Harvey and McGlynn versus Marty O'Muilleoir: After The Lord Mayor's Show

Guest writer Sean Bresnahan with a piece on the upcoming Tyrone event to commemorate two IRA volunteers who died in 1973.  It was written on the 1st August 2013.

Some noise going on here in Tyrone this week as the DUP's Tom Buchanon leads the charge against the "glorification of terrorism" with his party driving itself wild at the prospect of a parade passing through the town of Castlederg to commemorate local IRA Volunteers Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn, who died in a premature explosion 40 years this month.

Having sung of these two men for years when down in the GAA social club in Aghyaran it's with pride that I'll attend the independent commemoration on August 11th at the spot where they died. These men have held a special place in my heart since first I heard my mother sing the ballad written in their memory many years ago so I'd hope as many of us as can make it will be there to pay a fitting respect to these lads who paid the ultimate cost for the people of Tyrone and Ireland.

But one place I'll not be is at the Sinn Fein sponsored event later that evening as they once again hijack the memory of Tyrone's Volunteer dead for their own party-political interests. In that respect for once I'm of the same mind as the arch-bigot Buchanon, this parade has no place in Castlederg - but not for the reasons good old Tom would have us believe.

Sinn Fein have no business using and abusing the names of Harvey and McGlynn given the recent outburst of Belfast Lord Mayor Mairtin O'Muilleoir, when he condemned the tactics of the IRA during its armed campaign, and those of his erstwhile leader, the Big Lad himself, when he was made a fool of by Miriam O'Callaghan on RTE and tried to rescue his credibility by disowning the very men who put him where he is today - by describing them as murderers. Together they have criminalised the Harvey's and McGlynn's of our struggle, they've done what the British couldn't when they attempted this very same thing in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh.

As I write this I'm mindful of Kevin Lynch from Dungiven, who's anniversary falls today, a man who died to prove that what Gerry Adams now believes to be true was nothing but a British falsehood. So they have no place making political speeches in Castlederg to lay claim to Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn and they've no place laying claim to the Volunteers of Oglaigh na hEireann with their so-called 'Tyrone Volunteer's Day' - not when the party leader agrees that when Martin McCaughey and those who fought alongside him took out a team of SAS (yeah those same soldiers who apparently died in a car-crash in Germany or somewhere) they had somehow become 'murderers'. No doubt Lynagh, McKearney, Gerry and Martin Harte, Declan Arthurs and Big Brian Mullin were murderers too or had murder in their mind's constitution. Some of us still beg to differ.

When O'Muilleoir condemned the IRA's tactics part of what he remonstrated against was its bombing campaign, yet Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn died transporting a bomb. Just last month we commemorated the lives of Paddy Carty, Sean Loughran and Dermot Crowley, who died in a premature explosion in Omagh when the bomb they were carrying went off as they made their way into the town. Many other Volunteers died in similar circumstances.

Effectively what O'Muilleoir and Sinn Fein have done is to condemn them all, and just so they could appear as the honest John's with their phony 'outreach to Unionism' - which Unionists themselves can see is nothing but a dishonest ploy. You see the problem is they want their cake and they want to eat it. They want to stand in front of the media and portray themselves as the honest brokers even should that mean disowning the IRA and its actions, even going so far as to call them murderers - McGuinness and Adams have both went along with this on the record in recent times.

But then on the other hand and to a different audience they want to claim these men as their own, to stand making speeches in their memory, to tell us how their sacrifice has been redeemed by the progress Sinn Fein has made in recent times and the position the party now finds itself in. It's nothing but wanton hypocrisy, you simply can't have it both ways. People are tired of it.

No doubt the adverse publicity from the Unionist outcry will aid Sinn Fein in it's efforts to lay claim to the Volunteer's of Tyrone, no doubt it will help draw a sizeable crowd to help massage their badly mauled ego. Because the republican people of Tyrone can see right through them in ever-increasing numbers and they know it. It's likely for this reason that they chose to shift 'Tyrone Volunteer's Day' from its traditional slot. It was once a touchstone event in the republican calendar, held annually on the anniversary of IRA Hunger striker Martin Hurson in the tiny republican stronghold of Cappagh in the hills of East Tyrone.

