14 July 2005 Edition

Resize: A A A Print

Litreacha - Letters

London Bombings

A chara,

The London bombings remind me of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, where inncoent civilians were deliberately targeted at bus stops without any attempt at warning. My friend, Eddie O'Neill, was seriously injured and his father was killed. We should also remember the thousands of innocent civilians killed in Iraq and palestine by US, British and Isreali forces. This is making the terrorists stronger.

Sean Marlow,

Dublin

Francis Drake Monument

A Chara,

In media's coverage of the damage to the Francis Drake Monument in Cork, all of the reports that I have read neglected to mention details of his activities in Ireland.

It seems forgotten that in 1575, Francis Drake along with John Norris participated in a bloody massacre on Rathlin Island. This massacre of mainly women, children and the elderly seeking refuge on Rathlin, was the Srebrenica of its day in Ireland. This deliberate targeting of the helpless still stands as one of the most terrible massacres in Irish history, and would today be deemed a warcrime.

Commemoration of historical figures should be done in an objective manner. Whatever about Francis Drakes role in the English navy, the Irish experince of his activities were far from positive.

Is mise,

P Mac F

An MhĂ­.

Scallop Fishermen

Dear Editor,

Congratulations to the Scallop fishermen of the southeast on thier bold action of today June 6th.

This small group of fishermen who have developed thier fishery and improved thier boats, many with the incouragement of the Depart of the Marine, took drastic action to try and save thier livelyhoods and bring attention to thier plight by the only action that would grab the attention of an uncaring government.

The Department of the Marine are supposed to be charged with the development of the Irish fishing industry but appear to be more intent on the destruction of the industry, hoping that it will go away quietly. For years fishing communities have been fed a diet of an uncaring EU which is the cause of our woes but in reality it is a department that lacks vision and the political will to attempt to secure a fair deal for our communities.

Even at this late stage a government that would enter into meaningfull negotiations with our EU neighbours, could have huge benefits for all fishing communities and help regenerate declining communities along the west and south coasts. The EU has benefitted hugely from the national resource off our coast, far more than the value of structural funds and CAP payments, which we have been told we should have been grateful to receive.

The blockade of Rosslare should be a clarion call to all fishing communities to fight in a way that will make Ireland plc. take notice and try and provide a future for all fishing commuinties.

Cllr. Thomas Pringle

Killybegs, Co. Donegal

Free the Rossport 5

I would hope that the actions of shell in county Mayo in recent weeks will help awaken the people of Ireland to the evils of capitalism and show that socialism is the only way forward for our people. I'm absolutely disgusted but not surprised that the Irish government gave the Shell/Statoil corporations a free hand to do what they may even on privately owned land without the consent of the people.

Under socialism the people come first and foremost but the capitalist Dublin regime looks out for corporations and multi-billion euro conglomerates first and the people are at the bottom of the priority list. This company is taking Irish natural resources and then plan on selling it back to the people at market price. A deal initiated by the notoriously corrupt minister Ray Burke and finalized by Bertie's government. I would have thought it better to control this reserve ourselves so that the money could feed back into our health and education systems but what do I know.

The shell group is controlled mostly by the Norwegians who own 60% and the other 40% belong to the British whose board of directors are made up mostly of a gaggle of lords and sir's. It seems they are just carrying out a long tradition in Ireland with the kidnapping and imprisonment of innocent Irish citizens with the use of their puppets in the Dublin government and the corrupt Garda.

It's time for the people of Ireland to take a stand against Bertie and Mcdowell and the rest of the back scratchers and brown envelope brigade.

FREE THE ROSSPORT 5

M. Nelson

Belfast


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland