Sir, – Given Martin McGuinness’s new-found loyalty to the State, perhaps he can now assist the gardaí in identifying the Provisional IRA killers of my father, Pte Patrick Kelly and Gda Gary Sheehan, murdered during the rescue of the kidnapped Don Tidey on December 16th, 1983.
My father was a proud member of Óglaigh na hÉireann, who after having served on three tours of duty in the Lebanon and one in Cyprus was killed doing his duty to this State, in a forest outside Ballinamore in Co Leitrim, by so-called fellow Irishmen who dared to call themselves patriots.
To add to the pain and suffering endured by his family left behind, Provisional Sinn Féin has continuously denied the PIRA’s responsibility for the murders, and instead spread malicious rumours to the effect that the deaths on that fateful day were a result of a “friendly fire” incident. In case anyone is in any doubt, we the Kelly family have seen the post mortem results under the Freedom of Information Act and it indeed confirms that the bullets used to kill Paddy were fired from illegal weapons used by the kidnap gang. Fact.
So after everything we have endured it is devastating for us to see Mr McGuinness, a leading member of the PIRA terrorist movement of many years to make an opportunistic and insensitive bid for the Irish presidency, which includes the titular title commander and chief of the Irish Defence Forces.
We all want a peaceful, prosperous future, but we demand that Mr McGuinness gives Paddy and Gary the justice they deserve by revealing the identities of the killers (believed to be Maze prison escapees) who were comrades of his.
We demand the information now so that, even post the Belfast Agreement and the time that has elapsed, we can achieve successful prosecutions for the murder of two true peacemakers and patriots, not in the future as part of any truth and reconciliation committee, but now; and we make no apologies for it.
Over to you now Mr McGuinness, the ball is firmly in your court. We, Paddy Kelly’s family await your response with much anticipation that justice can finally be done for Paddy and Gary, two brave servants of this State. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – David Kelly has done his father proud confronting Martin McGuinness (Home News, October 11th) and has also sent out a message that many people want put on record.
Gardaí and soldiers, who risked their lives to protect this country and its people, were murdered by the IRA. We owe these slain heroes, like David’s late father Pte Patrick Kelly, a significant debt.
In particular, their sacrifice should not be disregarded or, in any way, minimised.
Martin McGuinness has adopted a cowardly way of dealing with the past. While this tactic suits him, it is a great injustice to heroes such as the late Pte Kelly. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – There is a new, regrettable tendency to reclassify the men and women who fought for Irish freedom as “terrorists” in the contemptuous American sense. Once we were proud of them.
This current fashion is a new national self-injury – as if we had not already injured ourselves enough! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Nothing better illustrates our servility as a nation than the lack of debate on Dana’s US citizenship. Most countries won’t let the citizen of another country own a national newspaper, let alone run for president.
If Dana had sworn allegiance to China, or even France, there would undoubtedly be a major scandal that she had been allowed to stand as a candidate, but because she is a US citizen, it somehow doesn’t seem to matter all that much.
The unstated assumption is that we are already merely an aircraft carrier for the US, economically and ideologically, a willing Yankee Trojan Horse within the wicked EU, so full of Johnny Foreigners.
It makes Dana’s obsessive concern for the encroachment of our sovereignty from Brussels even more ridiculous. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I see that poor Fianna Fáil’s delusions continue unabated. Gavin Gregan (October 11th) says that they “have humbly taken the medicine that was not ours to take” and that he finds it hard to digest that “to have ever been a member of Fianna Fáil should be a slight on your character”.
Let me give him some home truths that may help his recollection. Fianna Fáil sold this country down the river and worshipped at the altar of unfettered greed and corruption and has presided over the greatest economic wasteland in the short history of our State. Anyone who was a member of Fianna Fáil during this period is undeniably tainted and should take whatever medicine is given to them – whether they take it humbly or not is not my concern.
