Check out this wonderful video from Niall Carroll of the crowd in Blackrock today for Garda Tony Golden’s funeral. The footage was recorded at the request of Garda Golden’s wife Nicola so that their three children could look back on it in years to come.
Cllr Declan Breathnach
Fianna Fáil General Election candidate Declan Breathnach has hit out at the Government for the rise in urban and rural crime in the last few years.
He says their cynical attempts to blame everyone else for the rising problems, as well as increased isolation in rural communities, will not wash with voters when the country goes to the polls either before or after Christmas.
In the build-up to the impending election, Cllr Breathnach has called on the Government to adequately resource Gardaí to ensure they are best placed to tackle growing crime rates.
He said: “In 2010 there were 314 Gardaí based in stations across Louth but by February this year that number was down 35 to 279. Fine Gael and Labour have allowed the strength of the Garda force to drop below 12,800 nationally and closed almost 140 local Garda stations across the country. In fact this Government’s commitment to rural communities has been abysmal.
“Communities in Louth are feeling increasingly isolated by the withdrawal of Government services. Ensuring the public are protected from criminals is a basic obligation of the Government and Fine Gael and Labour are failing in their duty.
“I welcome the fact that the number of Gardaí is starting to increase but I believe the strength of the Garda force was allowed to fall to a dangerously low level, dropping below 12,800 as of June this year. There are a further 1,498 officers eligible to retire this year. Fianna Fáil has committed to restoring the manpower of An Garda Síochána to 14,000. We need an appropriate and safe domestic policing and security strategy in place for all our communities in Louth and restoring Garda numbers to this critical level is key to that.
“In recent weeks the government has finally woken up to the crime wave in rural communities and is bringing forward legislation in response to the rise in burglaries. Fine Gael has also cynically sought to blame everyone else for the rise in crime and fall in morale amongst Gardaí. Our rural communities feel more vulnerable and more isolated because of the policies pursued by this government. Fine Gael and Labour cannot hide from that reality and their attempts to blame everyone else won’t wash with voters in Louth,” said the Knockbridge man.
The scene of the latest dumping of the toxic sludge at Belrobin, Kilkerley
A further quantity of diesel laundering waste was discovered dumped in Kilkerley at the weekend.
The 6,000 litres of toxic waste was abandoned at Belrobin with the latest find leading to local councillor Tomás Sharkey calling for stricter measures to be taken against the illegal activity.
He has challenged the authorities to carry out proper forensic investigations of the evidence to help bring those responsible to justice.
He said: “Approximately 6,000 litres of this toxic waste was dumped in the Kilkerley area this weekend. Once again public health and the environment were in danger by the culprits. They have no place in our community.
“This latest incident highlights my growing annoyance that forensic evidence does not seem to be gathered at the scenes of this dumping.
“I have been to many sites where this waste has been dumped and not once have I seen a Garda Síochána forensics team taking evidence. These cubes must have fingerprints on them. Often paint from the van or trailer they were loaded in marks the cubes. There may be tyre tracks from the vehicle that dumped the waste.
“The IBC cubes obviously came from a factory or yard that uses them for their business. Somewhere a business owner must be missing hundreds of expensive cubes.
“I have asked that the multi agency approach including county council officials, Gardaí, Revenue and environmental protection staff give a presentation on how they do their work.
“As a public representative I want to know why forensic evidence isn’t being gathered at these dump sites. I want to know why the scourge of dumping isn’t being properly investigated and who is making the decision not to take this problem seriously,” he said.
While he was not exactly a regular visitor to Dundalk over the years, the passing of former Northern Irish first minister Ian Paisley will generate much debate over the next few days.
A visit by the former DUP leader to Dundalk in August 1986 will certainly go down as one of the most memorable, if unfortunate, incidents of many people’s lives as riots rocked the town.
The unfortunate incident, captured in video format above, came about following a court appearance in the town by Deputy DUP leader Peter Robinson and his Paisley.
Hundreds of Gardai in riot gear were brought into Dundalk for the day and all cars entering town were searched.
