Irish Republican News: Archives

August 30, 2011

Omagh agent targeted

An informer who helped the Garda and RUC police forces to plan, track and co-ordinate the 1998 Omagh propaganda atrocity has escaped serious injury following a targeted ‘Real IRA’ attack.

Prison brutality continues

Two republican prisoners at Maghaberry were assaulted by a prison riot squad in full body armour after they refused to submit to a strip search this week.

PSNI harassment in focus after arrest of society couple

The false arrest by the PSNI of a retired Dutch naval officer and his former magistrate wife in raids targeting republicans has made international headlines.

‘Blackmen’ hold provocative march

Sectarian tensions were again elevated last weekend as the Royal Black Preceptory, a shadowy masonic organisation comprising of senior members of the Orange Order, held parades across the North.

Adams subjected to PSNI ‘fishing’ subpoenas

British authorities have broadened their demands for the contents of oral history testimonies dealing with the conflict in Ireland and given to Boston College on the basis of confidentiality.

Republican mural displaced by advertisement hoarding

A controversy erupted in west Belfast this week after a mural honouring republican women killed in the conflict was replaced by an ad promoting landlordism.

Defend Sean Garland

An account of the strange predicament facing the 76-year-old IRA Veteran and former Workers’ Party leader, Sean Garland.

The return to internment

A British cabinet minister has appointed a secret commission with the power to revoke the parole of political prisoners just for being accused.

August 24, 2011

End selective internment

Pressure is growing for other internees at Maghaberry jail to be released following the decision to free critically ill Brendan Lillis last week.

Warning over media threat as PSNI raids go on

Concern is growing at the level of harassment by the PSNI police and their increasing use of the pro-unionist media to set up members of the nationalist community for attack.

Colin Duffy refused bail ‘as a message’

Prominent republican Colin Duffy continues to be held without trial after a judge astonishingly declared that his release might encourage breakaway IRA groups.

Sectarian parade forced through nationalist village

A provocative loyalist band parade in the County Antrim village of Rasharkin passed off peacefully at the weekend.

McGuinness condemns hardliners

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has hit out at ‘dissident’ republicans, labelling them ‘imposters’ for carrying on the name of the IRA.

Hunger strike march in Belfast

A march to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the deaths of ten republican hunger strikers took place in Belfast at the weekend.

Micky Devine - a typical Derry lad

INLA Volunteer Micky Devine was the last to die in the H-Block hunger strike of 1981, thirty years ago this week.

Vengeful, vindictive, violent

Without street pressure and political lobbying the Justice Ministry would have kept Brendan Lillis hidden deep within the bowels of the British penal establishment.

August 19, 2011

There was shock, disbelief and tears of joy for the friends, family and supporters of critically ill prisoner Brendan Lillis on Thursday when news emerged that their campaign had succeeded in securing his freedom -- and a rare victory against state brutality in the North of Ireland.

A freedom won

Fears over ‘United States of Eurozone’

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have presented proposals for a Eurozone government to carry out centralised European decision making on economic matters and extract a new tax on all financial transactions within the Eurozone.

Police Ombudsman scandal grows

A new report into the Police Ombudsman’s office in the North has revealed that it is routinely engaging in the cover-up of key intelligence details and censoring its own reports in order to bolster the reputation of the PSNI police and its predecessor, the RUC.

Blame game follows Derry violence

Recriminations have followed an outbreak of trouble which followed Saturday’s parade through the heart of nationalist Derry by the loyalist Apprentice Boys organisation.

Adams sees further gains for Sinn Fein

The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has predicted further growth for his party in an address at a south Armagh rally to mark the 30th anniversary of the prison hunger strikes of 1981.

Hopes for justice at Strabane commemoration

The brother of a disabled County Tyrone man killed forty years ago by the British Army says he is hopeful a new investigation will clear his brother’s name.

The rising of the moon

If they aren't able to destroy the desire for freedom, they won't break you.

Riot response driven by right-wing agenda

As the figure for arrests heads towards 3,000 and the British media follow the progress through the courts of the people charged, David Cameron has seized on the rioting, murder and arson as a golden opportunity to advance his personal agenda.

August 18, 2011

Brendan Lillis released, says partner

Critically ill internee Brendan Lillis, currently receiving medical care at City Hospital in south Belfast, has been freed, according to his partner.

August 13, 2011

The truth about Billy McKavanagh

An unarmed Catholic man shot dead by the British army 40 years ago was innocent of any wrongdoing, an inquiry has found.