Given the paucity of numbers in attendance as the years have gone by, as the people of Galbally and its hinterland made their feelings known by the sound of their boots walking out the door, Harvey and McGlynn will instead be exploited to make the great and the good of Sinn Fein feel better about themselves. I just hope that those who attend to hear Gerry Kelly tell how the fight of Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn still goes on, while he and his party administer British rule, legitimise the RUC, internment, strip-searching of prisoners and all the rest, take a few moments to consider how Adams, McGuinness, Kearney, O'Muilleoir and co. have disowned everything these lads went out and tried to do in the rush to make themselves yet more acceptable to that same British foe the Volunteers of Tyrone went out and fought to get rid of.

26 comments:

  1. Very well said Sean a cara and as you rightly point out quisling $inn £einds president for life has indeed labeled the struggle and all those who suffered and died for the republican cause as part of a criminal conspiracy,he even went as far as allowing six men to die needlessly to hoist himself up into the lofted position he now thinks he holds, Martybroy O Millionaire the quisling $inn £eind socialist rep for Balmoral is a classic example of how far that party has bent over,along with their chairperson Decciebroy Kearney their outreach programme is more of a castle catholic begging to be accepted in the unionist big house,trying to ride two horses going in two entirely different directions is not working they are making themselves and the few that follow them look even bigger fools than their party president for life. real republicans will remember the sacrifices that so many gave unflinchingly, as Ernie O Malley rightly pointed out and it fits so well when referring to these carpetbaggers "Its easy to lie on another mans wounds "

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  2. Sean was just making a cup o tae and the thought of a previous post came into my head,a poster had mentioned to Anthony a musical theme to that post,and the tune The Grand Olde Duke Of York came into my Head re the quisling $inn £einds march in Castlederg,after all Gerrybroy is a titled brit and he certainly marches his followers up the hill and down again how fitting I thought,I am gonna enjoy my Belfast bap along with my mug which I named big Bob,!

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  3. Sean Bres-

    I will be in Castlederg march this
    sunday to remember and commemorate
    Vol Seamus Harvey and Vol Geard McGlynn and all the Volunteers from Tyrone who fell in action-
    Sinn Fein are now where we are at because men and women went out and fought and killed and in some case's died-I went to Tyrones Volunteer day every year and am not just going now because its fashionable-The Ard Fheis and the main hunger-Strike march change their locations each year and this march is keeping up with that tradition-The Unionists say that they have a right to walk their Queens highway but they don't want us to have that same right-

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  4. Sean,

    great piece. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

    Is it the fact that they are critical of the IRA campaign per se that you find irritating or is it because you believe they do so for opportunist reasons? I have heard O Muilleoir saying a couple of things over the years for which he was hammered but I actually felt he had a point and was showing a bit of courage in saying it. Obviously I fundamentally disagree with him but not on everything he might say. And I always admire it when somebody gives an opinion that is not popular. As we all know from experience, that can bring the thought police to the door.

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  5. Good article. It exposes just how confused the SF position is. They are so confused they think they are actually coherent and that's the funny part of it.

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  6. Seán,
    Very succinctly put. Now that we all understand the depth and breadth of the treachery of Adams and McGuinness, what’s next?

    Marty Millar? Doesn't quite ring with the tone of authority that O'Muilleoir does...I suppose a bit like Francis Ross and Proinsias De Rossa....is that not a British tactic...change the name and loose the history?

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  7. Marty 'O' got a warm reception at a prod school today. Good to see the SF delusion of democratic harmony is on course for their 'border-poll'.

    Must say that was most amusing. His conciliatory/Judas comments obviously having the desired effect....NOT.

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  8. Mickey you admit you's are where you's are because of the efforts of Harvey and McGlynn and others but why then do you let it wash over you when the leadership opportunistically betrays those same efforts by allowing them to be criminalised? Martin Hurson died on Hungerstrike to prove the point that those who engaged the British occupation weren't murderers, weren't criminals. That's what annoys me Anthony to answer your question. Fair enough if Sinn Fein wants to criticise the IRA and move in a different direction, drawing a line in the sand or what have you, but that's not the case. If they done so I mightn't necessarily be happy but I might respect their honesty. Instead they're trying to ride both horses as Marty says.

