Irish Republican Info Svc #221 11/4/97 =========== Posted to multiple newsgroups and lists =========== ===== Redistribute *only* with full header and signature! ===== Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit IRISH REPUBLICAN INFORMATION SERVICE (no. 221) Teach Daithi O Conaill 223 Parnell Street Dublin 1, Ireland Phone: +353-1-872-9747; FAX: +353-1-872-9757; e-mail: saoirse@iol.ie November 4, 1997 Republican Sinn Fein (NEW ADDRESS): http://members.tripod.com/~Republican_Sinn_Fein SAOIRSE Online: http://iol.ie/~saoirse Release Josephine Hayden: http://iol.ie/~saoirse/hayden 1798 Ireland: http://iol.ie/~fagann/1798/ In this issue: 1. 93rd Ard-Fheis of Republican Sinn Fein, Dublin, November 8-9 2. Knives are out for Trimble 3. Loyalists accused of killing nationalist released 4. Church of Ireland church burned in Belfast 5. LVF threaten "Greysteel part II" 6. RIR attack nationalist boy 7. Home attacked for seventh time 1. 93RD ARD-FHEIS OF REPUBLICAN SINN FEIN, DUBLIN, NOVEMBER 8-9 REPUBLICAN Sinn Fein will be holding its 93rd Ard-Fheis at a hotel in Dublin city centre this weekend, November 8-9. Over 200 delegates are expected from the 32 counties of Ireland as well as from Cumainn in England and Scotland. The two-day conference will be addressed by the organisation's President, Ruairm S Bradaigh, at 12 noon on Sunday, November 9. A media conference will be held at 11.30am on Sunday, November 9. Over the weekend delegates will debate a wide range of motions covering political policy, electoral strategy, social & economic policy, prisoners, education and culture. The bilingual Clar containing 89 resolutions for Ard-Fheis can be viewed on the Internet at http://iol.ie/~saoirse/rsf/ardfheis.htm 2. KNIVES ARE OUT FOR TRIMBLE SAOIRSE, the monthly newspaper published by Republican Sinn Fein, has reported in its November issue that the deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) John Taylor did not attend his own party's annual conference in Newcastle, Co Down on the weekend of October 25-26. The ostensible reason was illness but the UUP leader was reportedly very annoyed at the snub to his leadership. SAOIRSE stated that Taylor's non-appearance indicated that the "knives were out" for David Trimble as opposition grows within the UUP to the Stormont talks. "Taylor is positioning himself for leadership when, and if, the talks fall apart. The real power lies in the Orange Order who secured the leadership for David Trimble in 1995 after his performance at Drumcree."Having made him they will break him when they want to also," SAOIRSE concluded. 3. LOYALISTS ACCUSED OF KILLING NATIONALIST RELEASED THREE men charged with the killing of nationalist Robert Hamill in Portadown last May, had all charges against him dropped on October 31 at a special sitting of Lisburn magistrates court. The Director of Public Prosecutions told resident magistrate Harry McKibbon that the charges proffered by the RUC against Rory Randolph Arthur Robinson (25), of Corcrain Avenue, Alistair Harvey (20), of Derryanvil Road and Dean Forbes (19), of Deramore Drive, on the evidence of certain witnessed would no longer be available. "There will be no reasonable prospect of a conviction," he said. McKibbon told the three as they were released, after having spent five months on remand "it has been a terrible ordeal for all three of you". Three others, Wayne Lunt (17), of Manderly Court, Stacey Bridgett (19), of Donard Walk, and Paul Hobson (20), of Deer Park are still remanded in custody charged with killing Robert Hamill. Robert Hamill was beaten to death by a loyalist mob in Portadown in May 1996 after he was identified as a nationalist. Rosemary Nelson, solicitor for the Hamill family commented on the behaviour of the British police (RUC): "Not only did they fail to intervene [at the time of the killing, which they watched from a distance], but they are incapable of providing any identification evidence, which is amazing. "The [RUC] chief constable said last night it was his prime duty to protect people's lives, but the signal failure to do so in this case does not bode well for the people of Portadown. "To say that faith in the RUC has been substantially eroded by this is an understatement," Nelson said. 4. CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCH BURNED IN BELFAST ST STEPHAN'S church in the Millfield area of Belfast was damaged in an arson attack on October 26. Extensive fire damage was caused to the roof of the parochial hall with the remainder of the building suffering smoke and water damage. Damage to the 128-year-old building was estimated at between #20,000 and #30,000. The church had previously been attacked in 1993. Meanwhile. Sectarian slogans were painted on a Methodist church in Derry city over the weekend of October 25/26. The slogans were discovered at Carlisle Road Methodist church by members of the congregation on October 27. 5. LVF THREATEN "GREYSTEEL PART II" CUSTOMERS at a Co Derry pub received a loyalist death-threat on October 27. Around five people were in the Montainview bar at Edenreagh Road, near Eglinton in the parish of Faughanvale/Lower Cumber at around 10.15pm when a loud thud was heard outside the front door. A large industrial traffic cone with the lettering "LVF. Greysteel Part Two Is Coming To You" was left outside. Eight people were killed in the Rising Sun bar in Greysteel on October 30, 1993 by the UVF British-backed death squad. Greysteel village is also in the Faughanvale/Lower Cumber parish. The customers at the Montainview bar initially feared that the cone was bobby-trapped and moved to the back of the premises. When the British police (RUC) arrived they found what an eye-witness described as looking like a couple of weight's underneath the cone. A man who was in the bar at the time said the incident on the eve of fourth anniversary of the Greysteel massacre was "very scary". 6. RIR ATTACK NATIONALIST BOY A SIXTEEN-year-old boy was pushed through the front window of a hairdressers shop in Lurgan, Co Armagh by British soldiers on October 28. Anthony Ganley and his friend Kevin Scullion (15), were walking down William Street shortly before 3pm when they were stopped and searched by the British police (RUC). The teenagers claimed that after being allowed to walk on they met an RIR British army patrol and were threatened by a member of the patrol. The two ignored the abuse and walked on. The soldiers ran after them and pushed them up against the window of a hairdressers in Lough Street. Anthony Ganley claim that he was forcibly pushed twice and on the second occasion the upper half of his body was forced through the window of the hairdressers. Both boys were taken to Craigavon hospital on October 29 and treated for bruising and abrasions on their back. Kevin Scullion's father, Patrick, also claims that as he and the two teenagers waited outside a solicitor's office before reporting the incident to the RUC, he was threatened by the same RIR soldier involved in the incident. 7. HOME ATTACKED FOR SEVENTH TIME A NATIONALIST woman in Belfast has had her home attacked by loyalists for the seventh time in recent months. Mother-of-five Bernadette Reilly says loyalists kicked in the front door of her house at Wyndham Street in the Oldpark area in the early hours of November 1 and went on the rampage, smashing windows, damaging furniture and ripping pictures off walls in her hall as well as causing damage to flower-pots and garden fittings. Bernadette Reilly's children were unhurt in the attack, which she believes was carried out by loyalists from the nearby Torrens area. -end- Please circulate the information in IRIS and credit us if reprinting. We welcome your comments and ideas. Send them to saoirse@iol.ie ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-11.07.97-02:44:47-31595