Mr Gallagher was a member of the national executive during this period of time so, yes it is a slight on his character. As Euripides said “One can judge a man by the company he keeps”, so I’ll be judging Mr Gallagher and the rest of the candidates on that measure. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – I was surprised to see a respectable newspaper like The Irish Times publish the correspondence from Lou Gogan (October 10th). There is nothing like a Sinn Féin rise in the polls to bring out the utter lunacy in some people. Having read and listened to the rantings of many recently, to compare Sinn Féin’s rise to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis really takes the biscuit. When one also considers that those ranting the loudest and longest are based in a country founded on piles of dead bodies and Civil War atrocities, the hypocritical nature of such rantings is truly exposed.
It would appear that democracy is fine for some – as long as Sinn Féin is not successful. – Is mise,
Sir, – Máire Nic Mhaoláin (October 11th) confesses to having nothing better to do than to correct people's Latin. At the risk of being labelled a pedant, ius solisdoes indeed translate as right of the sun. The concept of ius soli, as opposed to ius sanguinus, translates approximately as right of the soil and can result in citizenship being granted to a person born within certain territorial borders. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Long before the starting gun, many commentators asked us to consider if we were ready for another Mary in the Park? To be otherwise interpreted as “Thanks girls, but we can take it from here”! Since then a more sinister attitude from sections of the media has emerged.
While all candidates have been closely scrutinised, an essential and predicted aspect of putting yourself forward, only one candidate has been tagged with an offensive nickname.
The term “quango queen” is toxic; its use by the media against Ms Davis coincides with criticism of her appearance in her posters resulting in an unprecedented and sexist attack, which has overshadowed any attempt to showcase her positive qualities. No candidate should be subjected to such treatment.
The real question now is what can the media do to reverse this unwarranted attack? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I was taken aback when we received Gay Mitchell’s presidential campaign literature in the post on Monday. My husband received a flyer focusing on the economy while mine referred to his childhood and his experiences as a volunteer with a charity!
Am I beyond being spoken to about the “economy” and has my husband no concern about “children” and “community”. Why have we been stereotyped by Mr. Mitchell? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Dana is reported as being disgusted at media intrusion into her family affairs – as if any of us had any interest in her private family affairs. The issue is that she is now a naturalised US citizen and as such had to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the USA and to “absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen”.
She has tried to dismiss this oath as a mere technicality but that does not create confidence that she would take her oath of office as Irish president any more seriously. She states that her US citizenship could be an advantage in furthering relationships with the US, but seems quite unaware that it could also damage our relationships with our EU partners.
Her attitude seems to confirm an impression that she is more in tune with the US religious right than with an essentially secular European project. The EU may not be exactly flavour of the month in Ireland right now, but that is where our future is bound, for better or worse, in line with our Treaty obligations. With the Irish Government set for some difficult negotiations with our EU partners in the coming years, do we really want a President Dana to join President Václav Klaus in the eurosceptic camp within the EU? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – On October 28th I will celebrate my 83rd birthday. Born in Co Monaghan, I grew up in Dundalk and emigrated to the US in 1955 where I spent the rest of my working life in the airline business, during which time I had the great honour of escorting President Childers by air from San Francisco to Phoenix, Arizona. He was visiting a family member and I spent two days in his company. He was a gentleman and treated everyone with dignity and respect.
All of my life I have had cousins living in the Bogside in Derry. I do not think I have to tell you or your readers what kind of life it was. They were Catholic and discriminated against all through their school and working years.
During those awful times their closest neighbour was Martin McGuinness who was always a friend. At the time when he was regarded as the most wanted man by the British, my aunt often left food on her window sill for him, which he managed to pick up at night. My beautiful aunt died during this time and on the day of her burial this man who is presently being denigrated by so many columnists and failed politicians, appeared at her graveside to say his last goodbye to her.
Prior to her death she had suffered the trauma of having a plastic or rubber bullet smash through her bathroom window while she was washing her face. That was a British weapon at that time.
I would like to ask how many of those opposing Mr McGuinness in his quest would have had the courage to live as he did and does? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – In 2003, President McAleese greeted the Tyrone and Armagh football teams on the Croke Park red carpet as a prelude to the All-Ireland final. Despite all 31 people on that red carpet being Irish citizens (along with thousands of their supporters) none of them, including President McAleese, are entitled to vote in an Áras election. – Yours, etc,