Comments on The Pensive Quill: Just Go Home

From Helen McClafferty: Éamon Ó Cuiv TD Speaking At The Gerry McGeough Justice Campaign Ballad Session 2012

Please write to our public reps. and our papers as...

2012-10-19T11:11:19.629+01:00

Please write to our public reps. and our papers asking Gerry be released for Christmas.
Please ask too just why,9 months from the sentencing of Brian Shivers, Marian McGlinchey has not been dealt with and she remains in administrative detention at the pleasure of the British Secretary of State.

My blood boils in this old frail body, It boils be...

2012-10-19T01:07:47.244+01:00

My blood boils in this old frail body, It boils because those who sit in a British run Stormont "PSF"
Who can do nothing nor say nothing , in real terms for Comrades who are still incarcerated by Internment, I atribute this to PSF.

Mise Éire:
Sine mé ná an Chailleach* Bhéarra
Mór mo ghlóir:
Mé a rug Cú Chulainn cróga.

Mór mo náir:
Mo chlann féin a dhíol a máthair.

Mór mo phian:
Bithnaimhde do mo shíorchiapadh.

Mór mo bhrón:
D'éag an dream inar chuireas dóchas.

Mise Éire:
Uaigní mé ná an Chailleach* Bhéarra.

I wonder who long there 30 pieces of silver shall last.

From Helen McClafferty: Gerry would like to thank...

2012-10-18T19:32:08.844+01:00

From Helen McClafferty:

Gerry would like to thank Pat Ramsey and Emmet Doyle for theirvisit to Maghaberry today. Gerry was ingood form and his spirits high. Hethanks everyone for their continued enormous support and encourages everyone tocontinue to speak out against the injustices perpetrated by the BritishGovernment against him, Marian Price and Martin Corey.

Helen if somebody allegedly tried to whack me .I,d...

2012-10-17T10:19:47.726+01:00

Helen if somebody allegedly tried to whack me .I,d be pretty upset about it to hon,and being ginger would not like to be responsible for what happened next,however in saying that Bush is not hounding Gerry in some form of personal vendetta I believe it is part of the bigots in the dup plan to humiliate republicans for having dared to stand up to never mind question the orange supremacy,they are ably aided and abetted by ex ruc and securocrats in the intelligence services and Whitehall ,whose interest lies in keeping grubby little conflicts going in order to maintain their purse and power and influence,they are engaged at the moment in goading the government in the republic to apologise for the activities of the IRA while at the same time ignoring those of their coreligionists in the legal and illegal state forces.so hon I for one dont believe its just personal for Bush but rather a more sinister game at play here.and as always in the history of this rotten state its the weakest link that suffers,ie the republican community.

Sandy Boyer posted in Free Marian Price, U.S. ...

2012-10-17T07:34:08.380+01:00

Sandy Boyer posted in Free Marian Price, U.S.

Sandy Boyer
10:25am Oct 16

Amnesty International Supports Marian Price

Amnesty International wrote to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in February over Marian Price's imprisonment.

You can support Marian, Gerry McGeough, and Martin Corey by coming to the Public Protest Meeting on October 27 at 4pm at Rocky Sullivan's of Red Hook at 34 Van Dyke Street in Brooklyn.

From The Londonderry Sentinal
Amnesty wrote to Ford over Old Bailey bomber
Published on Monday 15 October 2012 17:43

PRISONERS rights campaigner Amnesty International wrote to the Justice Minister David Ford in February over the continued detention of Old Bailey bomber Marian Price.

Former Secretary of State Owen Paterson revoked Price’s licence after she allegedly aided an address by a masked dissident republican at a rally in Londonderry in 2011.

Ms Price (also known as McGlinchey) was also charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 in connection with the Masserene murders.

Mr Ford has now revealed that Amnesty International wrote to his Department on February 13 2012.

“It asked me to clarify the basis upon which a decision regarding the continued detention of Mrs Marian McGlinchey (Price) would be taken,” he stated.

“It also raised concerns in relation to claims that Mrs McGlinchey had been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement while in Maghaberry Prison and that she had been unable to access the necessary healthcare provision.

“I responded to Amnesty International on March 24 and addressed the issues raised.”

The total cost of accommodating Price in Maghaberry Prison between May 13, 2011 and February 16, 2012 was £192,546.00. £189,247 of this went on staffing and £3,299 went on refurbishment.

Between February and April 2012, Ms Price was held in Hydebank Wood at a cost to the public purse of £10,275.83.

In relation to Gerry McGeough we are calling for h...

2012-10-17T07:33:29.322+01:00

In relation to Gerry McGeough we are calling for his release based on the fact that we are supposedly "now in a shared and peaceful society". His wrongful arrest and detention is a blatant breach by the British government of their commitments in the Weston park agreement and only fuels the misconception that the north has not progressed.

All three are being detained due to their political beliefs and I don’t believe the north can ever truly move on until these acts of blatant abuse are made a thing of the past. All three should be released immediately.

The Free Gerry McGeough Campaign

mcclafferty

“To Maria, for all we can guarantee, we can’t tell...

2012-10-17T07:32:44.916+01:00

“To Maria, for all we can guarantee, we can’t tell you the release date. We don’t know. What we do know is that from previous experience, if we keep at this long enough, we will succeed, because it just becomes too much hassle after a while for them and in the end we will manage to get those gates to open.

