Who's listening to Bertie?
A Chairde,
The man they don't call Ahern has taken to advising nationalist
voters in the Six Counties - probably just part of the courtship
of Harney and the Rottweiler. But once again standards are being
applied exclusively (a variation of that exclusion word again) to
Sinn Féin.
If people should vote only for parties which are solely dedicated
to democratic peaceful policies then that rules out the UUP
(Trimble's threat of Drumcree mark III), the PUP and UDP (UVF and
UDA bombing attempts) and the DUP (for very obvious reasons).
Across the water the Tories stand accused of inflicting grievious
bodily harm on the peace process and cruel and inhumane treatment
of Irish political prisoners, including a seven stone, seven
months pregnant woman.
43% of northern nationalists know exactly who and what they voted
for and are perfectly capable of making an informed choice come
election time. Here in the South, for a real republican choice we
know who and who not to vote for.
Máire Ní Mhuircheartaigh,
Dublin.
Well done, Ringo
A Chairde,
May I have a few lines of your fine paper to say that our group
here on Staten Island, IPPCH (Irish Political Prisoners'
Children's Holiday) committee member, Bill ``Ringo'' Reilly, has
been quite jubilant about his elected position as grand marshal
of the Staten Island St. Patrick's Day parade.
For many a year, Ringo has transported the children to and from
the airport in his little yellow school bus. He has been a true
courageous outspoken friend of Irish freedom for years.
So congrats to Ringo, the laughing and singing school bus driver.
Colleen A. Murtha,
Staten Island,
USA.
Information wanted
A chairde,
Corkman Tomás Mac Cormaic is currently researching a book on the
lives of the men whose names appear on the Roll of Honour of the
First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Brigades of the IRA during
the Tan and Civil Wars. Information is also sought on those
killed in isolated incidents in subsequent years.
Specific information sought includes dates of birth, education
and employment of the Volunteers, any details on their families,
safe houses, arms dumps, etc., whether they were members of other
national organisations, such as the GAA, Conradh na Gaeilge, Sinn
Féin, etc, and how they became involved in the struggle for
independence. Their ranks and activities during that period of
armed struggle would also be appreciated.
He would also like to speak with the men's descendants to
determine if they have any items of interest which could be
photographed for the book.
Tomás Mac Cormaic can be contacted at 021 385652/311389 or you
can contact me at the number below.
Sinn Féin Councillor Cionnaith O Suilleabhain
023 34569
Thanks for uncensored news
I am just writing to say thank you for providing myself and the
thousands of other students here in the USA access to uncensored
and reliable Irish news on a weekly basis anytime I/we log on to
the internet.
In the midst of all the false reports and propaganda that we
constantly receive on a daily basis here about the happenings in
Ireland, your committed staff allow us to receive the truth when
otherwise we would never receive it.
Yakub D. Mujaahid
University of Toledo
Taxis and hackneys
A Chairde,
I am instructed to write to you regarding the front page and page
seven of An Phoblacht (27 February 1997).
Members of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation are incensed at the
reference to the headline ``Taxi firm supplies drugs'' and ``Taxi
firm at centre of drugs network''.
I wish to state emphatically that no taxi company is involved in
transporting drugs or drug pushers and that no protest march took
place at any taxi office within the Dublin taximeter area. (15
miles radius of GPO).
Eamonn Murphy,
Secretary,
Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation.
Busy RUC
A Chairde,
The RUC claim to be an impartial police force. Why is it then
that they found the need to drive from their station in the mixed
village of Glenarm (where loyalists have decorated the streets
with Union Jacks and painted kerbstones) to the mainly
nationalist village of Carnlough to remove one tricolour. That
sounds quite partial to me.
Carnlough Resident