ENGLISH QUEEN’S STATE VISIT TO IRELAND | TIMING ON ANNIVERSARY OF DUBLIN/MONAGHAN BOMBINGS ‘INSENSITIVE’

Sinn Féin to stage alternative events

SINN FÉIN will be organising a number of ‘alternative’ events, including celebrations of republicanism, when the English queen arrives for a four-day state visit to Ireland on May 17th. But the party will not be involved in demonstrations that could be hijacked by elements opposed to the Peace Process or intent on ‘recreational rioting’.
The party has urged anyone organising protests to ensure they are peaceful. There are fears that any street demonstrations with the potential for confrontation could end in a repeat of the ‘Love Ulster’ clashes with gardaí five years ago.
Violence could be provoked either by hooligan elements who just want to ‘have a go at the cops’ or agents provocateurs, people like ‘The Secret Policeman’ Mark Kennedy, the British police officer exposed this year after infiltrating protest groups and who was active in Dublin and Mayo. Any violence would distract attention from issues such as the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, the anniversary of which occurs at the very start of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Dublin.
On May 17th 1974, 34 people were killed and almost 300 injured - the biggest loss of life in one day in ‘The Troubles’ - when the UVF planted bombs in Dublin and Monaghan.
Three years ago, the Dáil passed an all-party motion calling on the British Government “to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all the original documents which are held by the British Government relating to the atrocities that occurred in this jurisdiction”. The British Government - “Her Majesty’s Government” - has so far ignored this direct call from the Dáil.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD has described the timing of the visit as “premature” and “insensitive”.
Mary Lou McDonald, TD for Dublin Central, has echoed his view:
“The visit will cause great offence to many Irish citizens, particularly to those who have lost loved ones at the hands of the British state forces in Ireland.
“The timing, on the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, is particularly insensitive. It is widely believed that this attack, involving the greatest loss of life of any incident in the conflict, was carried out with the involvement of British Intelligence.
“To date, no files on this atrocity have been released despite the passing of an all-party Dáil motion calling on the British Government ‘to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British Government relating to the atrocities inquired into by Judge Barron’.
“No action has been taken since this Dáil motion was passed in 2008.
“The only victims group in the 26 Counties, Justice for the Forgotten, has had its funding discontinued. This cut was implemented by Fianna Fáil and looks unlikely to be lifted by the new Fine Gael/Labour Party Government.
“These parties have no problem with the visit of the British queen but yet they are refusing to fund Justice for the Forgotten or progress the unanimous Dáil resolution.
“Sinn Féin wants to see normal relationships between Ireland and Britain and have been in the leadership of trying to achieve this. Such relationships, however, must be based on equality and mutual respect and the ending of partition in Ireland.”
The English queen is scheduled to visit Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Kildare.