Lillis held incommunicado in ‘a pantomime of callousness’

The Life Sentence Review Commissioners sat yesterday [Friday] to consider the case of critically ill internee Brendan Lillis, who remains under the watch of prison warders at a hospital in Belfast following his transfer from notorious Maghaberry jail earlier this week.

No relief from marching season

Clashes erupted in Derry today [Saturday] following a sectarian parade by the loyalist Apprentice Boys’ organisation, one of the largest of the Protestant marching season.

‘Lock-on’ protest at Alliance Party HQ

A number of members of the Republican Network for Unity (RNU) group dramatically stormed the Alliance Party’s headquarters in south Belfast on Thursday morning in protest at party leader David Ford’s handling of the situation at Maghaberry jail.

Internment trauma recalled

Forty years after the introduction of internment, a group of ex-internees have said they will take legal action against the British government over the policy of internment.

Gaybo backs away from Presidential ‘coronation’

The 26-County Presidential campaign bordered on absurdity this week when television personality Gay Byrne briefly became favourite to win the election, before confirming he would not be a candidate.

The Ballymurphy Massacre

This Tuesday marked exactly 40 years since the beginning of one of the most horrifying periods in the history of West Belfast.

Bridge of Sighs

To the extent that the British move at all it is invariably sideways. In dealing with prisoners their attitude has always been one of ‘as late as, as little as.’

August 10, 2011

Lillis under heavy guard at City Hospital

Brendan Lillis is receiving urgent treatment at City Hospital in the south of Belfast where he remains under the close watch of British prison authorities.

August 9, 2011

Lillis, nearing death, is removed to hospital

Interned former political prisoner Brendan Lillis has been taken from Maghaberry jail today to an unknown destination after a prison doctor admitted his condition was “critical”.

August 8, 2011

Save Brendan Lillis

Following last week’s refusal by the Stormont authorities to release him, the partner of Brendan Lillis has said their campaign is no longer working to free the ailing prisoner, but to save his life.

Hunger strike families appeal for action

The families of most of the 1981 Hunger Strikers have called for an end to the abuses taking place at Maghaberry prison in County Antrim.

New protest at Maghaberry

A group of republican prisoners at Maghaberry have begun a 48 hour fast to protest the failure of the British/Stormont authorities to implement an agreement last August on conditions within the jail.

PSNI launches media crackdown

News organisations must submit to the PSNI any footage or photographs of rioting or other public disorder in the north of Ireland, a judge has ruled.

Schoolboy fights for life after attack

A 17-year-old schoolboy is critically ill in hospital after being beaten in a sectarian attack in Antrim.

Fortieth anniversary of Ballymurphy and Internment

An event to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1971 Ballymurphy massacre has heard renewed calls for an independent international inquiry.

Thomas McElwee

IRA Volunteer Thomas McElwee died on hunger strike at Long Kesh prison, thirty years ago today. A brief biography of Thomas, who was known for being sincere, easy-going and full of fun.

Interview with Roisin Lynch

An interview by ‘Street Voice’ with Roisin Lynch, the partner of ailing prisoner Brendan Lillis and head of the campaign to release him before he dies in jail.

August 3, 2011

Ford refuses release of Brendan Lillis

There have been demands for the resignation of Six-County Justice Minister David Ford after he rejected an appeal by the broad nationalist community for the release of a dying prisoner today.

British Army protected UVF ‘Butcher’

The British Army withheld evidence for more than three decades which confirms that some of its locally recruited units were used to finance and support UVF paramilitary death squads.

McGuinness backs Lillis release

Members of the two main nationalist parties in the North are to join the partner of critically ill prisoner Brendan Lillis in a meeting with the Six-County Justice Minister later today [Wednesday] to plead for his release from Maghaberry jail on compassionate grounds.

Shell ‘goons’ battle protestors as pipe construction begins

A day of action by environmental protestors was greeted with violence as full construction work on a gas pipeline by Shell and contractors in north County Mayo began at the weekend.

Housing project spiked by new DUP minister

A project to build 200 houses at a former north Belfast British Army barracks has been blocked by unionists for naked territorial and sectarian reasons.

Child abuse scandal hits Presidential campaign

Senator David Norris yesterday withdrew his candidacy from the 26-County presidential election in the autumn after a scandal erupted over his intervention on behalf of an Israeli man, a former lover, who was convicted of the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy in 1992.