RTE UPDATE - News from Ireland - 31 May 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ---------------------------------------------- UPDATE - The email news service from RTE Online ---------------------------------------------- 30 May 1999 17:33 with Cristin Leach ON RTE UPDATE TODAY --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Search for remains of IRA victims continues 2. Violence erupts after Junior Orange Order parade 3. Head of CAB defends wide-ranging powers 4. 20,000 take part in Pioneer centenary rally 5. Disappointment for Ireland at Eurovision 6. Sport: No official hospitality for Yugoslav team in Dublin 7. Man arrested in connection with Cork rape released without charge 8. Man injured in fall from Kerry cliff plus Ireland's Weather SEARCH FOR REMAINS OF IRA VICTIMS CONTINUES --------------------------------------------------------------- Gardai have resumed excavation of a site in County Louth in their search for the remains of Mrs Jean McConville, the Belfast mother of ten murdered by the IRA in 1972. They have also begun excavating a site in County Wicklow and have sealed off another in County Monaghan as part of an operation to locate the remains of eight people, killed by the IRA over 20 years ago and secretly buried. Gardai are digging for the remains of Mrs McConville at a car park overlooking Templeton Beach, not far from Carlingford in County Louth. Last night they broke through the tarmac and at first light today began digging. However the first location pointed out to them by the Commission for the Return of Victims' Remains has not yet yielded anything. If the remains are not found there, Gardai will begin excavating an adjoining site that was also pointed out. Mrs McConville, a 39-year-old widowed mother of ten, was abducted by the IRA in Belfast in 1972. She was killed after she stopped to comfort a British soldier who had been shot outside her home in Belfast. Her eldest daughter, Helen McKendry believes this was enough to sign her mother's death warrant. Jean McConville's children were placed in care after their mother's disappearance. All ten siblings met again in the last few weeks for the first time in 27 years. Relatives of Mrs Mc Conville came back to the scene of the dig this morning hoping this would be the last day of their long wait. By midday however, they were accepting that the excavation could take some time. Mrs McConville's son-in-law, Seamus McKendry said it was incredible that someone could pinpoint somewhere on a sand dune after all this time, as the car park had not there in 1972. Gardai say they have now sealed off a total of six locations in which, according to information from the Commission, the eight victims may be buried. The locations are: Templeton Beach, Carlingford, County Louth; the Lacken area of Blessington, County Wicklow; two sites in County Monaghan: a marsh ten miles from Carrickmacross and an area near Tydnavet; and two sites in County Meath: a wooded area at Coghalstown near Wilkinstown about 5 miles from Navan and an area at Oristown, about 4 miles from Kells. Digging has begun at the site in County Wicklow. Superintendent John Farrelly has warned that recovering the bodies could take some time. Last night the Commission for the location of Victims' Remains announced that they had received information on the whereabouts of eight bodies. These victims include Seamus Wright who disappeared in 1972; Kevin McKee last seen in 1975; 17-year-old Columba McVeigh who disappeared in 1975; and Bernard McGraw, John McClory, Brian McKinney and Danny McIlhonne who all disappeared in 1978. The remains of the ninth missing body were disinterred and left in a new coffin at a graveyard north of Dundalk on Friday. VIOLENCE ERUPTS AFTER JUNIOR ORANGE ORDER PARADE --------------------------------------------------------------- Thirteen RUC officers and several protesters were injured last night after violent clashes erupted between loyalists and nationalists following a junior Orange Order parade in Portadown in County Armagh. The trouble started when the RUC tried to prevent hundreds of other loyalists following the march along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy road. The crowd responded by throwing bottles and petrol bombs at the police. Police responded with plastic bullets and it is understood that a Catholic teenager was injured in the neck. The RUC said the disorder was caused in the main by "drunken unruly mobs from both sides of the community". They said both loyalist and nationalist community leaders made considerable efforts to defuse the situation. The violence comes just before proximity style talks due to take place at a secret location early next week. Both sides have agreed to a three-day session aimed at breaking the deadlock over the Drumcree Orange parade. Three men appeared at a special court in Lurgan Police station today, charged with public order offences at Portadown last night. They were released on bail until the 4th June at Craigavon Magistrates' Court. In a separate incident in Lurgan, a policewoman received injuries to the neck and shin after a crowd of nationalist youths attacked police. The youths threw stones, bottles and fireworks at police in Church place and Market Street during the disturbances, which lasted around two hours. Two people were arrested. HEAD OF CAB DEFENDS WIDE-RANGING POWERS --------------------------------------------------------------- The head of the Criminal Assets Bureau has defended their wide ranging powers and said they do not go into court lightly. Speaking on RTE Radio 1 today, Detective Chief Superintendent Fachtna Murphy said his organisation has to link unexplained assets to criminality, using a high standard of civil proof. Superintendent Murphy said the Bureau has contributed to the overall reduction of crime since 1996. He said it has assessed and demanded tax and interest in excess of #20million. Adding that, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, it has got orders relating to property to the value of #7million. 