The vindictive arrest of Seán Kinsella
An Phoblacht readers are being asked to contact the Department of
Justice to raise the case of Seán Kinsella
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How An Phoblacht readers can help
You can assist the campaign to have Seán Kinsella freed by
writing, phoning or faxing the Minister for Justice, John
O'Donoghue at:
Department of Justice
72 St Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Phone 602 8202 (code from outside 26 Counties: 00 353 1)
Fax 676 7797
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A candle-lit procession through the streets of Clones, Co.
Monaghan, tonight (Thursday) is the latest in a series of local
actions to highlight the plight of Portlaoise prisoner, Seán
Kinsella. Following almost 22 years of incarceration, Kinsella's
family and supporters argue that he should be released
immediately.
There was widespread surprise and considerable anger on 4 March
last when Kinsella was re-arrested while cycling to his sister's
home in Redhills, County Cavan, where he had been helping to take
care of his aged and ill mother. Contrary to media reports
suggesting that he had been living the life of a fugitive, the
Clones man had in fact been living openly during the 12 months
since his return to Ireland in March 1996 after 21-years
imprisonment in England.
At the time of his re-arrest, Kinsella was in the process of
establishing a social support service for former prisoners in the
border counties which would help them re-integrate into society.
It was widely felt that because of the length of his imprisonment
in British jails, the authorities in the 26 Counties would set
aside the life sentence he had been serving in Portlaoise prior
to his escape along with 18 other prisoners in 1974. A sustained
and virulent campaign by an Irish Times journalist, however, is
thought by local people to have prompted the then Fine
Gael/Labour/Democratic Left coalition government to order his
re-arrest.
Support for Kinsella has come from all shades of political
opinion in his native community and a local support group has
been formed to mobilise pressure on the Fianna Fáil/Progressive
Democrat government to set him free.
Describing her brother's continued incarceration as `a great
injustice', Pearl Mulvaney has called on the government `to
demonstrate their compassion' by releasing Seán `without delay'.
Direct appeals to the Minister of Justice and Law Reform has been
unsuccessful so far, but the family and support group hope that a
massive letter-writing campaign on the issue will demonstrate the
extent of public concern on the issue.
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