation while never
underestimating the strategic importance of such institutions

The world is changing. The left is on the rise globally. However
across the European Union the neo-liberal right remains
ascendent. Both of these facts need to become central to our
political and strategic considerations at a local and national
level.

In addition to continuing our current political and
organisational direction, Sinn Fein should seriously consider the
following specific projects:

The next 26 County Presidential Elections place in 2011. Let's
start to promote the idea of a left republican president. Not a
Sinn Fein president, but a public figure whose personal political
and cultural commitments epitomise the values of radical
democracy and equality, which we support. Moreover let's debate
the idea in a way that would allow all those progressive forces
across Ireland to buy into the project, whether they be Labour,
Green, Fianna F il, trade unionist, NGO, community/campaign
activists or the individual citizen.

Let's start a debate about A Second Republic, for Ireland in the
21st century. Many other nations dissolve their existing
constitutional frameworks periodically and through widespread
public consultation recycle and reconstitute themselves into New
Republics - such as France or Venezuela. Its time for a similar
process across Ireland, in which the citizens of the nation,
actively and creatively imagine what our new republic should look
like.

Let's start to construct the All Ireland Equality Coalition now,
building on our existing unionist, all Ireland, trade union and
community outreach and campaigning. Let's make this new coalition
a central element in our programme for building the Second
Republic, a truly national, democratic, egalitarian, social and
political movement for a new Ireland. Sinn Fein would only be one
part of this much bigger, bolder enterprise, whose political
strength would be comparable only to the independence movement at
the start of the 20th century. That movement
was built on an ambition that animated Fenians, socialists, and
suffragettes, who together opened up the democratic and
egalitarian moment in which we are still living. If we want to
carry this struggle to its conclusion its time to replicate that
ambition. Our aims, as Connolly said, are most modest... we only
want the earth.

Eoin O Broin is Sinn Fein's Director of European Affairs

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6554169.stm

Titanic Voyager List Goes Digital

The original handwritten list of passengers on the ill-fated
Titanic has been put on the internet, 95 years after it sank on
its maiden voyage.

The list has details of their job, nationality, age and the class
of ticket on which they were travelling.

The 34-page document had previously been kept under wraps at the
National Archives in Kew, and could only be viewed under
supervision.

Ancestorsonboard.com lists thousands of ship passengers between
1890 and 1919.

Built in Belfast, the Titanic set sail for New York from
Southampton in April 1912.

It struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic, and in the early
hours of 15 April, she sank with the loss of 1,503 passengers and
crew.

Lucky escapes

Among those named on the list are a number of passengers who had
lucky escapes, including the Conyngham family who only travelled
on the first leg of the voyage to Cherbourg, France.

And some people had bought tickets to embark at Queenstown (now
Cobh) in County Cork, but never got onboard.

Dan Jones of the National Archives said the website made
fascinating historical material available to the widest possible
audience.

"This launch provides a fascinating snapshot into the birth of
long distance and affordable travel," he said.

The website currently has records of passengers on all long-
distance ships leaving England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
between 1890 and 1919.

When the archive project is finished, it will have more than 1.5
million pages of passenger records, listing the 30 million
passengers who travelled on long-distance boat journeys between
1890 and 1960.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/04/14 08:47:31 GMT
c BBC MMVII

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2447780.ece

Heroics Of Belfast-Born Titanic Designer Revealed In Telegram To
Shipyard

[Published: Saturday 14, April 2007 - 09:28]
By Linda McKee

A telegram describing how Titanic designer Thomas Andrews battled
to save lives as the ship went down has been uncovered at the
Titanic: Made in Belfast event.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge believes the cablegram, relayed to
Harland and Wolff, could fetch several thousands of pounds when
it goes under the hammer this September.

The document brought to Belfast City Hall describes how Belfast-
born designer Mr Andrews fought to save lives and was last seen
throwing deckchairs overboard so that people in the icy water
would have something to clutch on to.

The poignant passages also commend the heroism of Belfast
shipyard workers in the guarantee group on board the doomed liner
who remained below " doing their duty" as Titanic sank beneath
the waves.

Mr Aldridge also described the "Antiques Roadshow moment" as
another visitor showed him a launch ticket for the Titanic. This
is expected to fetch between œ6,000 and œ10,000 when it is
auctioned alongside the cablegram by Henry Aldridge & Son at
Devizes on September 22.

The telegram was brought in by a woman who has been collecting
Titanic documents with her husband for many years, Mr Aldridge
said. Harland and Wolff received it on April 23, 1912, eight days
after the tragedy.

The cablegram reads: "After accident Andrews ascertained damage
advised passengers put heavy clothing prepare leave vessel. Many
sceptical about seriousness damage but impressed by Andrews'
knowledge personally followed his advice saved their lives.

"He assisted many women children to lifeboats. When last seen
officers say was throwing overboard deckchairs other objects to
people in water. His chief concern safety of everyone but
himself.

"We feel this illustrates the spirit which animated the whole of
our staff who have been lost in this unfortunate disaster and the
majority of whom were below doing their duty."

The telegram went on to list the names of the guarantee group men
who were lost with the ship. Interestingly, it listed apprentice
fitter Alfred Cunningham as saved, but a handwritten correction
in red ink dated April 26 noted that he had now been reported
missing.

"This is a very, very significant account of Thomas Andrews's
heroic behaviour as the ship was going down," Mr Aldridge said.

"It's a very important historical piece of primary evidence
relating to Harland and Wolff and the Titanic. It must have been
sent by someone very significant and official on the other side
of the pond.

"Once again it emphasises what Mr Andrews did as the ship was
going down."

c Belfast Telegraph

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