“I also want to say that Gerry is in regular contact. He gets to ring me now and again for about two minutes on the phone and we have a quick chat and I would like to record here that many times when Gerry rings or when he has met me in the prison, he has spent more time talking about the plight of his fellow prisoners, particularly those who are on the dirty protest, than he has about his own situation. Through Gerry’s work it is our intention and I have asked to meet the prisoners who are on the dirty protest the next time we go to Maghaberry and I have already put in the request to the authorities to do that. We did discuss their situation with the prison authorities on our last visit and please God we will be able to do that as well. Because from my point of view I hope Gerry gets out soon, but until we deal with all of the prisoner issues, we have the case of Marian Price and I have visited her twice, I will keep at this work until all of these issues are resolved because having got involved in it again I’m going to see it out this time to the end.

“I would also just like to mention Pat Ramsey, the MLA for the SDLP who has done a lot of work behind the scenes in highlighting the case and who has been very helpful to the likes of myself in terms of getting into the process and who actually managed to get the prison rules changed in the north of Ireland to get TD’s accepted as public representatives for entitlement to prison visits.

“Can I just say before I finish, I think Una Geough, she’s the star of the show. I have got to know Una very well on her visits down to Leinster House and to speak at press conferences and we have a budding politician here. We will see her elected yet. She has been an absolutely fantastic as an ambassador for her father and for her mother and I can say she is an absolutely brilliant little girl and long may you continue to do the good work.

“Can I finally say it is amazing in life, you do things because you believe in a thing and you often get fantastic rewards out of it. For me, the reward out of this campaign has been getting to know some of the most fantastic people I have ever met. Unassuming people, ordinary people, people who had no particular reason to be engaged in the campaign except they saw an injustice and they felt that injustice should be put to right. To all of the friends I have made and to the McGeough family who I have got to know, it has been a really enriching experience and I would ask everybody to support the committee in whatever way you can and to thank you all for the work you have done, for your patient support and for your continuing support”.

Libertad para Gerry

mcclafferty

“Now, what we are doing at the moment is that I ha...

2012-10-17T07:32:37.069+01:00

“Now, what we are doing at the moment is that I have visited Gerry three times and we are visiting him again on the 5th November. I went the first two times on my own. The last time I had three of my colleagues from Fianna Fáil with me and we have now set up an ad hoc group with the Oireachtas. We have a lot of Independent TD’s and Sinn Féin have indicated they are going to join us as well as my four colleagues from Fianna Fáil and out intention is to keep trying to raise the profile of this issue as well as the case of Marian Price until we get a resolution of it.

“I gave a promise at the beginning and it is a promise I will honour. I said I could not go every month, I did not have the time but we would go every few months and we would keep coming and keep coming and keep coming and every time we go it upsets the whole system.

“The first time they tried to refuse me on a TD and a public representative visit. They had to give in on that. The first time they kept me a long time at the gate before I was let in and they held me for about an hour before they allowed me to see Gerry. The last day we went in, they opened the prison gates and allowed us to drive the car in. So it obviously does have an effect. But it also has an effect if you write letters, individual letters particularly, to the secretary of state in Britain, to the British Ambassador, to the Minister of Justice in the north of Ireland because if they think a lot of people are in the campaign they are much more likely to listen.

“We are looking at a number of different options. I have met the secretary of state, I have met the Minister of Justice in the north of Ireland, I have met the British Ambassador and we will continue to do that work. But we are also organising now, if we can succeed in doing so within the next month, a meeting in Westminster with the help of a Labour party MP, to highlight the issue right in the home of British democracy. So we are working on a campaign and what I would really like to do is to see that we are coordinating the campaign with all of you who are working so hard on the ground and who are giving us such support.

Continued ...

Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuiv Speaks At Gerry McGeou...

2012-10-17T07:31:41.419+01:00

Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuiv Speaks At Gerry McGeough Justice Campaign Function.

by Damian Herron - north of Ireland Chairman for the Free Gerry McGeough Campaign on Monday, October 15, 2012

The Gerry McGeough Justice Campaign held a very successful night at the Marble Arch in Dublin. The event was supported and attended by activists representing a number of Republican political groups and parties. Proceedings were chaired by Mick Halpin and a statement by Gerry McGeough issued from Maghaberry prison was read out by Brian Halpin. Gerry’s wife Maria and their four children were also in attendance and their daughter Una gave a performance on her bagpipes before thanking everyone for their help and support. On behalf of the McGeough family and the Gerry McGeough Justice Campaign, an elm plaque was presented to guest speaker and Fianna Fáil TD Mr Éamon Ó Cuiv in appreciation of his work on behalf of the campaign.

Speaking on the night, Éamon O Cuiv stated:

“Maria, Una and the family, friends, I am delighted to be here and I am humbled by the beautiful presentation made to me. Many years ago in the nineties I spent a considerable time over and back to Britain and up to the north of Ireland visiting prisoners and I have to say that with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement I thought that part of my life was over. However, a lady that is not here tonight, Moya St.Ledger, who had been in correspondence with me for many years, contacted me about Gerry’s situation. I have to say that in the beginning I was doubtful about whether this could have happened or not. But what we do know is that many years after the peace process, Gerry who had been openly living both in the south and the north was lifted, brought to court and despite an agreement between the Irish and British governments signed in 2001 was convicted to prison for twenty years. I have to say that this is a lot bigger than Gerry because this in my view is a major step back for a peace process that Gerry bought into and that we all bought into and where we were putting the past behind us and building a better future for the young children. When I heard about what had happened I was contacted by a lot of people working in the campaign and I would like to salute all of you who take time and effort to work on this campaign because it is numbers that will win in the end.

Continued ...

From Helen McClafferty: Can you believe this guy Brush? An ex-UDR man. He is totally obsessed with Gerry McGeough and was the driving force behind Gerry's arrest and incarceration. He is a pathetic and petty little man.