Scoundrel Sheltered

I HAVE been following the scandalous outrage that is Larry Murphy’s release back in August 2010, and his subsequent admittance back into Ireland in May/June 2011 because he had his passport stolen by a prostitute in Spain.

Clearly t his scoundrel is being protected by the Irish justice system and has been since his release back in August 2010.

The fact that he repeatedly raped and almost murdered a Carlow woman and served only 10 years for this heinous crime should be enough for the justice system in Ireland to be revamped from head to toe.  But of course the powers that be do nothing.

When Murphy was released he got to stay in rent free lodgings paid for by the Irish taxpayers via the Department of Social Protection! Imagine a convicted rapist who attempted to murder a woman is being PROTECTED upon his release by the government.

Here are some serious questions that need to be answered:

*Was he a paid informant of the Gardai (police)?
*What information did this scoundrel give to the police or withhold from them?
*How was he allowed to stay in Ireland for two weeks when he needed to get a new passport?
*Who protected him when he flew back to Ireland and why?
*What information does he have now that the police in both Spain and Ireland are monitoring him incessantly?
*What does retired commissioner Pat Byrne know of the information Murphy had that the Gardai released him and allowed him to return unimpeded to get a new passport?
* Why has the main stream media dropped this story? Were they directed to do so and by whom?
*What was Murphy’s connection to Kevin Street Garda station within which he sough refuge upon his release?

When he returned in May 2011 Father Ciaran Enright collected him at the airport. He was under 24-hour Gardai surveillance while he ambled about the place waiting for his passport to be re-issued.
What sort of a legal system allows this to happen to its women?

What have the Gardai and the justice system concluded in the cold cases of Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard and Deidre Jacob?

The answer? Nothing.

The U.S. authorities need to step up and investigate Annie McCarrick’s disappearance and demand answers from Ireland’s police force as soon as possible.

Perhaps their first step might be to question Murphy at length in his Spanish residence.

A.P. Ó Máille
New York, New York

Tax the Rich

THE suggestion by billionaire Warren Buffet that the "mega-rich" pay more taxes should be taken up in Ireland and, indeed, across the globe.

Ever since the Thatcherism and Reaganism of the 1980s, there has been a steady transfer of wealth to the very rich which has accelerated in the last few years as hard working people have taken cuts in income to bail out super-wealthy bankers.

Not only is this socially unjust, contributing to the recent riots in England, but it is economic insanity. Those on low and middle incomes re-invest practically all of their money in their local economy, keeping more people in work.

On the other hand, the mega-rich waste much of their wealth on hoarding, buying gold and silver, high-end luxury imports or speculation on the money markets, which is causing so much turmoil in the EU. All of which generate far fewer jobs here.

It is time the Irish government stopped implementing the failed policies of the last 10 years and adopted the sensible suggestion of Buffet, which has led to both economic and social progress in small economies like Denmark and Sweden.

Noeleen Reilly
Dublin, Ireland

Plastic Bullets

THE rioting and looting which recently took place throughout England was as serious as any which took place here in the North of Ireland, yet those in charge of policing deemed it unnecessary to use lethal weapons -- i.e. plastic bullets.

The lesson to be learned is that there are alternative methods which can be deployed in dealing with such public order issues.

Will the Police Service of Northern Ireland take this on board and decommission plastic bullets?

Jim McCabe
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Stop Killing Animals

IRELAND’S forestry board, Coillte, is set to sacrifice thousands of defenseless creatures in a callous bid to boost its profits.

Coillte is currently selling licenses that will allow hunters to destroy life in forests all over the country.
Not only will woodland wildlife be killed, but also creatures that Coillte is inviting hunters to introduce into the forests to use as targets.

Coillte is owned by the Irish people, and this contamination of profits with blood money is surely unacceptable to the merciful majority. The deer, foxes and birds that make a visit to a forest so priceless for so many should be allowed to live free from persecution.

Ironically, on its website, Coillte urges visitors to forests to "respect wildlife" and "avoid disturbing animals and birds."

Everyone who values life over death should urgently demand that Coillte practices what it preaches and keeps the hunters out.

Philip Kiernan
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

Not Pro-Obama

THE recent news that President Obama will “halt” deportations against non-offending undocumented immigrants is a joke and a clear attempt to attract Latino votes next year.

Can this president do anything right? Can’t he just fight for what he believes in, instead of all the half-hearted measures he’s been putting forth since taking office? 


He promised comprehensive immigration reform, and could have worked towards that end during his first two years in office but he did nothing. Now he wants us all to believe that he is pro-immigrant.

The only “pro” thing Obama is is himself and his re-election campaign.  If you stand for nothing you’ll fall for everything, and that’s exactly what’s happened to him since taking office.

Robert Doherty
Watervliet, New York

North Revision Is Wrong

HISTORICAL revisionism generally begins after the passage of many years from the events in question.

Letter writer John Gregg started his revising less than a month after the latest invasion of the Short Strand in East Belfast, as is evidenced by his letter “A Call for Violence” (July 13-19).  No one, I repeat no one, has come up with a version of the events such as those of Mr. Gregg.

Everyone and, once again, I mean everyone with any interest in the situation -- and that includes community workers, politicians of all stripes, the police, the media and residents -- all agree on what happened at approximately 9 p.m. on the night in question.

Hundreds of individuals clad in semi-military clothing, including balaclavas and surgical gloves, invaded the Short Strand in the Lower Newtownards Road, Lower Albertbridge and Lower Ravenhill Road areas.

In the ensuing mayhem which lasted into the following night, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reported that shots were fired by both sides.

According to the PSNI, the violence was the work of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and was provoked by UVF displeasure at Historical Enquiries Team (HET) activities and the closure of the Belvoir bar which was allegedly owned by the UVF.

Mr. Gregg seems to confirm that Loyalists are tired of seeing Nationalists getting government jobs while, as he puts it, “ . . . working class Prods get nothing.”

The best way to seek redress of these “grievances,” it seems, is to resort to brute force and attack a small, vastly outnumbered Nationalist community.

Don’t go to school, don’t become politically active to develop a political base like the current Lord Mayor of Belfast, 26-year-old Short Strand resident Niall O' Donnghaile has done.

No. Instead go on the attack and hope that the politicians will pay you off.

On 11th night, in Pitt Park across from St. Matthew’s Church, erect a large bonfire 40 or 50 feet high, and on the top of it place an Irish Tricolor.

Just beneath it, put a large photo poster of the lord mayor and next to that a larger poster inscribed “KAT” which variously means “Kill All Taigs” or “Kill Any Taig.” Then set the whole thing on fire.

At nearby Cluan Place, which was involved in serious disturbances in 2002, erect a bonfire and put a poster on it proclaiming “F*** the Short Strand and the Parades Commission.”

Don’t get involved in trying to revive the disintegrating Progressive Unionist Party so as to gain a political voice.  That is definitely less exciting than rioting and setting fire to piles of pallets and tires while drinking copious tins of beer.

St. Matthew’s, the Short Strand parish church, is no stranger to attacks, and the one a few weeks back is just one of many over the years.

The original St. Matthew’s was dedicated on Sunday, March 13, 1831.  By 1883, the number of parishioners had grown so large that the new current church was consecrated in June of that year.

The Irish News reported at the time that the building of the new church was partially made possible by generous contributions from Protestants.  The church is of gothic style and measures 133 feet by 70 feet and has a tower and spire of 170 feet in height, topped by a large cross.

It has been attacked ever since, with major battles being fought in the 1920-1922 pogroms during which time 32 parishioners died as a result of the violence.  The chapel grounds are famous as the site of the events of June 27, 1970 when the Battle of St. Matthew’s took place resulting in a total of at least 3 dead from both sides to the melee.

So the recent attacks are nothing more than a long, sad history of similar incursions on the Short Strand by its neighbors.  Not much has changed.

Sectarianism is alive and well, and Mr. Gregg’s attempts to rework what recently happened for readers of the Irish Voice just isn’t so.


Stephen M. McCabe
Carle Place, New York

Celtic Junk

IRELAND’S government bonds have been assigned junk status as a result of those moody debt experts, Moody’s.

This is a very unwelcome development for Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and company, who have yet another impediment to get through with this announcement.

How will this affect the Irish economy?

Junk status means that the interest rate on a bond increases as the rating agencies -- and there are three, Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, and Fitch -- present a detailed analysis that the risk of a default is higher.

Typically there are three letter ratings, A, B and C, with double combinations of these letters. An A rating conveys a very low risk and therefore a tiny probability of a default.  But a C (or junk status) conveys high risk and thus a higher rate of interest to attract investors into the bond.

Celtic junk will have a negative effect on the Irish economy because the government will have to offer higher interest rates to bondholders, and this will necessitate an increased pressure on interest rates in Ireland in general. Ordinary people will then have to pay higher rates on their mortgages, car loans and credit cards.

Such a scenario will act as a double whammy on top of the already struggling Irish economy, creating an atmosphere of bleakness across the land.

We as a nation will become a tourist driven economy with and a place where tax loopholes for corporate headquarters will attract investment in the coming years. As the tourists stream through the new terminal in Dublin Airport, an opposite flow of passengers will be departing the country through the same terminal.

Last December I saw the new terminal, and I commented to my father as we drove past that the only reason the terminal was built was to facilitate the massive increase in immigration numbers anticipated by the Irish government as the economic catastrophe continues.

In previous letters to this newspaper and in an opinion piece, I predicted interest rates increasing over the next few months and years, and the ratings development by Moody’s augers badly for the Irish economy.

Investors typically listen to and observe the ratings agencies, even if they’re way off (as they were when it came to subprime mortgages and complicated derivatives that bundled crap mortgages with good ones). Should we trust the analysis presented by such institutions?

