The Courage of A Child

Tonight The Pensive Quill carries a report from guest writer Helen McClafferty on the ongoing detention of political prisoner, Gerry McGeough.

Mr. Eamon O'Cuiv of the Fianna Fail party along with Gerry McGeough's daughter, Una McGeough, and members of The Free Gerry McGeough campaign from northeast Ireland, held a press conference in Dublin on Thursday, April 5th. The press conference was reported in the Irish Times.

In addition to the press conference, letters of support for McGeough's release were sent from Monsignor Raymond Murray, Fr. Des Wilson of Conway Mill, Fr. Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus, Pat Ramsey, MLA of the SDLP, Alban Maginness MLA (SDLP).

The Free Gerry McGeough campaign is focused on the immediate release of Gerry McGeough and having outstanding issues with regards to paragraph 20 of the Weston Park Accord (2001) implemented fully through legislation and in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.

Had paragraph 20 been implemented as agreed, Gerry would never have been pursued or incarcerated in Maghaberry prison.

The Good Friday Agreement will have been signed 14 years ago, this Tuesday, the 10th April. At this stage of the peace process, no-one should be pursued or sentenced for activities prior to the signing of that agreement.

Across Ireland, 2,119,549 people voted in favour of peace. No government and no political party, for whatever reason, has a right to undermine the democratic wish of those people.

Yet here, in Dublin, 14 years into the peace process, Una, an 11 year old child, still in primary school, who was not born when the peace agreements were signed, stood at a press conference today asking for her father to be brought home to his family.

It was Gerry's daughter Una’s wish to speak at today’s press conference. She asked to speak on behalf of her family, her brothers Cormac and Lorcan, her sister Nora and her parents Gerry and Maria.
Una showed great courage in what she did today. Those people, within government, whose responsibility it is to ensure a genuine peace, now need to show that same courage.

There will be a benefit for the McGeough Family on Saturday, May 19th at O'Lunney's Times Square Pub 145 W. 45th Street (btwn Broadway & 6th Ave) NYC.  Entertainment and complementary buffet. Cash bar.  Admission $20.00.

You can purchase your tickets in advance (or at the door).   Please come out to support this benefit for Gerry McGeough's wife and 4 children.

           Helen McClafferty                                       Tim Myles                                   
     mcclafferty32@yahoo.com                         timtam614@aolcom                          
               (201) 372-0333                                         516-660-7456

7 comments:

  1. Such a brave little girl, but, the sad thing is, its about time the shinners and those in dail Eireann got off their Backside and Realised they have all been dupped by the Brits, but, then again, they know they have, because, they are part of it, I wonder were SF would be if all Republicans Voted for SDLP, or, someone from the DUP!.
    I would not like todays children to go through that which the children of the 60s/70s and 80s had to go through, furthermore, , I believe there are more guns owned by Hoods than The R.I.R.A, the spooks have seen to that, Any person who is still incarcerated for (So Called Offences) prior to the GFA, Should be released forthwith, and SF had better get its act together for an onslaught of vote deprevation, if they do not step into this misjustice, mistreatment of there own ex comrades.
    Sorry if this offends anyone, I have always spoken my mind, and, will do, untill the day i die, and, if the shinner spies had there way, it would be now.

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  2. Itsjustmacker,

    thought you might findthis interesting.

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  3. From Helen McClafferty:

    Boston College, McGeough, Etc. by Civil and Human Rights Activist B. B. Bandy

    They are maintaining that no individual has any paramount argument that outweighs a treaty between two sovereign nations. (In theory the nations are supposedly concerned with the good of all, of the mass public, as opposed to an individual.) However, I would argue that the government parties to a treaty must be expected to have entered that agreement in good faith.

    What we are seeing, in this action, in Gerry McGeough's case, and elsewhere, are multiple attacks to circumvent and subvert the Good Friday Accord. It is NOT in the interest of the general publics involved to destroy the peace. It is not in the interest of the United States to be manipulated, by misapplication of a cooperative treaty, in a way that leads back into reopening war, and in chewing up any protections foreigners have found on our shores.

