Boston history project
Sir, – Despite an avalanche of evidence to the contrary, Danny Morrison (May 21st) continues to argue that he did not bring in a British offer when he visited Long Kesh on Sunday, July 5th, 1981. Here’s what Brendan Duddy (the trusted intermediary between the British government and the Adams/Morrison committee) had to say about the events of July 5th, 1981, in an interview with journalist Brian Rowan at a conference in West Belfast in 2009:
Rowan: “So you scribbled the offer down?”
Duddy: “Yes.”
Rowan: “You then communicated it to the republican leadership?”
Duddy: “Yes.”
Rowan: “I think your . . . your sort of test, which was to get someone into the prison on the Sunday?”
Duddy: (pointing to Danny Morrison in audience): “Him.”
Speaking directly to Mr Morrison, Mr Duddy went on to say: “And I am totally happy that you were well aware of what was being said and what was on offer and so forth.”
A video-recording exists of this conference and what Mr Duddy said about these seminal events. But could he have made it any plainer? Demonstrably, Mr Morrison was well aware of what was on offer before he went into the prison on July 5th, 1981. Is he now admitting that he did not relate the offer to the prison leadership and the hunger strikers? If not, why not? Considering that it was their lives on the line, were the hunger strikers not entitled to know what Mr Duddy had relayed to Mr Morrison and his IRA committee?
Mr Morrison also says: 'Nor were these claims made in the original text of Mr O’Rawe’s book, the manuscript of which he brought to me at my home around 1999.'
Again, Mr Morrison is factually incorrect. I brought a manuscript entitled Boyos to him in 1999, but this was a biography of my childhood in the Falls Road area of Belfast and the narrative ended on August 15th, 1969. In fact, I did not begin writing Blanketmen until late 2001. Why Mr Morrison should remember something that did not happen is a matter of conjecture. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD O’RAWE,
Glen Road,
Belfast.
This YouTube video shows the particular exchange that Richard O'Rawe refers to in his letter.
ReplyDeleteA very powerful letter from Richard, curt and to the point, he is not asking people to take his word alone, but also Brendan Duddy's, whose word as far as I am aware no one has ever challenged.
ReplyDeleteI await Danny Morrison's reply with interest.
Pissing into the wind Richard a cara Bangers and the rest of those scumbags are well aware of the truth surrounding those dark days,they will never admit that they were complicit in the deaths of those brave men,and who knows how may more, they will forever like their president for life deny the truth ,what else do you expect, their biggest mistake is that they think if they spout their crap long enough and often enough,people like yourself will get fed up responding,thats their hope,and even though they themselves will never accept the truth keep throwing it back at them a cara .
ReplyDeletedanny, what have you to say to this.i mean its on the video. come on, say something. and have you got the missing comm or do you know where it is?
ReplyDeleteSquealer Morrison threw a crew making a documentary about the Thatcher Documents out of his house after the interviewer produced the offer which was amended in Thatchers own hand writing and the July 1981 Atkins communique to Thatcher which referred to certain members of PIRA who wished to bring about 'an end to the current terrorist campaign'.
ReplyDeleteSquealer accused them of trying to ambush him. Surely if he had nothing to hide then he wouldn't be capable of being ambushed?
Dixie,
ReplyDeletewhat else would Bangers say of course they were out to ambush him? That is why he agreed and invited them into his home setting himself up for ambush, what a yarn.
You would think if he was confident he would have challenged it and explained it or better still would be able to rubbish the claim.
I suppose being asked fair questions amounts to being ambushed I doubt he will be inviting any news crews into his house again unless they are SF friendly and have no interest in the truth.
Nice one Danny but the hunger strike narrative unlike the news crew is not going away.