Unfortunately for Ireland and its Celtic junk, Moody’s and their buddies wield much more economic power than Kenny et al.

Ultimately the taxpayer will be forced to repay these junk bonds as they mature with whopping interest rates attached.

Meanwhile immigration will continue to ramp up creating another brain drain, and terminal two will be buzzing with traffic flowing the wrong way!

A.P. O'Maille
New York, New York

Cormac Is Right

I LOVE when Cormac MacConnell comments on the state of American politics, despite the readers who wrote in protest in last week’s issue.

He has every right to analyze the influence of Sarah Palin on our political scene because, as Cormac says, what the U.S. does affects every country in the world.

And let’s face it, anyone who thinks that Sarah Palin has even an ounce of what it takes to lead our country after 2012 must have rocks in the head bigger than the ones that reside in Palin’s head.

This woman is a traveling trashy reality show. She is simple and under-educated but very dangerous because she seems to have a spell-binding influence over a large swathe of voters.

I predict she will never run. I have watched the GOP debates and she would be totally out of her league. She knows nothing about the economy, foreign policy or anything else.

Yes, it’s fun to watch and listen to all of her gaffes. But she won’t run for president. Even she knows that she’s way out of her league, but she’ll keep the charade running for as long as she can.

Why? Money of course. The more she’s out there the more she can make.

Even her daughter who just left her teen years is hawking an autobiography now. This girl is uneducated so she doesn’t have much to say, but like her mom she’s good at attracting headlines – when you have nothing else going for you bash the McCain family, which unfortunately brought the odious Palins out from under their Alaskan rocks into the national spotlight.

Cormac MacConnell clearly sees that Palin is a moron. And he’s far from the only one who thinks so.

Margaret Carey
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bad PR Nomination

THE bodies representing public relations in Ireland should consider hiring one of the PR gurus they represent.

In the space of a few weeks, they have managed to spectacularly tarnish their own images and infuriate a large portion of the public.

The short-listing of an animal cruelty campaign for a PR Excellence Award saw the Public Relations Institute of Ireland and Public Relations Consultants Association disregarding overwhelming opposition to deplorable activities such as hunting and coursing.

The RISE campaign mysteriously made it on to their shortlist despite being criticized for spreading misinformation and showing disrespect towards public officials, both contrary to PR codes of conduct.

Condemned as malicious and despicable, the behavior of supporters included throwing eggs at a state car, jeering politicians, telling a minister to go to hell and sticking threatening leaflets on vehicles outside a church.

Claims made during the RISE campaign were variously described as nonsense, wrong and completely erroneous. The same could be said for the decision to shortlist it for an award it thankfully failed to win.

Philip Kiernan
Irish Council Against Blood Sports
Co. Westmeath, Ireland

Verbal Threat

THE greatest threat to mankind is not communism, socialism, sexism, Catholicism, Judaism, fanaticism or any of the myriad “isms” you can conjure up as you lie awake at night pondering the fate of the Earth, our last place of refuge in this universe.
To better understand the word “ism” look up ”schism” in the dictionary.

No, the greatest threat will forever be verbal diarrhea. It is the single most terrifying threat to the human race.

We are all aware of the power of the spoken word and how the way in which words are delivered can greatly influence the way that they are received. An old adage comes to mind.

When I was a first year apprentice carpenter my boss at the time, Pat Rogers, said to me, “Measure twice, cut once.”

It’s the same with words. Think twice before you speak. If you don’t, a terrible case of verbal diarrhea is guaranteed. When that happens, no amount of toilet paper will help you!

How many of you can remember the feelings of sheer disbelief/boredom/shock and horror as you sat in a bus, or a car, or a plane or a park bench, or in that holiest of holies, the bar, and listened to someone ramble on and on about something totally ridiculous? That’s right! All of you.

Another example of this comes from the leader of the free word President Obama.  He is asking the Israelis to give back land to the Palestinians.

What mankind is failing to grasp is the simple fact that we own nothing.

I think that that may be the worst case of verbal diarrhea ever witnessed by mankind since that other great orator once said “Read my lips”!

John A. Brennan
Garden City, New York

Sailing With O’Dowd

WHILE opening The Irish Times on the Internet on Monday morning, June 20 and fully expecting to see a photo of Rory (what a story) McIlroy, there on the front page was none other than Niall O'Dowd, Irish Voice publisher, and the news that he might well throw his hat into the ring for the Irish presidency.

My immediate thoughts were, why not?  As the world is all too aware at the moment, Ireland is going through the worst financial crisis in its modern day history, and here is a man with all the credentials, and know how, to help the country in its attempts to get back on an even keel.

About 90% of foreign investment in Ireland comes from the U.S., and without it I dread to think how much worse off Ireland would be.

O'Dowd would be the perfect choice for president in the present economic climate, as he is probably on first name terms with the majority of the top Irish American business leaders in the U.S.

The fact that he has lived more than half his life in New York is a huge plus rather than being a deterrent.  This man has done more for the peace process and Irish immigrants than all of the Irish politicians in the south (with the rare exception of Albert Reynolds) in the past 25 years or so, and he never once forgot where he came from.

It's just that he keeps a very low profile and, like Rory's dad, prefers to stay in the background. But he is in fact, one of the chief architects behind all things that have helped the Irish, both here and in Northern Ireland.

If he should decide to run, I think the Irish people would be smart to give him their vote. They have nothing to lose in that regard but everything to gain.

From its first president, Douglas Hyde, to the present one, Mary McAleese (who by the way has done an admirable job as indeed did her predecessor Mary Robinson in changing the role), the Irish president has been more or less a figurehead who entertained foreign dignitaries at Aras an Uachtarain and wielded little or no power, similar in fact to the British monarchy and Ireland's present government.

Ireland can no longer afford this, especially now, with the country on its knees and practically groveling to the Germans and French, with absolutely no one in the present coalition government seemingly having a clue what to do about it, other than blame the previous administration for its woes.
When it comes to the blame game Irish politicians are tops. What's needed now is someone who can help Ireland attract jobs by the thousands, not the paltry few we read about.

There is nobody in Ireland with the credibility, chutzpah or knowledge, that O'Dowd possesses on that front. I say, especially to the young Irish working class, "Give O'Dowd your vote, and there'll be no need for the boat."

Sean McPhillips
College Point, New York

Tipp’s Dishonorable Win

IT was 40 years ago this summer when Limerick hurling finally showed signs of recovery, and hopes sprung aloud throughout the county that perhaps finally we might have a team that would see our proud hurling tradition hoist the Liam McCarthy Cup anew, a feat we hadn't completed since the great "Mick Mackey" and gang did it for us back in 1940.

While they were impressive en route to that year's Munster final, they were matched against a Tipperary team that had powered through the 1960s being regarded by many a hurling enthusiast as being the greatest hurling team of all time.

Needless to state, of course, that Tipperary were huge favorites on the day.

The game was played at a drenched Fitzgerald Park in Killarney, and because of the poor playing conditions nothing much was expected in the way of style or, for that matter, scoring.
Tipp and Limerick are bitter rivals when it comes to hurling, and the poor playing conditions were quickly tossed aside from the onset.  It was tit-for-tat and score for score, with neither team willing to give an inch.

There were periods of the first half when Tipp looked rattled, and it seemed noticeable to those in the stands that Tipperary had greatly underestimated the hurling prowess of their upstart neighbors.
Babs Keating will mostly be remembered for his amazing heroics in that year's All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, when in the closing stages of that game he kicked off his shoes and socks to the sidelines.  Babs was absolutely brilliant against Limerick in the second half, and he gave an exhibition on how the great game should be played by showing both firepower and deft skill, along with an unyielding willingness for victory.  He ended the game with a very impressive final scoring tally of 3-4.

The game will also be long remembered for its climactic finish. Both teams were still locked together when Tipperary were awarded a 70 ( 65 ).

When Francis Loughnane, the great sharp shooter from Roscrea, stepped up to take the 70, the referee told him that this was to be the final play of the game. The rain was pelting down and Francis was summoned to the sideline and asked that he get a towel to dry his hurley.

A Tipp mentor then ran onto the pitch and took Loughnane's hurley from him and started to dry it. Everyone in the park saw the towel drop to the pitch, but what everyone didn't see was the dry sliothar being dropped beneath the towel and the soggy one that would never have made it 70 yards being picked up along with the towel.

Loughnane proceeded to bend and lift, and he struck the dry ball dead center of the posts and Tipp were victorious with the final score Tipperary 4-16 to Limerick's 3-18.

The year 1971 is still known in Munster as being the one of the dry ball.  I was 11 years old when that match was played.

Growing up in east Limerick and not a stone's throw from the Tipperary border, it was a bitter pill to swallow, especially knowing how the game ended. For many years I looked upon that day with scorn and with not much respect for my Tipperary neighbors.

It was years later, when I grew to realize the genius that it took to orchestrate such a cunning move, and it was then when I figured out that the mark of a champion is not always shrouded with honor.
That was 40 years ago. Where have the years gone to?

Pat Greene
Brooklyn, New York

Wake Up Cormac!

THE only reason Cormac MacConnell's column about Sarah Palin in last week’s issue would "get him into hot water" becomes obvious in his third paragraph wherein he utilizes The Almighty in a way that is sinful before all practicing Christians.

Indeed, I'm not surprised after returning from Ireland and hearing the name of God bandied about without hesitation or guilt.  Having said that, I'm also amazed at how poorly informed he and many Irish people are when it comes to the American election process now going on. 
Here in America, the economy and unemployment are at the top of the list. We Americans (both Democrat and Republican) are looking for a viable candidate with good administrative experience.