    They want to condemn the armed struggle when it suits the target audience but then stand among republicans and pipe a different tune. It's sheer hypocrisy, what some might describe as running with the fox while hunting with the hound. Not from the likes of you Mickey, I've no doubt of your honest intention and belief, but from that manipulating shower of gits that would sell their souls to the devil without so much as a second thought. They've lost the trust of the republican people and is it any wonder? Thus this resort to chicanery.

    I too attended Tyrone Volunteers Day on an annual basis so you should know as well as me it was ALWAYS in Cappagh, why the change now? As for the Hungerstrike commemoration it only started to be moved from location to location in the last 4-5 years because Adams and McGuinness were told to get out of Galbally, that they weren't welcome. Next thing you know hey presto, the Hungerstrike Commemoration gets moved to Galbally and Gerry and Martin are soaking up the attention. Funny how the people of Cappagh and Galbally stayed clear of the whole thing, FFS people can read ye's like a book. Deny it all ye want.

    You say the Unionists don't want you's to enjoy the same right to walk the highway but that's not what this is meant to be about, it's meant to be about commemorating Tyrone's IRA Volunteers. Instead we have this circus, all no doubt to make Sinn Fein once again seem like they're actually following some sort of republican agenda when CLEARLY they're not

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  9. Just in terms of what you said Niall I agree one hundred percent. The majority of republicans now recognise the strategic error of the Adams strategy and, whereas before many stayed because they didn't want to split the movement, now people are walking away from the whole thing at an alarming rate for Sinn Fein. Increasingly all they're left with are the paid operators and their SDLP votes. What we must do is provide a credible alternative based on practical republican realities that people can feel comfortable in lending their support to and helping out with - as in the past. Now is the time to establish a solid foundation and to go on from there to mount an effective challenge to the continuing foreign occupation of our country. But patience is the key. We need to educate and re-educate ourselves and in turn return to the republican position

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  10. Sean,

    I think you got it right. There is no sincerity in what they do. Adams and McGuinness would send us back to war in the morning if it suited their agenda and abandon us by nightfall. Difference this time is that we would not listen to a word that would coem out of their mouths.

    And they should always be reminded that if the IRA volunteers were mere murderers then both of them directed a murder campaign and the whole of Irish society has a right to know why.

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  11. A piece that strikes home to us all Sean.

    They try time and again to drag the dead with them down the road of betrayal because the dead can't speak up for themselves.

    They tell those gullible enough to believe them that the struggle goes on. I can only see them struggling to gain the acceptance of Unionism.

    Today we saw Unionists set upon O'Muilleoir like rabid dogs as he tried to pat them on the head.

    When O'Muilleoir condemned IRA actions of the past he was attempting to appease Unionism yet he didn't mention the killing of Jean McConville and the cruelty inflicted on her children. I won't wonder why of course.

    The fact is that many of those who SF claim to be commemorating, including the Hunger Strikers, died not knowing that the likes of Adams and McGuinness were plotting behind their backs to end the struggle. They didn't know but from as far back as the Hunger Strikes the Brits knew.

    One final point: Had the likes of Denis Donaldson not been exposed as a British agent he would have been walking with Adams and McGuinness on Sunday in Monaghan or would have stood by their side in various other so called commemorations.

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  12. Dixie,

    just as you can bet your house on some of those who will be walking with Adams/McGuinness being absolutely in the same bracket as Denis.

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  13. Sean,

    Good piece, I like writing like this that comes straight from the gut. Larry is right SF are all over the place, its political and historical gymnastics sway one way then another.

    One minute they talk like a solid republican the next they utter words which would make even Parnell squirm.

    This outreach work towards Unionism is infantile, the latter do not believe a word of it and why should they. They have their six county state-let set in stone. Once the shinners signed up, all opposition to it is manageable, if the price of that is having some taigs about the place so be it. As long as they do not venture onto their territory.

    The Brits certainly saw SF coming, they drip feed them just enough to keep them inside the tent pissing out.

    The problem the likes of Kearney have, is all their outreach work is aimed at the unionist and loyalist leaderships, thus does not even trickle down to the unionist street. PR powder puffs for both sides, nothing more.

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  14. Sean,

    My understanding is the 11th commemoration is organised jointly by the 1916 Societies and Tyrone NGA (I am open to correction).