The town virtually closed down for the duration of the court appearance and Mr Robinson and Paisley were escorted from the Border and virtually smuggled into court via a back door.
A large crowd gathered in the town centre and protestors were escorted by Gardai. This did not stop some protestors tearing up ‘Ulster Says No” banners.
The court case itself was over in minutes when Justice T.P. O’Reilly adjourned the matter to Ballybay for the following October, but after the DUP leaders were escorted out of town there was a minor ourbreak of trouble in Church Street.
Some protestors positioned themselves in unoccupied buildings in the street where they threw petrol bombs at Loyalist supporters of the DUP leadership who were being escorted out of town by the Gardai.
The incident was condemned by Mr. Paisley, but two hours after the court case the town returned to normal and there was widespread praise for the Gardai for the manner in which they handled a very difficult incident.
Copies of a charity CD from the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and Friends, featuring Dundalk bag piper Mark Toner, are still on sale.
The CD, called ‘Monday Nights in Marino, is in aid of Irish charity Suicide or Survive (SOS), with all proceeds going towards raising awareness of mental health issues around the country.
The CD contains 11 tunes by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band, as well as recordings by the Dublin City Council Choir, the Band of An Garda Síochána, Kelly Birmingham, the Tallaght Youth Band and the bell ringers of Christchurch Cathedral.
In addition, RTÉ’s Joe Duffy has donated a narration, which runs over a tribute tune by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band.
Originally launched in 2012, the CD was created the mark the 150th of the Dublin Fire Brigade.
Commenting on the initiative, Mark – who hails from the Quay and now lives in Oaklawns – said: “We are delighted to be able to support Suicide or Survive.
“Mental health issues are more prevalent in Irish society today than ever before and as we approach Christmas, which many people find challenging, we hope the proceeds from our CD will help with the great work being undertaken by SOS.”
The CD is on sale for €10 in store at The Music Outlet, Swords and Tower Records, Dublin and is also available to purchase online at www.themusicoutlet.ie or through the eBay store dfbshop2013. Further details are available at www.dublinfirebrigadepipeband.com
Three former Gardaí, who were all based in Dundalk, are challenging the findings of the Smithwick Tribunal.
The trio have published a comprehensive evaluation of the Tribunal’s conclusions, challenging its key finding of collusion by unnamed gardaí in the murders of two RUC officers.
They claim the tribunal’s finding is not grounded in facts and should be rejected by the Government “as a matter of urgency and justice” and contend it adversely affects the relationship between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI.
The critique, carried out by retired det chief supt John O’Brien, former chief supt Michael Finnegan and former chief supt Michael Staunton runs to over 30 pages and has been sent to Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, and the Clerk of the Dáil. The Government is understood to be considering their report.
The retired gardaí, all of whom served in the Dundalk district at various times, say the finding of collusion “undermines the capacity of this State to actively pursue the many substantiated acts of collusion committed in the course of the conflict”, and claim the finding impugns the good name and reputation of gardaí who had no opportunity to be represented before the tribunal or to address the allegation made against them.
Mr Staunton was an inspector in Dundalk when the Provisional IRA shot dead RUC Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan in south Armagh in 1989 just after they had left a meeting at the station. Both he and Mr Finnegan, who was posted as an inspector to Dundalk after the murders, gave evidence to the tribunal. Mr O’Brien spent much of his career investigating terrorism and also served for two years as an adviser to the Garda Ombudsman.
They believe the tribunal failed to conduct basic investigative work or even to hire its own investigators, as was recommended. In the absence of “direct evidence” on collusion, the tribunal accepted information given in private by the PSNI’s Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris and then “parachuted in” the theory that unidentified Garda members had colluded in the killings. This occurred “neatly” after the initial three-named Garda suspects were exonerated by the tribunal.
Assistant Chief Constable Harris’s information was presented as “live and of the moment” and suggested there was collusion by a Garda member, or members, in the murders.
Their report says no effort was made to evaluate the intelligence, given at the very end of the eight-year tribunal, and its sources. The three former Garda officers conclude : “The tribunal displays naivete in relation to the activities of foreign intelligence agencies and the production of them of unverifiable and ungraded information.”