Palin, while a nice person, doesn't meet the criteria to save a nation brought down to its knees by the current administration (whether you like it or not). The press has been so mesmerized with Palin that it can't see the forest through the trees.

The people of America have become really ticked off at many abusers in government, and we already gave the first indication with the last election both on federal and state levels. Those results were a sheer rebuke of Obama's socialist policies that don't work here.

We see where Obama has been in constant campaign mode even after being elected. He's surrounded himself with buffoons who don't know their butts from their elbows.

Sorry to correct Cormac, but his view is blurred by the true realities of what's going on here. There are good candidates out there who could whip Obama both in debate and at the polls.

Now about to rise to the occasion are Romney, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Perry, Bachmann, etc.   Cormac's “West’s Awake” has been sleeping, and I do hope his west is now awake.

Ed McGovern
Palm Harbor, Florida

Stop Using Shannon

THE use of Shannon Airport by U.S. troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan has gained a good deal of coverage recently primarily thanks to the WikiLeaks stories in the Irish Independent.

The new program for the Irish government says Shannon Airport should only be used in accordance with international law, and since the Hague Convention of 1907 which has been a cornerstone of law says neutral states cannot allow their territory to be used in a war (no U.S. Army planes land in Zurich Airport), the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) expects the Fine Gael/Labor government to live up to its promises.

Please visit www.globalintelligenceforum.com which promotes a conference on global intelligence (???) from July 11-13 in Dungarvan. The speakers include a former director of the CIA and many others.

Since the decisive majority of the people of the U.S. and Great Britain want to see the end of these wars, PANA in opposing them since 2001, sees itself as the most pro-U.S., most pro-British (their people, that is) in Ireland.

If the new Irish government refuses to enforce its own agreed program, it is it, not PANA, that is anti-American, anti-British.

Roger Cole,
Chair, PANA
Dublin, Ireland

Zip It Cormac!

HE’S at it again.  Cormac MacConnell, writing from 3,000 miles away, never a resident of the U.S. (as far as I know) yet still pontificating on Sarah Palin.

Guess what, Cormac? You think you’ve got a right to weigh in because the U.S. president is the leader of the free world, as you say, but if I were you I’d worry about what’s going on in your bankrupt country first and foremost.

The leader of the free world didn’t cause the greed that resulted in your banks going bust and the value of your real estate falling through the floor.

The leader of the free world isn’t the one who’s responsible for causing another brain drain in your country which will result in yet more emigration.

You’ve got a heap of problems right at your doorstep, Mr. MacConnell, so butt out of our election and worry about cleaning up your own country.
You might not like Sarah Palin, but guess what? No one here really cares. American voters will make the decisions about her political future, not you or any other smart-mouthed armchair pundit living an ocean away.

Paul McCarthy
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Spread the Blame

MR. James V. Burke, in his letter "Real GOP Agenda" in last week's issue, gave us the absolute and final truth about the originators of evil and injustice in America, if not the whole world.  They are none other than Republican politicians and free enterprisers.

On the other hand, he implies that there is no way you can be a good Christian unless you support public sector unions or any union backed by the Democratic Party.

The good Christian aspect of Mr. Burke's position is intriguing because I believe that the seventh commandment is very much at play here.  Buying Democratic politicians with union dues in return for gold plated contracts on pension rights, exorbitant health care benefits, work rules where workers can't get fired and having the entire unsustainable cost passed on to the taxpayers is nothing more than legalized stealing.

The seventh commandment, as far as I know, doesn’t make any distinction between legalized stealing and plain old fashion stealing.  The only difference is a fellow on Wall Street could wind up in jail while the legalized stealer retains his good name and gets reelected.

However, in Christian terms, God has not been fooled nor has the good Christian.

The Democratic left wing politicians in Albany, headed by Assembly Democratic Speaker Sheldon Silver, were able for years to keep secret their outside incomes and clients they represented before the state. They had passed a statute to actually allow them to do this. Another good example of how to be a good Christian.

Mr. Burke says in his last paragraph that industry has always treated the federal government like a cash cow at the expense of the taxpayers. Does Mr. Burke not realize that he just hoisted himself on his own petard with that statement?

Since the federal government is not some inanimate object but a group of elected politicians where the Democratic Party held majority rule unbroken for 40 years, I think I can logically conclude that these politicians sold their integrity to the captains of industry and thereby allowed the federal government to be turned into a cash cow, as Mr. Burke claims.

It takes two to tango. There is no one way street here.

When all is said and done there is enough blame to go around many different groups.  I think sharing the blame and the responsibility for wrongdoing is better than pointing fingers with the holier than thou mentality.

John Rogers
Voorhees, New Jersey

Respect for Victims

THE recent appointment of Ms. McArdle as a Sinn Fein adviser in the Stormont Assembly has caused a great deal of controversy and debate within the media and amongst politicians at home and abroad.

It has divided opinion as to whether it is morally right to appoint ex-prisoners to profile positions.  It has re-ignited the debate around how we deal with the past and reinforces the need to find a mechanism to start dealing with our past.

More importantly, it has shown that if you scratch the surface of victims and victims’ survivors, their wounds are still extremely raw.

I empathize with the Travers family and can understand their feelings regarding the appointment of the person involved in the killing of their loved one in 1984 as a special adviser at the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure.

However, I am of the opinion Ms. McArdle should not resign from her position.   I do not say this lightly as I myself lost my mother at the hands of the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1979.  After having shot her they then attempted to murder my grandmother and aunt in our family home while my 12-year-old brother was present.

One of the most controversial yet significant parts of the Good Friday Agreement was the early release of prisoners. Public opinion was divided on this issue but we accepted it as part of the conflict transformation process. Ms. McArdle was and still is part of that process.

I do understand how difficult this appointment must be for the Travers family to accept. Issues like this become more complex when as a victim you are directly affected by them.  Memories do not diminish with time.

It has been repeated again and again that we should put the past behind us and move on.  Ms. McArdle is a part of that past as is the Travers family, as is my family and hundreds of other families.

It has become apparent since this story was released by the media that the aftermath of the conflict is very much a live issue and one which up until now has yet to be dealt with in a proper manner.  There has been a collective failure in finding a way forward.

It is within this context that we now need to find a way to deal with the past in a sensitive and inclusive manner.  The politicking of victims’ issues needs to end, and serious debate needs to begin on how to acknowledge the wrongs of the past for all our sakes.

Do they await the death of the conflict generation in the hope the issues die with them rather than deal with the here and now?  I wonder!

Josephine Larmour
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Shameful Journalism

THE Irish corporate media's coverage of the Windsor visit could not be described, no matter how broad a definition used, as “journalism.”

Those that produced such one sided, sycophantic reports should hang their heads in shame. It exposed once again a complete lack of any credible mainstream media outlet willing to critically examine or question the political establishment line.

Their “journalism” consisted of article after article parroting the “consensus” of how great the English monarch is, how great this visit would be for us all and how anyone who questioned this consensus was a political dinosaur filled with hate and bitterness.

None dared break the consensus and report on Gardai (police) intimidating protesters, stealing posters and banners or throwing the national flag in refuse trucks as they effectively banned it from our capital city.

There was no media questioning as to whether the tens of millions of euros spent on this visit would have been better spent elsewhere, such as in our hospitals and schools or for special needs assistants and carers.

Silence on these issues was the consensus. Instead we heard a narrative of a little old lady and her husband who were in Ireland to promote peace and goodwill.

And no “journalist” dared ask the obvious question -- what exactly is it about this anti-democratic, sectarian, war crimes apologist who lives a life of privilege based on the exploitation of her “subjects,” that has the leaders of this so-called “republic” almost wetting themselves with excitement at the prospect of being in her company and bowing and scraping before her?

Anyone dare to hazard a guess?

Gerry Casey
Co. Sligo, Ireland

A Positive Leap

JOHN Brennan’s letter to the editor entitled "Monumental Leap" (May 18-24) about the British and Irish burying the hatchet hit the nail on the head.

You may want to hire him to write for your editorial page.  He may be America's answer to John Spain and Cormac MacConnell.

Nancy Murphy
Florence, Kentucky

Country Folk Care

I AM writing in reference to the letter “Burn Donkey Abusers” by Eileen McNamara in the April 20-26 issue, about the donkey abuse in Limerick.

Mrs. McNamara thinks most COUNTRY people are ignorant and cold. Well, I was raised on a farm in Kerry and taught to respect all life, be it human or animal.

The people who abuse animals have a choice between good and evil. They choose evil.  They should be punished to the full extent of the law.

Kitty Kenny
Brick, New Jersey

He’s Gone

IT’S taken almost 10 years, but peace loving people around the globe can finally exhale and say that Osama's “bin laden” to rest, thanks in no small measure to President Obama.

Sean McPhillips
College Point, New York

Don’t Export Greyhounds

"ASSURANCES on export of greyhounds to China" will be given, according to the Irish Greyhound Board.

This spells out the controversy surrounding the board’s proposal to export Irish greyhounds to China for racing, regardless of China's wretched record of animal welfare.

I can't think of much that would cast a bigger, darker shadow on Ireland than the photos and video that are bound to come back to haunt the Irish if this trade goes forward.  As Mark Beazley of the Dogs' Trust said, "These aren't bags of potatoes.”

There is a growing animal welfare movement in China. People there will be on the look out and will document and expose the brutality that is inevitable given the real lack of welfare safeguards.

The Irish breeders sold their greyhounds to Spain for years despite the damning evidence brought to the public's attention about the wretched conditions for the greyhounds on the Spanish tracks.  That trade finally dwindled dramatically when the real estate the tracks occupied was more lucrative as real estate instead of seedy dog tracks.