    As both are non-party political and welcome all you are right to describe it as 'independent' but they should be given credit for their organisational efforts.

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  15. Talking about bullshit artists,
    James has 18 air fresheners.on Tue he buys 15 more....on Wed he buys another 20...now what does he have..?thats right quisling $inn £eind neighbours.

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  16. Great piece Sean

    Way back before the GFA , SF were on the agenda of taking seats in the carsonite house on the hill, Stormont.

    That was the main objective , Thinking of themselves and fook everyone else , and , as you rightly say, If donaldson was not outed by the brits he would still be standing side by side with the leaders, who knows how many more Donaldson's are still within SF.

    They change everything to get media attention, always have and always will. Talking about Ó Muilleoir , He was chased out of woodvale today, he went to open a new childrens playground, Cops had to escort him back to his car, Loyalists didn't want him there.

    Michaelhenry
    you addmitted that its a queens highway.

    video ofÓ Muilleoir being protect by british cops in woodvale

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  17. Itsjustmacker

    Did you notice Ó Muilleoir said "we always take the advice of the police"

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  18. 'If donaldson was not outed by the brits he would still be standing side by side with the leaders, who knows how many more Donaldson's are still within SF.'

    The entire leadership.

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  19. itsjustmacker-

    " you admitted that its a queens highway "

    Nope-read it again-

    Hope Sean does not mind me writing this down here-
    Just read the Journal AM and Tony Rochford the former hunger-striker for 3 weeks outside the Dail whom you ran a story about is calling for people to help him to block the gates at Leinster house to stop TDs from entering the Dail-his new protest starts in september and so far 595 people have contacted him to say that they would help out at this protest-saying and doing are two different things but it looks like Tony is going to give it a go-

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  20. michaelhenry:

    "The Unionists say that they have a right to walk their Queens highway but they don't want us to have that same right"

    Now, I know you stated "Their Highway", But , You also want that right to walk on the queens highway as well!. No getting around that one, and , don't forget MH, no matter what your sell out party states as its agenda, You are being paid with the queens shilling and sitting in stormont and council chambers were her photograph hangs.
    Remember Mi6 McGuinness shaking that same queens hand, He was over the moon, But when he walked towards the grand old Duke, The Duke done a runner, is that not contempt or what.

    Organized Rage.

    Yes , I did, I'm Thinking of renaming SF, The Donaldson Gang, lol.

    Anthony:

    As Larry stated, "The whole leadership", they should now be having Union Jack hankies flopping from the Suit pockets because they are British to the core, Trained by them to Look in a mirror and speak all the lies you can but keep the same straight face.

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  21. Martbroy O Millionaire the quisling $inn £eind socialist rep for Balmoral for the first time in his involvement with that party put himself in harms way yesterday, a few old dolls ranting merits a trip to hospital for him and nine PSNI/RUC protectors,Martybroy would have shit himself if he had seen the mobs we had to get through to get councillors into Hillsbourough in the 80,s bullet proof vests being the main item of clothing, advice from the RUC "fuck off ya fenian bastards"one lad lost an eye in their RUC supported attacks,yip Martybroy O Millionaire got a taste of the real norn iorn yesterday hell slap it up him as me ma would have said ..loyalism like republicanism is fragmented but as republicans look to the future,loyalists are stuck firmly in their bigoted past and this will remain so when their hatred for their neighbours is pandered to by the bigots in the DUP and the mouthpieces who represent the orange orders who in turn are facilitated by both Westminster and the Dail. the recent events at Ardoyne have proved beyond all doubt that tinkering around with the problem only perpetuates the problem, for the benefit of the people in those areas loyalism in the form of public paid community workers and drug dealers and those arch bigots in the DUP who in turn use them as cannon fodder needs to be faced down and dealt with,the plantation and 1690 are over time to wake up and smell the coffee, unfortunately quisling $inn £eind the gombeen men and women that they are make any chance of reconciliation between these communities as far away as they ever were and as we now can clearly see that suits both the DUP and Q$£ its the only way both parties can keep their tenuous grip on the limited power that they have,therefore what we witnessed yesterday was nothing more than Martybroy O Millionaire playing to the gallery to promote nothing more than Martybroy ,sinn fein is the correct definition for this carpetbagger for sure its himself alone that is how this carpetbagger thinks,

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  22. Seán,
    I have talked to a few current activists within SF, outside of Belfast, and they are extremely unhappy with Adams and McGuinness and their esoteric cadre of informers but don’t see any alternative. They have genuine understandable reasons to continue where they are and of which one of the more common comments being ‘sure what can we do about it?’

