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18 January 2007 Edition

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Letter to the Taoiseach BY BARRY McELDUFF

BARRY McELDUFF

BARRY McELDUFF

Were you pleased at the outcome of the Great Southern Hotel meeting?  Really? 

I am a bit concerned that people like Hugh Orde are a bit too quick to offer political commentary.  He said something about “money sucking enquiries” which is a bit of an intrusion that would need to be watched.

The Sinn Féin leadership is good at looking to the future.  On a personal level, I don’t always feel so sure-footed or confident about the future.  It’s the unknown, you see.  Do you remember what Bobby Sands said on his first day on hunger strike in 1981? — ’Standing at the threshold of a trembling world’.

Something new, a sort of a transformation is happening.  People are being asked to recalibrate their minds on the question of policing in the North.Do you understand the scale or significance of what is being contemplated? My mind takes me back to fairly recent roadside encounters in rural parts of Tyrone, eleven o’clock at night, and a red light coming out of the ditch.  ‘Mississippi Burning’ wouldn’t have a look in.

“Name? Address? Coming from? Going to?   Empty your pockets.   I’m now going to conduct a search of your hair for munitions and transmitters. Section 15 of the Emergency Powers Act.”  (RUC member)

“That’ll not be happening.” (Fenian)

“Remove your shoes.   I’ve reason to believe that the letter ‘X’ on your rear number plate may be less wide in the centre than the regulatory 54 millimetres.  Could you empty the contents of your GAA bag out onto the road?  Have you any ID?  But you’re not Irish, you’re British.  You’re a member of the Tyrone National Graves, aren’t you?  Youse keep organising the graves and we’ll keep filling them.  I’ve reason to believe that you may have been transporting explosives.  Step into that plastic suit.  A forensic scientist will be along shortly.  You are for Gough.  The Secretary of State has authorised your further detention for another 24 hours.” (RUC member)

“He’d have bother.  Is he not in Washington on a trade mission?” (Fenian)

“Is it true that if youse Catholics want to go out with a girl, youse have to ask permission from the Bishop?  Open your boot and bonnet!  What’s this here?  I’m going to seize this, here.  Sign this, will you?  I have to inform you that we have been notified that your life may be in imminent danger.”  (RUC member)

“To tell you the truth, it is yourselves I’d be more worried about.” (Fenian)

 What do you do for a living?  (RUC member)

“Technically unemployed.  But I work fulltime in a voluntary capacity for Sinn Féin.  (Fenian)

Are you one of these peace-boyos?  When peace comes, I know the door to go to.  I’ll be going to your door and I’ll be taking you out using this rifle, here. (RUC member)

“I suggest that you should perhaps diversify in terms of career planning.  Have you got a prospectus from Omagh College or the Training Centre?” (Fenian)

Taoiseach, I know you’ve heard of RUC attacks on funerals, collusion, CS gas and plastic bullets.  But do you understand how they have viewed us and we them on country roads? Did you get to see The Wind that Shakes the Barley? 

In some communities, the shops didn’t and do not serve them.  The people “didn’t even ignore them” and in the scale of acknowledgement, that ranked very low indeed.

In Castlederg, at this time, the PSNI is arresting young male nationalists and curfewing them on all kinds of spurious grounds.  I’ve told your colleagues at the Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast about all of this.  Perhaps, you could take a look at this yourself?  Would you come to Castlederg sometime?

Is mise le meas

Barry McElduff


NB - Bertie Ahern can be contacted on (00353) 1 6194020 or email [email protected].  Address: Office of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Dublin 2


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