    The goodwill felt in the U.S. for the U.K. has been built up out of an appropriate alliance in World War II, but since then fostered culturally by bias slipped into media, posturing the British as upstanding, and the Irish as not as important or (wrongfully) as lower class. A century ago there was bias in the U.S. against the Irish, and that has not entirely disappeared. The British cloak themselves in an atmosphere of glamour, tradition, Christian ethics, and intelligence --- which at times has been deserved -- but then again at other times has been badly lacking, lethally for some of the Irish. Does any sensible person really want to bring back those days? Cannot Ireland be allowed to rebuild herself -- the ENTIRE island -- in peace?

    This entire situation with Boston College has been done: to target individuals (e.g. Gerry Adams), to destroy the protections surrounding the research -- so it can be raided again, or conversely, downplayed, whichever becomes convenient -- and to turn the U.S. into a longer reach of Britain. And if the U.S. is a pushover, one it goes through, it may prove impossible to undo. This situation requires great care.

    The court will focus on immediate implications, legal applicability, legal precedent. But the whole matter is being used for something OUTSIDE of legal applicability. In a courtroom it is difficult to demonstrate intention, future implication, the purpose behind a ploy, or where we will stand afterwards. It takes foresight as well as legal sensitivity and extensive experience. A mistake here may well prove to be a pitfall for this nation, as well as deadly for the individuals most directly involved.

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  4. Itsjustmacker,

    ‘I believe there are more guns owned by Hoods than The RIRA, the spooks have seen to that.’

    Something to think about there now. If true it shows just how much things have stayed the same.

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  5. AM

    That link is very interesting, I wonder how many are at BC, Queens, etc.

    The Guns are supplied by the Brits/PSNI/MI5/6 for the hoods to do what they want.

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  6. From Helen McClafferty

    Letter to Martin McGuinness Regarding OSCE Conference

    Dear Mr McGuinness:


    The Free Gerry McGeough Campaign are aware that you shall be in attendance at the OSCE Conference in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Friday 27th April to discuss Building and Sustaining Peace and that the Irish Peace Process is being used as a case study.


    As this is an international conference with representatives from 56 participating OSCE states in attendance, perhaps it would be an excellent opportunity for you, as Deputy First Minister to speak about how the Irish Peace Process has benefited so many of our people. You could then follow up on this by telling the OSCE representatives how the British Government actually operates within the occupied counites. Let the world know how the British Government has once again dishonoured their peace agreements with the Irish people. Raise awareness of the plight in which Gerry McGeough and his family find themselves in an attempt by the British Government to silence their political opponents. Tell them all about Marian Price, her solitary confinement, her state of health. Martin Corey's internment without trial. Then there is the case regarding the Boston College Subpoenas. Enlighten them also about the ever so compassionate Justice Minister David Ford.


    I could surely write much more about British oppression in Ireland, fourteen years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, but I don't need to include the full the details in this letter. You yourself Martin, know exactly what is happening and how the British Government and their Unionist allies are undermining the Irish Peace Process.

    I think this would be a wonderful opportunity, one that should not be missed, to really embarrass the British Government and bring an end to the suffering and injustice inflicted upon so many Irish families today.

    Martin, I know you can do this and I await your reply in writing.


    I would also appreciate Martin if you could sign our petition using the link below and encourage your family and friends to do likewise. Thank you.





    Damian Herron
    Free Gerry McGeough Campaign

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  7. HI Helen a cara,re Damians letter to Martyboy,"you yourself Martin know exactly what is happening and how the british government and their unionist allies are undermining the Irish Peace Process" you could add here Damian ably aided and abetted by qsf, mind you I for one would love to know more about this "Irish Peace Process"and I,m sure people like Marian Price, Tony Taylor,Martin Corey and Gerry McGeough would as well.

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