    When I probe further on this the one interesting aspect is that they don’t understand at all just how powerful they really are! It never ceases to amaze me their reaction when I point this out to them. It never ceases to amaze me their reaction when I point out that they can say ‘no’, that they can ask ‘why’ and that they can take a decision that runs contrary to the demands of the leadership.

    The current leadership and its success are wholly dependent on the support of the Cumain in the country side and of which whose membership is made up of local people who are not as easily tainted by Adams and McGuinness….All it takes is for one Cumain, just one, to say no and the rest will follow……..who and how would Adams and McGuinnes replace a local Cumain with?

    It is local people who vote for their local Cumain representative because they live beside them……Adams and McGuinness don’t vote them in…the local people do.

    Seán, I believe that an external alternative will only lead to multiple choice options that would lead to further fragmentation…..the degree of dissatisfaction with the leadership is strong and it is itself waiting for leadership…..go in and work within and hold the movement together and teach the current activists to simply say ‘NO’ and maybe someday soon their voices will be strong and loud enough to call for a change of leadership. All it takes is for one domino to topple the rest. You can be a member of SF and at the same time ignore its leadership!!! Make them come to you and answer your questions for they are dependent on you while you are not on them.

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  23. Nial

    Are you not fighting over the ownership of sheep?

    I've seen the SF general membership in recent years. I wouldn't touch them with a shitty stick. (excuse the pun).

    What would you hope to achieve with that shower?

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  24. Niall a cara I dont mean to be dismissive of your comment in any arrogant manner as it may seem a cara, but I think you dont have a clue how quisling $inn £eind works,granted if it worked in the democratic manner which you pointed out then working from within the party would indeed have a lot of merit ,but alas a cara in the real world of politics and especially Q$£ its not in the least like that, for example 1986 abstention debate and the subsequent Ard Fheis which saw the downfall of Ruairi O Bradaigh the delegates at that in many cases were from non existent (on paper only) cummann and comhairle ceantair ,you must understand that this party survived and surfaced on the back of the armed struggle,where secrecy was paramount, and those in leadership held dual roles the clique and family system and the sheer cronyism within the party leaves it with an incurable cancer which no amount of cutting will cure ,the alternative is as Sean and others are suggesting is a whole new beginning without the carpetbaggers of quisling $inn £eind .

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  25. We've all seen how in recent years the Adamsites have turned their so called Hunger Strike commemorations into a series of pantomime acts supposedly depicting The Struggle.

    Last Sunday in Monaghan one of these acts had various actors posing like tiers on a wedding cake. There was a Pike man, someone supposedly as Pearse reading the Proclamation, a IRA man from the War of Independence, a rioter, a Blanket Man and recent IRA volunteers with a large photo on top of Seanna Walsh reading the surrender message from what remained of the IRA leadership.

    Sickening and shameless.

    However last night a video was brought to my attention of the speeches and at the end there was a 'flame of freedom' being passed along a line from the Pikeman down through the above list to the actors depicting the recent IRA volunteers.

    Beforehand a sculpture was unveiled of a fist holding what was supposed to be a 'torch of freedom'. The torch was so out of proportion in relation to the size of the fist that it looked more like a large joint being held aloft.

    The 'flame of freedom' was then passed on to some SF Senator called Kathryn Reilly who lit the large joint.

    In fact the sculpture looked exactly like one of Kenny Everett's giant hands.

    A link to Kennys hand...

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/collections/bbc_collection/collection_archive_progs.shtml


    Just how low will they sink in trying to hijack the dead?

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  26. Alarge joint or spliff would be perfectly in keeping Dixie a cara as the illegal importation of both the weed and tobacco products were the mainstay of the movements finances and a lot of dosh was was made ,the proof is in the property portfolios of the few well placed tsars,this was paramount in the days preceding the Nortern Bank handout ask filter tip aka Hop Along who was head importer before becoming a big noise in restorative justice.it seem to me a spliffing good idea to have such a truthful monument ,

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