They believe the tribunal did not place enough emphasis on the evidence of former members of the Provisional IRA who met the tribunal and outlined how they had planned the killings without, they claimed, assistance from any Garda members.
Source: The Irish Times
This week’s Argus leads with the story that the suspects in the Garda Adrian Donohoe murder probe have been quizzed by police in the US. There’s also coverage of the pre-Christmas blaze at two Clanbrassil Street stores and a 20-page look back on 2013.
All that and more in this week’s Argus… on sale now
This week’s Dundalk Democrat leads with a story about Gardaí keeping pressure on fuel gangs in the area. There’s also the continued fall-out from the pre-Christmas fires at Clanbrassil Street, with the buildings affected – The Cycle Shop and The Greenmount – set to be demolished. There’s also a review of the year and all the results for the annual Dundalk Coursing Club event.
All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Democrat… on sale now!
The late Adrian Donohoe RIP
Two men suspected of being involved in the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe last January face being deported from the US in the coming weeks as their holiday visas are due to expire in the coming weeks.
According to The Irish Independent, there is fresh hope amongst gardaí that the individuals will be deported from New York so that they can be quizzed about the killing at Lordship Credit Union almost a year ago.
Gardaí have been liaising with the FBI in keeping surveillance on the two suspects and reportedly met them in New York last week.
The suspects were compelled to meet Gardaí under US law but refused to answer any questions in the presence of American police.
It is expected that the pace of the investigation will pick up once the anniversary of Adrian’s death has passed on January 25th.
The suspects, including the criminal who is believed to have fired the shotgun at the detective, cannot be extradited unless the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) rules that they should face criminal charges. But they can be deported if they overstay their visas.
Source: Suspects in Adrian Donohoe murder face being deported from US (Irish Independent)
The Asia Cosco ship was attacked in the Suez Canal
The seizure of €4.3m worth of illegal cigarettes after an Al-Qaeda rocket blew the lid off an IRA smuggling racket has sparked a deadly new feud between rival Provo factions, according to a report in today’s Sunday Independent.
The cigarettes – bound for a fake company, which does not exist, in Co Louth – were uncovered after a container of cigarettes was struck by Islamic militants who targeted a huge cargo ship on the Suez Canal.
Sources have revealed that a south Armagh gang involved in the feud was involved in a consortium that put up money for the shipment, which was believed to be one of many organised by another IRA faction based in Co Louth.
The container was intercepted only by chance after several Al-Qaeda members in Egypt fired two rockets at one of the world’s biggest ships, the Asia Cosco, back in July.
Inspectors who examined the container, which was marked as carrying furniture on the ship’s manifest, discovered it was full of cigarettes on their way to a fake company listed in Co Louth.
Gardai and customs officials were notified and the illegal cargo was seized outside Dundalk at the Applegreen Service Station in September.
Three suspects were arrested and later freed. A file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Sunday Independent reports today though that the gang behind the cigarette-smuggling is also involved in diesel-laundering in south Armagh, and had problems with a rival border Provo faction involved in the same illegal business.
Garda sources say tensions are growing in the Louth-Armagh border region as smuggling gangs are becoming increasingly rich and the power of the former South Armagh Provisional IRA is on the wane.
Gardai say several gangs are now openly defying the IRA and refusing to pay any “protection” to local Provo bosses.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, another bitter dispute has erupted between the family of one of the leading IRA families in the Border area and other smugglers which has resulted in extensive damage to property.
The Sunday Independent has learned that a leading Sinn Féin figure, who is also a former leading IRA man, from outside the area was called in to mediate in the dispute two weeks ago. It is understood he ordered both sides to end the dispute.
The gangs who are openly defying the IRA include the one which murdered Det Garda Adrian Donohoe. This gang, with the exception of the suspected gunman who fled to the United States, continue to live openly in the south Armagh area. Sources said the gang continued to be involved in stealing cars for export.
Source: Al-Qaeda rocket sparks fresh IRA smuggling feud (Sunday Independent)
Talk of the Town 