20,000 TAKE PART IN PIONEER CENTENARY RALLY --------------------------------------------------------------- Gardai estimate that 20,000 people took part in a rally in central Dublin today to commemorate the centenary of the Pioneer Association. Pope John Paul II sent a message of support to the Pioneer total abstinence association and to those taking part, encouraging them to continue educating young people in the value of temperance. There are half a million Pioneers worldwide, with almost half of them living in Ireland. The association was founded in Ireland, by Father James Cullen, a Jesuit priest. Centenary celebrations took place today in Dublin with a rally at Parnell Square. Over thirty thousand tickets were sold for an afternoon concert and mass in Croke Park, which was attendent by the President, Mary MacAleese, and the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. DISAPPOINTMENT FOR IRELAND AT EUROVISION --------------------------------------------------------------- There was disappointment for Ireland in Jerusulem last night when its entry in the Eurovision song contest scored one of its lowest points totals ever in the competition. The honours went to Sweden, with the song "Take Me To Your Heaven", sung by Charlotte Nilsson. Iceland came second. Ireland was represented by sisters Bronagh and Karen Mullen from Belfast. Their song, "When you need me", was composed by Bronagh and had received the maximum number of votes possible in Ireland's Eurosong national song contest in March. SPORT: NO OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY FOR YUGOSLAV TEAM IN DUBLIN --------------------------------------------------------------- The Yugoslav football team will receive no official hospitality when they play in next Saturday's Euro 2000 qualifier in Dublin. Their national anthem will not be played before the game and their national flag will not be displayed around the stadium. The Football Association of Ireland's chief executive, Bernard O'Byrne, confirmed that the game would go ahead at Lansdowne Road despite their long-held belief that football's governing body, UEFA, should have called it off due to the continued war in the Balkans. Bernard O'Byrne said it would be made clear to the Yugoslav team, including Real Madrid star Predrag Mijatovic and a host of other world-class players, that they were not wanted in Dublin. He said, "the basic view of the FAI in relation to this situation is that we are being forced to play a game that in other circumstances we would say is inappropriate. We are basically just going to turn up and play the match because we have been directed to do so by UEFA on pain of expulsion from Euro 2000." The Republic are the only side to have played in Belgrade in qualifying Group Eight, losing 1-0 in November just before NATO began air strikes in response to the military action in Kosovo. UEFA have so far refused to repeat their 1992 decision to throw Yugoslavia out of the European Championships over the country's role in the Bosnian war. Yesterday, RTE announced that the game would not be transmitted to Serbian television. Irish government ministers have said they will not go to the match. MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH CORK RAPE RELEASED WITHOUT CHARGE --------------------------------------------------------------- Gardai have released without charge the man arrested yesterday in connection with the rape of a young woman in Cork last year. The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at his home at Cork yesterday morning and brought to Togher Garda station for questioning. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. MAN INJURED IN FALL FROM KERRY CLIFF ----------------------------------------------------------------- A man has suffered head injuries and a suspected dislocated shoulder after he fell 20 feet down a cliff face at Ballymore, in Ventry, County Kerry. He was rescued by Dingle Coast and Cliff Rescue Service and was taken to Tralee general hospital where he is said to be in a stable condition. Ireland's Weather ---------------------- Rather cloudy and misty for the rest of the day with some drizzle or light rain near Eastern and Southeastern coasts, and over high ground. Otherwise, continuing dry with a few bright spells. Continuing cloudy and misty overnight with fog and drizzle in places. Lowest temperatures 6 to 9 degrees Celsius (43 to 48 Fahrenheit). ---------------------------------------------- UPDATE is a free 7-days a week service from RTE bringing you the latest news from Ireland. 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