Sending greyhounds to China is a pivotal decision for the Irish.  If the proposal goes ahead the haunting wails of abandoned dogs will be heard and will indicate the depths of Irish greed.  
What goes around, comes around...

Louise Coleman
Greyhound Friends
Hopkinton, Massachusetts

Thanks for Mention

MANY thanks to Tom Deignan for his generous mention of my part in the Great Irish Famine curriculum in his column “Beware Hunger for Government Reform” (April 27-May 4).

Credit really must go to Ann Garvey who, as president of the American Irish Teachers Association (AITA), had the idea to mark the 150th anniversary of the Great Irish Famine by teaching children about its importance. She contacted Congressman Joe Crowley about introducing legislation to make the Great Irish Famine a strand in the New York State Human Rights curriculum.

AITA advocated, Crowley took up the project, and the curriculum was on its way.  The curriculum itself is 150 lessons that run to more than 1,000 pages of interactive and interdisciplinary lessons that provide instruction framed by the New York State learning standards.

We not only teach it in New York, we have also taught its lessons in other states as well as in Ireland, Britain, Brazil, Argentina and Japan.  In 2001, the curriculum won the National Council for the Social Studies Project Excellence Award.  

Professor Maureen Murphy
Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York

Proud of Obama

I WATCHED President Obama's arrival in Ireland aboard Air Force One from CNN – who else? What would we do for true worldwide news without them and the BBC this side of the Atlantic?

If we were depending on Fox News, which really stands for "For Only Xenophobes" we wouldn't have a foggiest notion what occurs outside the GOP or along the Mexican border.

With all the financial pain Ireland has endured the past couple of years, it really did the heart good to see the throngs of parents and kids with smiling faces who lined the streets tenfold of Obama’s ancestral home of Moneygall in Offaly, and boy did the president lap it up.  You could clearly see he was he was in love with the audience as indeed, they were with him and his beautiful wife.

There he was in the middle of the crowd shaking hands with literally hundreds of onlookers.  I'm sure his security team was having nightmares!

But they need not have worried. This was Ireland.  

During the Irish election campaign I wrote to the Irish Voice saying that Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny couldn't put two words together without stammering. Granted he was reading his speech on Monday in College Green Dublin in front of a packed audience, but I must say he delivered it with a gusto and passion that I honestly didn't think he possessed, so I was 100% wrong in my assessment of him.

When it was the president’s turn I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and I don't mind admitting a few tears were shed as he spoke about the harrowing details our ancestors had to go through on the way to these shores.

Sure things are tough today, but we can't even begin to compare with what our forefathers experienced on their voyage west. Ironically, about 75% of Ireland's population now knows what "yes we can" (Is feidir linn) is in the Irish language, whereas they didn't before.

I truly believe Obama’s message will bring hope and inspiration to the Irish people when they need it most. I also have no doubt that Ireland will once again rise from its present financial disaster and take its proper place among the prosperous nations of the world.
Agus tiochaidh ar la aris. 

Sean McPhillips
College Point, New York

Real GOP Agenda

WE can be thankful for union-busting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for making explicit the Republican agenda.  Phase one, already largely accomplished, involves steadily de-funding government through big tax cuts for the rich.

In phase two, Republicans use balanced-budget rhetoric as a political weapon to attack "entitlements," defined as every positive thing government does to benefit society.

And when our public sector has been cut to the bone, with working Americans effectively stripped of affordable health care, schools and retirement security, and the middle class lifestyle is a distant 20th century memory, the Republicans can move ahead with phase three -- more tax cuts for the rich.

What happened to the charitable, caring nation we once were?  Republicans are hypocrites for professing to be good Christians while apparently not worrying about the tens of millions of people who need health care and assistance in general.

I have not heard even one politician put caring for people above the so-called absolute need to cut spending and reduce the deficit. 

Spending and the debt do need to be reduced.  But when politicians won't end tax cuts for the rich or lessen the wasteful, gargantuan military budget, it's clear that maintaining political power and obeying corporate lobbies take priority.

The recent Republican budget proposal by Congressman Paul Ryan proposes more tax cuts for the wealthy, which have never produced more jobs or increased income to the Treasury. 

This is beyond absurd at a time of historically low taxes.  Reducing spending without increasing income would make poor Americans poorer, rich Americans richer and the middle class non-existent -- and not reduce the deficit.

Finally, the Republicans' blind faith in the free market is also beyond absurd.  The "free market" has always been a rigged system, particularly where the big money is defense, energy, finance and insurance. 

Industry has always treated the federal government like a cash cow at the expense of the taxpayers.

James V. Burke
Sayreville, New Jersey

Focus on Culture

LIKE many, I was quite impressed by President Obama’s cúpla focal included in his College Green oration.  However, I hope that the primary beneficiaries of the event were listening closely.

Obama’s appearance in Dublin was, after all, an advertisement for Failte Ireland.  The president, also, is likely to benefit from some footage as well.  This is perfectly legitimate, as increased tourism in Ireland and barring the GOP from the White House are worthy objectives.

While Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny also indulged in a bit of Gaeilge, I was somewhat repulsed his playing the “Irish” American card, patronizing “40-million” Americans.


It also likely lacked the desired effect, as much of that demographic are “informed” by Fox News, which reportedly rendered scant coverage to the event in comparison to other networks.

Perhaps, however, Kenny isn’t to be faulted for following the script.  So too, it is somewhat understandable that Failte Ireland would resort to appealing merely to “Irish” Americans rather than thinking Americans. 

Indeed, such rank tribalism worked well as cost-effective fundraising scheme for Sinn Fein.  This approach, however, is getting tired.

Obama’s use of the national tongue should remind the Irish tourist industry to consider cultural tourism as a viable marketing objective.  Indeed, language is the soul of any culture.

While on the onset 40 million is an attractive number, few of these will ever hold a passport.  Among those who do, many will make one and only journey “home” on the back of a CIE bus and will content themselves with annual reminisces every 17th of March.

Cultural tourists, on the other hand, are more likely to provide “repeat business” to the tourist industry as well as to others, such as publishing and recording. 

This latter group tends to be more appreciative and low maintenance, rendering less wear and tear on facilities and nerves.   More so, they’ve more disposable income and are likely to form lasting friendships and acquaintances overseas.

With a bit of imagination, Failte Ireland would find ways to reach this market.   We do certainly exist and offer a considerable potential, regardless of our complexions, where we worship or how we spell our names.
Fáinne ort, a Uachtaráin!

Daithí Mac Lochlainn
Woodside, New York

RUC Not Truthful

ON July 8, 1981 my wife Norah McCabe was shot and fatally wounded by a plastic bullet.  The RUC denied any knowledge or any involvement in her killing, and were subsequently found to be lying when evidence in the form of a video recording was shown at the inquest into her death. 

It was also stated that the person who fired the fatal shot could not be identified.  A fact later found to be untrue.

In other words members of the RUC, including a chief inspector, James Crutchley, colluded in an attempt to hide the truth.

The inquiry into the death of Rosemary Nelson found that despite denials at the time harassment did take place and had "the subsequent effect of legitimizing her as a target in the eyes of Loyalist terrorists.”

In the case of my wife Norah and that of Rosemary Nelson, the RUC were seen to be less than truthful in giving evidence.  Whether it be under oath or in enquiries, they have demonstrated that their evidence should not be relied upon.

Jim McCabe
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Proud of the AOH

THE great waves of immigration from Ireland to America were just beginning when in May of 1836 a group of Irish Catholic men in New York and Pennsylvania formed a benevolent society called the Hibernians to help newly arrived immigrants.  

The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), as they became known, were linked to a group called the Defenders in Ireland, which fought oppressive British landlords and provided protection to priests.  A Mass at the Basilica of Old St. Patrick’s in New York last weekend marked the 175th anniversary of the AOH, the longest tenure of any such ethnic or fraternal organization in the U. S.

New Yorkers know well the Hibernians for their proud, full presence and long association with the St. Patrick’s Day parade.  Each St. Patrick’s Day New York’s archbishops remind Mass-goers of the Hibernians’ response in 1854 to the pleas of then Archbishop John Hughes to defend the original St. Patrick’s Church at Prince and Mulberry Streets against threats by Nativist bigots to burn it.  The Hibernian headquarters was nearby.   

The Know-Nothings, as they were called, had succeeded in burning an Ursuline Convent in Massachusetts and St. Augustine’s Church in Philadelphia, but they failed to destroy the cathedral, now designated a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

Despite the anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-Irish sentiment prevalent in America in the late 19th and early 20th century, the Hibernians grew. 

At its peak in 1916 the AOH was led by Pennsylvania Congressman McLaughlin and boasted 250,000 members from Portland, Maine to Yreka, California. 

Century old Hibernian Halls still stand in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Butte, Montana and Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

An example of the AOH’s many gifts to churches can be found in two stained glass windows in St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Long Island City.

Today the AOH is still assisting Irish immigrants, promoting immigration reform and advocating for the peaceful re-unification of Ireland. 

It remains a strong voice for truth about the persecution and killings of the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland and for justice for the many victims of the conflict. 

The national president of the AOH, Seamus Boyle of Philadelphia, recently appealed to President Obama to demand greater cooperation from the British in the search for truth on the unsolved murders of nearly 1,000 Catholics.

The record of the AOH in America is unique not only for its long tenure, but for its singular efforts to commemorate in art, word and deed the contributions and sacrifices of Irish and Irish Americans to the growth and defense of the country, to the welfare of the Catholic church and to Ireland’s peace and prosperity. 

That is a legacy for which all Americans can be proud.

Michael J. Cummings
Former National Archivist, AOH
Albany, New York

Liz Never Welcome

MY dear father, an exiled Corkonian, was an activist in the IRA during the Troubles, and unlike Presidents Clinton, Bush, Jr. and Obama was no sofa samurai, having been awarded several medals for valor.

