Who's listening to Bertie?

A Chairde,

The man they don't call Ahern has taken to advising nationalist voters in the Six Counties - probably just part of the courtship of Harney and the Rottweiler. But once again standards are being applied exclusively (a variation of that exclusion word again) to Sinn Féin.

If people should vote only for parties which are solely dedicated to democratic peaceful policies then that rules out the UUP (Trimble's threat of Drumcree mark III), the PUP and UDP (UVF and UDA bombing attempts) and the DUP (for very obvious reasons). Across the water the Tories stand accused of inflicting grievious bodily harm on the peace process and cruel and inhumane treatment of Irish political prisoners, including a seven stone, seven months pregnant woman.

43% of northern nationalists know exactly who and what they voted for and are perfectly capable of making an informed choice come election time. Here in the South, for a real republican choice we know who and who not to vote for.

Máire Ní Mhuircheartaigh,
Dublin.

Well done, Ringo

A Chairde,

May I have a few lines of your fine paper to say that our group here on Staten Island, IPPCH (Irish Political Prisoners' Children's Holiday) committee member, Bill ``Ringo'' Reilly, has been quite jubilant about his elected position as grand marshal of the Staten Island St. Patrick's Day parade.

For many a year, Ringo has transported the children to and from the airport in his little yellow school bus. He has been a true courageous outspoken friend of Irish freedom for years.

So congrats to Ringo, the laughing and singing school bus driver.

Colleen A. Murtha,
Staten Island,
USA.

Information wanted

A chairde,

Corkman Tomás Mac Cormaic is currently researching a book on the lives of the men whose names appear on the Roll of Honour of the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Brigades of the IRA during the Tan and Civil Wars. Information is also sought on those killed in isolated incidents in subsequent years.

Specific information sought includes dates of birth, education and employment of the Volunteers, any details on their families, safe houses, arms dumps, etc., whether they were members of other national organisations, such as the GAA, Conradh na Gaeilge, Sinn Féin, etc, and how they became involved in the struggle for independence. Their ranks and activities during that period of armed struggle would also be appreciated.

He would also like to speak with the men's descendants to determine if they have any items of interest which could be photographed for the book.

Tomás Mac Cormaic can be contacted at 021 385652/311389 or you can contact me at the number below.

Sinn Féin Councillor Cionnaith O Suilleabhain
023 34569

Thanks for uncensored news

I am just writing to say thank you for providing myself and the thousands of other students here in the USA access to uncensored and reliable Irish news on a weekly basis anytime I/we log on to the internet.

In the midst of all the false reports and propaganda that we constantly receive on a daily basis here about the happenings in Ireland, your committed staff allow us to receive the truth when otherwise we would never receive it.

Yakub D. Mujaahid
University of Toledo

Taxis and hackneys

A Chairde,

I am instructed to write to you regarding the front page and page seven of An Phoblacht (27 February 1997).

Members of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation are incensed at the reference to the headline ``Taxi firm supplies drugs'' and ``Taxi firm at centre of drugs network''.

I wish to state emphatically that no taxi company is involved in transporting drugs or drug pushers and that no protest march took place at any taxi office within the Dublin taximeter area. (15 miles radius of GPO).

Eamonn Murphy,
Secretary,
Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation.

Busy RUC

A Chairde,

The RUC claim to be an impartial police force. Why is it then that they found the need to drive from their station in the mixed village of Glenarm (where loyalists have decorated the streets with Union Jacks and painted kerbstones) to the mainly nationalist village of Carnlough to remove one tricolour. That sounds quite partial to me.

Carnlough Resident