He was also a close personal friend of the martyred Lord Mayor of Cork Terrence McSweeney, his brother and their mother.  In fact, my first cousin is married to the first cousin of McSweeney.

In 1957 my father returned to Ireland and visited an embittered and tear-filled Mrs. McSweeney, who said that her son’s sacrifice was wasted and scantly appreciated, especially by Corkonians. How truly prophetic!

To ALL (no exceptions) defilers of the faith, enamored of Missy Liz’s in the dear Mother Ireland – Perfidious Albion, the vampire on the continent, spits in your face and you merely call it mildew.

John Keenan
Bronx, New York

McAleese Invites

DURING the recent visit to Ireland by the Queen of England, President Mary McAleese in her wisdom extended invitations to five Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) brigadiers to attend a wreath laying ceremony by the Queen at Islandbridge.

Jackie McDonald, one of the UDA/UFF brigadiers invited to the ceremony stated, "This represents progress and is a reward for work being done.  Others could learn from this."

In recently seen court transcripts, one of the UDA/UFF brigadiers invited to this ceremony was named as having been involved in the planning of the Greysteel massacre in Derry in 1993.

Would McAleese extend the same welcome to the families of those murdered in Greysteel by the UDA/UFF, and listen as they speak of their loss and how it has impacted on their lives and the lives of their extended families? 

Would they be as warmly welcomed as McDonald and his brigadiers?  Would she embrace them and be as comfortable with them as she appears to be while in the company of McDonald? 

Will she be as supportive of them as they continue to seek the truth, as she appears to have been when arranging the visit to Ireland by the Queen of England? 

Will collusion and state sponsored murder be on their agenda?  Others could learn from this!

J. Parker
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Monumental Leap

WHOEVER would have thought it possible?  At a time when it seems as if the rest of the world is hell bent on slaughtering each other, the Irish and the British have taken a monumental leap toward burying the hatchet.

I use the word monumental because the astonishing thing is that they are not trying to bury it in each other’s heads on this occasion! If ever there was a case of reverse psychology, then surely this is it.  Big time!

Everywhere else on the planet the cave men are out in force, hell-bent on proving that Allah or Jesus or Abraham or Christ or the Dali Lama or Jehovah or Billy Graham or the guy from Waco, or the apostle from Prosperous, Co. Kildare (Christy Moore) is the true God, and have the weaponry to prove it, enforce it, ram it down your throat and generally just wipe out all the heathens who don’t agree, won’t agree, can’t agree, refuse to see.

We Irish are definitely a race apart and have tried to teach the world in our own inimitable style, with books, music, poetry, sarcasm, wit, craic and a lot of bull that we can all live together and get along (as long as you don’t touch my pint!)

John Brennan
Garden City, New York

A Productive Visit

I WAS glad to see Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip enjoy their time in Ireland so much, and gladder still that violence didn’t destroy their historic trip.

The Irish people have come such a long way. They should be proud of the welcome they extended to the Queen, and she represented her country so well too.

It’s crazy for Britain and Ireland to be at odds with each other, given how close they are to each other geographically and so many other ways as well.  The Queen’s trip will undoubtedly bring the two sides even closer, and the people who continue to advocate on behalf of violence will have their toxic voices further silenced.

Maria Corcoran
Tenafly, New Jersey

Travel Helps Everything

IN my youth growing up in Limerick I was led to believe, as were most of the young men and women of Ireland at that time, that most Americans were lazy, and because they were so lazy they had to wear Hawaiian shirts to cover their bulging waistlines.

When I finished school, I became a bartender at the Anner Hotel in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. From time to time a tourist bus filled with Americans would pull into the hotel parking lot, and out of these coaches would emerge the worst dressed people that you could ever imagine seeing.

It seemed to me then that Americans had either no taste for style, or they simply were just too rich to care. Of course, back then I was also of the idiotic assumption that there was no such thing as a poor American.

Water was all that these American tourists seemed to care to drink. Was this because they were too cheap to order a real drink? (we all certainly thought so).

We nonetheless  filled their glasses with iceless water (straight from the faucet), and we painfully listened to them complain with disdain about the fact that we had no ice to offer them. But of course we did have ice to offer them, but ice was only for paying customers.

For as long as I can recall I had wanted to come to America, but I must admit that my primary reasons back then for wanting to be here in the land of dreams was solely to make money, get rich and then return to Ireland with all that money and buy myself a simple little mountain-side cottage. 

A place where I would hopefully live out the rest of my life in peaceful bliss. There was a Lassie dog thrown into the mix somewhere there too.

Now that I have lived in New York for just over 20 years, I sometimes feel both ashamed and embarrassed by how small my thinking was before travel broadened my mind.

America is a much different place than what I had perceived it to be (childish thinking), and American people are just like any other race of people with their mixture of personalities and their individual ideals, but all of them trying in their own best way to carve out a decent life for themselves.
Today, I consider myself to be just as American as my two sons who have grown up as proud Americans, and if some foreign figure attempts in any shape or form to either demean or insult the very fabric of Americanism, then I too take deep offense to such rhetoric. America is my home, and a home that I would gladly give up my life to protect.

Travel is a great educator, and I believe that more Americans should spend at least one year of their life traveling abroad. Most Americans are a very proud people and they love their country with all of their heart.

But most Americans are also guilty of being small-minded, especially when it comes to the cultures and ways of their world neighbors.

If Americans want the world to better understand them, then I suggest that Americans do a better job of understanding the world around them.

In this time of fragile world borders, it's not good for any of us to be belligerent in our way of thinking and foolishly believing that we are better than our neighbors.  We can all learn to change together.

Pat Greene
Brooklyn, New York

Irish Need Bam’s Help

WHEN President Obama travels to Ireland next week, in between visiting his great-great-great-grandfather’s village of Moneygall and other events, he will undoubtedly face the chaffing issue of the country’s corporate tax scheme.

Currently under duress by the Franco-German alliance to consolidate their corporate tax base as a condition of the EU/IMF bailout, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny understands the harm this holds for Ireland, and adamantly rejected the idea as tax harmonization by the “back door.”

But at a international financial conference hosted by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Financial Times in Washington, D.C., French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde announced that she was “pleased” by her recent meeting with Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan because he signaled that Ireland was willing to negotiate, marking a “step in the right direction.”

While Noonan insisted to Bloomberg news “there’s no question of any concession on the corporate tax rate being made by Ireland,” his willingness to explore possibilities on the matter and failure to mention the status of talks on a consolidated corporate tax base comes as an unpleasant surprise to the Irish electorate who were guaranteed their tax scheme as a condition of their passage of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009.

Ireland needs a big brother to stand by its side, and this could be America’s opportunity to provide some empowerment.

It’s in the U.S. interest to ensure that the Irish corporate tax scheme remain fixed. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, U.S. firms have invested over $165 billion in Ireland, and U.S. firms export 90 billion Euro from Ireland to world markets.

This would hardly be the case if it weren’t for a favorable tax scheme and access to EU markets. An increased corporate tax rate or a consolidated corporate tax base will hurt the already flailing country hit by a devastating banking crisis, an emigration rate of about 1,000 people per week, and falling education standards all at once.

With little other recourse for growth in an economy clamoring for liquidity, maintaining a competitive advantage in foreign direct investment is vital to Ireland's recovery. And pressure to do otherwise for the “good” of the EU simply adds insult to injury.

Not to mention the Irish electorate holds the cards when it comes to EU treaty change – any future referendum on necessary changes to the functioning of the EU, as required by the Irish Constitution, could be hampered by a disillusioned people who feel misled and confused.

Obama should recognize this disillusionment and support the Irish on this issue -- to sustain the benefits of this economic partnership -- and as a matter of principle, to remind the EU of the importance of standing good on its promises.

The Irish descendents who helped to build America to prosperity could not have done so without hope for a better day. Now Ireland needs some hope.

Meghan McBride
Washington, D.C.

Shannon Needs Saving

WITH reference to Patrick Furey's letter on Shannon Airport in the issue of April 27-May 4, I  totally agree with him.

It is absolutely scandalous that Aer Lingus pulled out of the JFK to Shannon route for three months from the end of December to the end of March. Don’t tell me the numbers are not there to keep a full schedule of daily flights to Shannon.

All of Connacht and Munster as well as some of Leinster would use Shannon and thus avoid the terribly cramped Dublin Airport if the flights were available at the Clare airport.  Instead, you have a scenario where buses are shuttling people to the former, at all times of the day and night.

What a joke. The politicians of not only Clare and Limerick but also Tipperary, Cork, Kerry and all the Connacht counties should be up in arms over this. What are they waiting for? 

Shannon must not only be saved but actually upgraded, and if Aer Lingus are not prepared to help in this, then Michael O'Leary and Ryanair should be approached. 

I would strongly urge everyone from the above mentioned counties living in both the U.S. and Canada, as well as Irish Americans and others, to support Shannon in every way possible.

Please e-mail Aer Lingus on this issue, and in coordination with groups in Ireland, let’s get a petition going.

If this doesn't work, let's fly Delta to Shannon. Maybe then Aer Lingus will get the message.

P.J. Delaney
New York, New York

Save IFI Money

I AM writing in reaction to your recent coverage of the Congressional battle over funding for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and the apparent role of Trina Vargo, who was recently given a forum by The Irish Times to weigh in to oppose the valuable efforts of this fine organization.

It borders on the bizarre that Ms. Vargo has emerged as a political ally of Glenn Beck, the Tea Party and right-wing Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz in opposition to U.S. support for Ireland through the IFI.

Her attack on the valuable work done by the IFI to foster and preserve peace through constructive action is equally strange.

Why does she see putting Irish young people from both communities to work in Northern Ireland as a bad thing?

Isn't it a good thing to create jobs for hundreds of Irish young people in Ireland that enhances local tourism, ecology and employment?  To help build viable peaceful communities, this is what the IFI does.

On the other hand, Ms. Vargo’s Mitchell Scholarship Program brings 12 Ivy League American students, all expenses paid, to Ireland each year.

Which program does Ireland most need now?  Clearly the IFI.

That’s how the Obama administration sees it.  Glenn Beck, the Tea Party and Ms. Vargo see it differently.
Go figure.

James J. Regan
Omaha, Nebraska

Joyce and Cricket

IRELAND’S historic World Cup cricket win last month over the “Gentlemen of England” before 40,000 fans was truly astonishing since cricket is not a popular sport in Ireland.

In 1904, the GAA banned “foreign games” such as cricket, replacing them with national sports.

Nevertheless, James Joyce always liked cricket.  ìThe fellows were practicing long shies and bowling lobs and slow twisters . . . the sounds of the cricket bats: pick pack, pock, puck.î (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man).

Also in Ulysses, Leopold Bloom commented, "Cricket weather . . . they can’t play it here.  Duck for six wickets . . . Donnybrook fair (hurling, rugby, Gaelic football) more in their line. And the skulls we were acracking . . ."

Joyce would have been very proud of Ireland’s cricketers.

Brother Ed Kent
Fresh Meadows, New York

Burn Donkey Abusers

I WAS brokenhearted when we read the Irish Voice recent ìIreland’s Eyeî story about the little donkey who was badly beaten and had to be put to sleep.

It’s a disgrace that the country yokels in Limerick let these monsters get away with this. They should all be rounded up and whipped along with the stupid farmers that throw horses and donkeys out on the roads to fend for themselves.

Most country people in Ireland are brought up in an ignorant way and are very cold. Any parents that gave birth to those monsters should give them a good whipping.

What are the police doing? They should work harder to catch these monsters.

We don’t need these drunks and druggies in society. I hope they burn in hell.  I am ashamed to say I am Irish.

Eileen McNamara
West Orange, New Jersey

Dissident Thugs

FROM the shallow end of the gene pool comes the IRA lunatics. The bomb that killed Catholic PSNI Officer Ronan Kerr from Omagh was followed by Facebook postings gloating over his death.

Now I realize these throwbacks aren't employable, but if they are, will they be fired from their menial jobs? Or is that honor just reserved for Loyalists?

These Fenian war criminals who hide behind masks and plant bombs in the middle of the night are taking a tip from their comrades in the Provies.  And just how can Sinn Fein/IRA talk about “moving on” when they themselves glorify sectarian terrorism?

Comrade Martin McGuinness gave the oration recently for 24 IRA criminals in the grounds of the Ti Chulainn Center in Mullaghbawn.  At this hate fest the Shinners had young children dress up in paramilitary uniforms with masks and carrying guns.  Republicans of all stripes are very sick, demented animals.

The “dissidents” can now continue their drug dealing and shooting people in Dublin who won't pay them protection money, among other criminal activities.  In that sense they are true “Republicans.”

So another blow was struck for “freedom” in the name of the Irish people.  Republicanism is truly a mental disease.

John Gregg
Pleasantville, New York

Save Shannon

I THINK it's deplorable and shameful that the Irish Tourist Board and Aer Lingus do not promote Shannon Airport and the west coast of Ireland.  Everything is geared towards Dublin.

Dublin is cold-hearted, dangerous and unfriendly while the rest of Ireland, especially the west coast, is the opposite. 

What right has Dublin to the vast majority of the tourists? No right, that's what.
 
The politicians of Clare, Limerick and the surrounding counties should rise up against this situation. So far they have been totally useless.

If something is not done Shannon Airport could close down.  I kid you not.  

Patrick Furey
New York, New York

Communion Confusion

IN the March 16-23 issue of the Irish Voice, in a story by Cahir O'Doherty about New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, mention was made that a top-level Vatican consultant, Edward Peters of Detroit, wrote that the governor should be denied Communion because of Cuomo's "public concubinage."

When the Pope visited New York a few years ago, New York City’s ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani attended the public mass and "publicly" went up to receive Communion, although it was a well-known fact that he was presently living with his third wife. 

I questioned the pastor of my local Catholic Church, and he said that it was HIS obligation to give Communion to "whoever presented himself.”

Surely this is not permitted only in Maine.  It's either the rule in the Catholic Church or it isn't.  Can someone enlighten me on this subject?

Catherine Glackin Welch
Caribou, Maine

Not Our Songs

THANK you to Mike Farragher, Niall O'Dowd, and everyone at the Irish Voice for the recent article on Beannacht winning the Best New Act Award at the Jersey Acoustic Music Awards in Asbury Park. 

We greatly appreciate the honor of winning the award and of it being covered in the Irish Voice.

However, while we do write and perform original songs, we cannot take credit for "Into the Mystic" and "Raglan Road.”

Tom Johnston & Deirdre Forrest
Asbury Park, New Jersey

Confidence in King

WITH regards to last week’s “Intelligencer” column by Niall O’Dowd on Congressman Peter King’s hearings on Muslim Americans, I have likewise known King for many years and fully agree with not only his stand up defense of those victimized by British violence and treachery, but his steadfast witness to the role the IRA played both in war and in peace. 

I also have an additional perspective.

I have worked closely with federal, state and local elected officials in attempting to focus media attention on the distinctions between the causes and the effects of the conflict.  The primary tool available to each level of government is a public hearing. 

It is indispensable to a democracy such as ours and has successively served, on a limited basis, the cause of American concerns for the Irish conflict – i.e., Joe Doherty’s extradition/deportation, use of plastic bullets, sales of arms to the RUC, the murder of lawyers Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane, etc. 

It is only a “bully pulpit” if abused especially for theatrical or media purposes.  I do not think Chairman King is such a person.

As for immigration reform and the radicalization of some followers of Islam, there is a fair division of opinion on just what are both the extent of those problems and the cost and consequences of various proposed solutions. 

The public is usually well served with the sworn testimony of officialdom on just what their views are and their proposed actions.  I, for one, am not convinced that the unrest in the Middle East is “enlightened,” or rather the result of power struggles between theocrats and militarists.

In either event, who better to conduct this hearing than a man who has faced the evil of Britain’s poisonous manipulation of religion and politics?

Given the concentration of so much bad behavior by some members of Congress, I for one am grateful Pete King has chosen to do his job and explore this issue.  I am confident he will do so responsibly.

Michael J. Cummings,
National Board, AOH
Albany, New York

Stop the Bigotry

AS one of millions of Irish people who suffered from the same hate and derogatory examination that our Muslim brothers and sisters are currently subjected to, I, for one, want to express my abject horror at the “McCarthy-ite” activities of Representative Peter King.

To the people I know to be fair and just: Do you remember how the silence hurt? Can you recall the bitter disappointment when those that could have, did not?

Let us not be found wanting now when the grave injustices have arrived upon another’s door.

Catherine M. Kelly
(Adjunct) Professor of Politics,
Westchester Community College
Valhalla, New York

Is King Right?

WHAT Congressman Peter King has to say has a familiar ring to my ear. I think my dear old dad might have agreed with him.

To his dying day my dad insisted that Joe McCarthy was right.

Phil Ryan
Kingston, New York

A Hearing Remedy

EVEN though I disagree with the recent congressional hearings about radical Islam hosted Congressman King, a remedy can be found.

I do not believe the IRA was or is a terrorist organization due to past British oppressive practices.  However, according to standing federal law called the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, it is considered such an organization. So are other organizations around the world that are subject to immediate deportations.

My remedy is to provide an amendment to the rigorous 1996 law which provides for immediate deportations of those committing terrorist crimes in this nation against the United States here or abroad.  Perhaps Congressman King can take the lead on this greatly needed effort.

Father Brian Jordan
Holy Name Church
New York, New York     

Join the March

AFTER I became good – that is, after I joined the Knights of Columbus – I found something that my father and I both liked very much.  We could get together and march.

His favorite was the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City.  There are very strong opinions that this is the greatest parade in the world.

I felt that it was  fine parade, but that there wasn’t a marker for the Knights of Columbus.  They do have markers for respect life organizations, but there was a communication problem that in most cases left the Knights looking for another group to get in the line of march.

While I am very proud to be an Irish American, I always felt more comfortable marching with the Knights of Columbus. After my father died I have always marched with the Suffolk Hibernians with one exception – before I joined the Hibernians I did march with the Freedom Society.

My father never joined the Hibernians, and he and I always marched with the Leitrim Society, a county organization. I proudly now march with the Selden Division 8 Hibernians.

I am sure that anyone who feels the need to march could, with a little patience, find a group with a marker that would welcome them in the spirit of Irish hospitality.

John P. McGowan
Port Jefferson Station, New York

Kenny Must Remember

WITH newly elected Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny due in Washington, D.C. for St. Patrick’s Day, I hope he doesn’t forget his previous promises to take care of the undocumented Irish in the U.S.

I seem to remember Kenny, when he was in opposition, saying that he would support a new visa deal between the Irish and U.S. governments. The taoiseach has a golden opportunity on St. Patrick’s Day when he is in the Oval Office to talk to President Obama about Ireland’s pressing need, which could also be a golden opportunity for the U.S. because so many of the Irish who are leaving Ireland nowadays have education and skills that this country could use.

That’s always been the way with the Irish, of course – educated and ambitious, but having to leave home at the end of the day because there are no jobs available.

I hope Mr. Kenny is able to come away with some ray of hope for the Irish living here in an undocumented state, and the Irish who would surely love to come to these shores if they were able to.

The Irish economy will take years to repair, and in the meantime Irish citizens need a safe place to go, and they need legal status when they get there. This should be a top priority of the new Irish government – to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad.

Kevin Cassidy
Hawthorne, New Jersey

Molloy Reunion

THE O'Molloy Clan Association is sponsoring a worldwide clan reunion in Tullamore, Co. Offaly on August 12 and 13, 2011. The reunion will include lectures by guest speakers,  access to local genealogical records, tours of O’Molloy castles, homes and burial sites in the ancient ancestral territory, music, dance and story telling, and dinner at Charlevelle Castle.

 You don’t have to be an “O’Molloy” to attend. Variant spellings include O’Maolmhuaidh, Molloy, O’Molloye, O’Mulloye, Mulloy, Milloy, Meloy, O’Meloy, Maloy, Malloy, Miley, Millea, O’Molwye and O’Molley.

For additional information contact Thomas Molloy at info@omolloy.com or John Malloy johnpmalloy@comcast.net.  Further details may be found at http://www.omolloy.com.

John Malloy
Co. Offaly, Ireland

A Proud Prisoner

I AM responding to the letter by Mary Brennan, “Strip Search Horror,” in the February 23-March 1 issue.

Well, Ms. Brennan, as one who is strip searched every time one goes on a visit, to hospital, to court or just transferred from one place to another, in a black box, hand cuffs and belly chain, and leg shackles . . . one feels that the lad across the pond she wrote about in Maghaberry in Co. Antrim is a bit of a wuss!  Any true Republican knows that sacrifice is the price you pay.

And, Ms. Brennan, I’m in the federal prison system in America. I was once in Long Kesh, the Maze, the H-Blocks, whichever name you wish to call it. We called it hell. But it was our sacrifice, and it’s what we did.

And, Ms. Brennan, it was not done for notoriety or self-bravado. The sacrifice was for a people against British oppression.  Men starved, died, ran the fray, were beaten and even raped by the screws, Ms. Brennan.

I’m a bank robber from the Ardoyne. My money went to Ireland.  I am also dying of cancer and will likely never see Eire again.

But I’m fine with that. I did what I was sent here to do. No complaints, lass.

I’ll end this with a saying from an old comrade of mine:


“It lights the dark of this prison cell,
It thunders forth its might,
It is the undauntable thought, my friend,
That thought that says I’m right.”
--Marcella, H-Block, Long Kesh Prison Camp.

Lorcan McCoy
U.S. Penitentiary
Terre Haute, Indiana

Stop Feeding Sheen

I READ the story in last week’s issue about Charlie Sheen and his poor father Martin trying his best to explain his deranged son’s mental and addiction issues.

Since last week, Charlie’s behavior has spiraled dangerously out of control.  He is a man surrounded by users and hangers on, when what he really needs is expert medical attention to deal with his many problems – addiction we know of, but he also seems to be bi-polar and schizophrenic.

The media is feeding on his every word. This is totally wrong. If we all ignore Sheen maybe he will get the help he so badly needs.

I feel terrible for his poor father Martin Sheen, who can only stand idly by as his son literally self-destructs in public.  He must be heartbroken and fearful for his son’s life.

If the media and Internet stop paying attention to Charlie Sheen then he will stop his public meltdown, and take guidance from professionals.  
So please, Irish Voice and every other media outlet out there, stop grabbing cheap Charlie Sheen headlines just for sales.  This is a very, very sick and self-destructive man who needs to take care of his mind, body and soul.

The only thing he seems to be hungry for is publicity, when judging by his looks he needs a good feed of healthy food to start, followed by a long period away from the spotlight.  Give him a chance to start healing, please.

Elizabeth Murphy
Manhasset, New York

McManus Memoir

I HAVE the honor of being the chairperson of the Washington Irish Committee which was formed for the launching and signing of Father Sean McManus’s memoir, My American Struggle for Justice in Northern Ireland, which is available on Amazon.com.

I also had the privilege of helping Father McManus with his memoirs.  Although I have known him for 40 years, until I went through his massive Irish National Caucus files I never fully realized the depth and breadth of his work.

His memoirs could have been entitled Against All Odds because he succeeded despite all the obstacles placed in his way by powerful political figures like Tip O’Neill, governments and other vested interests.

Through all this opposition, Father McManus kept focused on his goal of achieving equality, justice and peace in Northern Ireland. He never wavered; he continued his struggle and never became embittered.

He forgave those who defamed him and those who attempted to crush his efforts. And while the book does not try to cover-up the pettiness of some of his detractors, he does not let this pettiness distract him.

Rather, he stayed focused by the thousands of devoted Irish Americans who remained energized by the non-partisan position of the Irish National Caucus, neither Democrat or Republican.

It is now impossible to find anyone who claims Father McManus was wrong.  Nobody today questions his vision in opening the only and first Irish office on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress to stand up for justice in Ireland.

As Professor Joseph Thompson states in his authoritative study, “The imagination, courage and energy of an immigrant Northern Ireland Catholic priest made the dream of an Irish American lobby a reality.” (American Policy and Northern Ireland: A Saga of Peacebuilding, Joseph E. Thompson. P. 38.Praeger. Westport, Connecticut. London. 2001).

Even the Irish media had to admit his effectiveness.  “Political observers in America say he was light years ahead of his time when he set up the Irish National Caucus to fight for justice and rights for Nationalists back home in Northern Ireland.”  (“Banished priest who has ear of all America’s top politicians,” John Cassidy, the Sunday World, March 18, 2007).

Who can question Father McManus’s foresight in launching the MacBride Principles, or his fortitude in forcing President Clinton to sign MacBride into law?

Furthermore, who can defend the small number of individuals who allowed themselves to be manipulated into opposing him? I am confident that when those people read his book, they will reproach themselves.

Father McManus has always accomplished his goals in a non-violent way. His book is the perfect instrument for spreading the word and keeping the Irish issue alive  for future generations.

In fact, this is precisely what his book is all about, and the primary reason he wrote it.  He wants to inform, enlighten and inspire Irish Americans about his 40-year struggle to get the U.S. Congress to stand-up for equality, justice and peace in Ireland.

Barbara J. Flaherty
Riverdale Park, Maryland

Parade Ending

ACCORDING to the February 2-8 Irish Voice, the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City traditionally ended on 86th Street.

But the 1950s, that parade ended on 96th Street.

J.P. Duffy
Moraga, California

Ugandan Sham

IN what is widely acknowledged to have been a dubious election (to put it mildly), Yoweri Museveni has just been returned for another term as president of Uganda.

He has already held power for 25 years, and having managed to abolish presidential term limits looks set to hold office for many years to come.

During Museveni’s time as president, his regime has invaded and occupied Congo, in a war that cost 5.5 million lives. Uganda was subsequently ordered by the international court to pay millions of dollars in reparations to Congo, for plundering its neighbors resources and committing atrocities.

In a rare moment of frankness, the Uganda president once publicly admitted that his entire government is corrupt.

Incidentally, the Museveni regime receives around 46 euro million in Irish aid every year.

Is it any wonder that our country is in the state it is?

John O’Shea
GOAL Founder
Dublin, Ireland

Vanity Un-Fair?

THE latest issue of Vanity Fair, March 2011, reports on Ireland’s economic and political woes via Mr. Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker and many other financial and economic works.

His story, entitled “When Irish Eyes Are Crying,” paints an interesting picture of Merrill Lynch’s overview of the Irish economy during the boom and how the servile peons of Irish politics bowed to King Merrill. The usual suspects are hauled before the public reader but no one is slated for jail time, wile thousands emigrate weekly.

However, Lewis’ simplistic knowledge of Irish history is farcical.  He thinks the potato famine was the main cause of the 1.5 million to two million deaths from starvation.

Mr. Lewis would be advised to read deeper into the genocide perpetrated by the English by exporting the majority of Irish food to their burgeoning industrial empire. Probably Mr. Lewis’ ancestors partook in the colonization of Ireland if one looks at the Lewis family tree.

Overall the article is interesting from the modern perspective, and the author’s observation of the absolute zero coordinated protesting by the vast majority of people in Ireland.

Where is the outrage? Where is the back bone?

Mr. Lewis accurately illustrates this lack of widespread protest by attempting to contact one protester, the Galway man Joe McNamara, who avoids any interview with the author.

As far as I am concerned, the Irish people need to wake up quickly from their International Monetary Fund induced hangover and get out on the streets of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. They need to tell the incoming clowns in Dail Eireann (Parliament) that they will NOT play ball with their colonial-IMF masters.

To agree without reservation or a fight to this monstrous “plan” designed by the very banksters who created the mess is a pathetic indication of the “fightin’ Irish.”  We would do well to tear a page out of the Egyptian book of mass protest.

My grandfather and his comrades who fought in the IRA (1917 onwards) must be revolting defiantly in their graves!

A.P. Ó Máille
New York, New York

A Shocking Ruling

I WOULD like to share with the readers of the Irish Voice an article I read about a decision of a Belgian appeals court on the matter of abortion. It sent chills down my spine because it shows how evil leads on to evil and may never be turned back.

I quote, “A Belgian appeals court has ruled that doctors can be held responsible for the ‘wrongful birth’ of a child with disabilities. The court found that while the doctors did not cause the child's injuries, they were at fault for his ‘being born with such disabilities.’

“The court explained that the legislature in enacting a law to allow abortion must have intended to help avoid giving birth to children with abnormalities, having regard not only for the interests of the mother but for the unborn child. Thus the court reasoned that the interest of the unborn child requires its death.”

That, my fellow Irish Voice readers, is a factual example of secular progressive socialist modern logic. Its end game is to eliminate completely any lingering notion that human life has a sacred dimension.

In other words, God is not welcome.

We may rightfully be able to boast as moderns about the technological advances of this generation. But I doubt we can do much boasting about secular socialist progressive modern views on the sacred value of human life.

We are all abhorred by the radical Islamic jihadists' total disregard for innocent human lives they slaughter.

How far away, I might ask, are we from the jihadist in this cold, distorted and evil logic proclaimed by erudite judges sitting comfortably in their black robes in this Belgian court?
The only difference, factually speaking, is we don't see the blood on the floors of the court.

John Rogers
Voorhees, New Jersey

Cancel Subscription

I RELUCTANTLY send this letter to inform you I will no longer renew my subscription to the Irish Voice.

I have been loyal for many years, but the final straw came in the January 19-25 issue, with Tom Deignan’s misguided attempt at humor in his “Sidewalks” column.  His remarks about the Holy Eucharist did me in.

As a believing Catholic, I regard Holy Communion as the real presence of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. It is the most sacred presence in the world, and it is above humor or ridicule. Period!

Deignan’s reference comparing Communion wafers to Doritos is beyond the pale. This is where I draw the line.

I know that the Irish Voice devotes an inordinate amount of space to church bashing, and I have tolerated it in the past because I truly enjoy the paper, but enough is enough.

I will miss getting news about Ireland, Cormac MacConnell, the editorials and “Periscope,” as these pieces are very insightful.

I am sorry, and I hope in the future you will be more sensitive in your reporting.

Robert O’Reilly
Joliet, Illinois

Pardon for McGeough

ON February 18, 2011, after almost four years of a politically motivated arrest and trial, Gerry McGeough’s case ended with a "guilty" verdict handed down by a British diplock court.

McGeough is the first Irish Republican to be sentenced under the Good Friday Agreement on troubles related charges dating back over 30 years.  He is now in Maghaberry prison awaiting sentencing.

For several years, prior to McGeough’s arrest, he was living a peaceful existence with his wife and children in Tyrone until he decided to run in the Assembly elections as an independent candidate on an anti-Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) platform in March of 2007.

That is when McGeough’s life took a change for the worse, and it has been a living nightmare for him and his family ever since.  He was arrested at the count center, following the poll, and he has been vindictively persecuted by the British crown ever since.

In contrast, the British government has operated a secret scheme granting royal pardons or immunity from prosecution to hand-picked ex-IRA members and Loyalists wanted for killings, bombings and other paramilitary activities.

No members of the British forces are being charged or tried for their part in the 1969-‘98 North of Ireland conflict (the soldiers responsible for "Bloody Sunday" including those British/Orange forces behind the Dublin-Monaghan bombings).

In their obsessive need to prosecute and imprison McGeough, the British turned international political asylum refugee laws on their head by using as their chief “evidence” alleged political asylum application papers from Sweden (which are normally subjected to a 50-year confidentiality protection clause under Swedish law). The move was the first time such documents were used against a Republican and now has widespread implications for the entire concept of political asylum.

To pretend that McGeough’s arrest, his almost four year ongoing legal saga, and now his “guilty” verdict, has anything to do with “justice,” is pathetic.  He is being discriminated against for purely political reasons, and there was a determined effort to railroad him into prison at the highest political level.

McGeough’s attorneys have filed a request with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) seeking a “pardon” for McGeough.   People are being asked to contact their local politicians to ask them to ensure that the NIO treat  McGeough equally, the same as others have been treated since the Good Friday Agreement and grant him a pardon. 

For further details, updates and history on the case, go to the freegerry.com website.

Helen McClafferty
Chairperson,
Freegerry.com Campaign
Nutley, New Jersey

Seeking Relatives

I am trying to trace my U.S. relatives. They would be the descendants of Margaret, Anne, Bridget and Ellen Moran (from Bofield, near Ballina, Co. Mayo), who emigrated to Pennsylvania (Scranton/Pottsville area) between 1880 and 1900.

Bridget (married name Mullen) had 10 children.

Anne (married name Weirich) had one daughter, named Margaret.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Kevin Mulderrig
68 The Green,
Coolroe Meadows,
Ballincollig,
Co. Cork,
Ireland

Martin Has Nerve

AS I listened to Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin attacking Sinn Fein with regards to corruption, I wondered had he heard of the adage, “People in glass houses . . . do naughty things in the basement.

The sheer effrontery of the party that gave us such selfless, frugal examples as Ray Burke, Liam Lawlor, the Flynns, Ivor Callelly, Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern attacking others for corruption is breathtaking.

Are they trying to eradicate the memory of the last 14 years, or is it because the contest for the last seat in many areas is between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein?

Dr. Sean Marlow
Dublin, Ireland

Re-Launch Parade Book

IT is most disheartening to see the feigned hand-wringing, barrels of spilt ink and the general ruaille-buaille over one miserable man’s inane comments at an event on the Upper East Side overshadow the intent and purpose of that occasion, namely the launch of John T. Ridge’s new book, Celebrating 250 Years of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

While what has now become of the March 17 parade holds no interest for me whatsoever, its beginning and subsequent history is certainly fascinating.

Mr. Ridge is a brilliant New York historian, an engaging speaker and a fine writer with a real love and affection for his topic. I’ve no doubt that his latest contribution is just as irresistible as his earlier works and articles.

Perhaps Mr. Ridge might want to consider re-launching the book. Indeed, some books are just too good for merely one launch.

To this end, he would do well to consider the New York Irish Center in Long Island City as a venue. That way there would be no hazard of Mayor Michael Bloomberg marring the special occasion given that he has never shown even the slightest interest in the borough of Queens over the past nine years.

Daithí Mac Lochlainn
Woodside, New York

Don’t Forget Independents

AS independents have shown in the U.S. electing Barack Obama president in 2008, independents will lead the way in Ireland in 2011.

Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Greens and Sinn Fein should reach out to all independents because not only will independents get you elected, but they will have a lot to say about Ireland and what needs to be done about the Irish political situation and the economic crisis effecting the Emerald Isle.

There are no solutions, just more questions and a listening ear.  These questions have to be asked by the common people, not the political elite.

Most common people aren't featured in the Irish Voice, but they should be. This would really represent the breath of the Irish Voice, as your paper is called .

You could reach out and listen and learn their history and culture. The Irish Voice needs to hear from independents and Irish people of color, as Irish are the leaders of oppressed people the world over.

Be prepared for the next revolution. The people will be victorious. Cork and Kerry on my mother’s side are the warriors in waiting.

One of the people’s voices …

Charles Knapp
Brooklyn, New York

Strip Search Horror

LAST week I received a letter from an Irish Republican imprisoned in Maghaberry Jail in Co. Antrim. As may of your readers know, there still are many Irish Republicans imprisoned on both sides of the border.

Copied below is one POW's letter, printed verbatim from the man himself.  His words tell the story of life today for imprisoned Republicans. In memory of the 10 Irish Republicans who died on hunger strike 30 years ago, I hope you will print this letter.

“Hello everyone. I’m just back from the court. I was twice subjected to forced strip searches today. That was my 10th forced strip in the last 12 weeks.

“I’m also out to court next Tuesday so that will be another two. Today I was brought to the reception where the search team were waiting and forced into a three foot by three foot cubicle by two of them where I refused to strip. They laughed at me and said, ‘He’s ready for it!’

“I was then brought to a holding cell and kept in there for about 50 minutes with a governor coming in twice to tell me their so called prison rules. He could talk all day. I wasn’t for stripping and won’t be at any stage while I’m incarcerated in this place.

“Suddenly the cell door bursts open and in they come in full riot gear, helmets, shields, body protection, the works. They ram the shield into my face, two of them grab my arms, another grabs my head, I’m forced to the ground - arms forced up my back, two knees forced into my head to hold it down, two knees in the back of my legs.

“Then another one of them starts to force off my shoes, socks and trousers. I’m then moved into a forced position so that my boxers are ripped down and my frontal private parts can be seen by them.

I’m then forced back into a position where my boxers are completely forced off me and a hand held metal detector is ran over my backside.

“At this stage, it’s hard to breathe with their gloves covering my face and mouth. I’m still being held by four of them on the floor, my private parts exposed. Naked! Lying there! They then grab my boxers and jeans and force them up, hurting me, leaving my private parts still exposed.

“They then move me into another awkward position to take my t shirt off. I think my arms are about to break in two! It’s agony at this stage. My wrists are just numb.

“I’m lying now with both my arms forced up my back towards the roof while the riot squad run out of the cell.  My arms just drop to the floor. I try my best to get onto my feet using my elbows, trousers hanging off me, boxers still below my private parts. I’m aching all over!

“I try to get dressed as the riot squad stand smirking at me. I just stare back at them.

“I think of the other things they have done to me in the past. Forced strips, cut my clothes off, broke my nose, stood on me, forced me into squat positions, forced my mouth open by trying to break my wrist… I could go on!

“Well, that’s me on the way to court! As soon as I get to Laganside (where I’m already an hour late because of the forced strip) I’m brought straight to the court, cuffed, and haven’t seen my solicitor.

“Adjourned again. That’s me down now to a six by six cell to wait for a few hours. Then I’m brought back to the gaol where I go through the whole strip search ordeal again.

ìOne image going through my head is the faces of my friends who were waiting patiently for me to come back -- Colly, Harry, Brendy, Gerard, Kevin. It’s hard to explain the look on their faces, but I can tell you that it’s one of the worst feelings in gaol seeing one of your friends coming back from a forced strip search, seeing them in pain!

“I would take all of their forced strip searches rather than see them in this agony, and I know they would do the same for me. That’s friendship that won’t be broken!

“Well, slan for now, from another Republican forcibly strip searched.”

Mary Brennan
Princeton, New Jersey