     IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
     http://irlnet.com/rmlist/
     
     Thursday, 12 February, 1998


1.   Unionists harden talks demands
2.   Twinbrook residents caught in RUC media game
3.   Mourners remember Paddy Mac
4.   Analysis: Same old SDLP analysis
5.   Events in England and Ireland

____________________________________________________________

     
>>>> Unionists harden talks demands
     
     
     The Ulster Unionist Party have launched a hardline
     talks position ahead of next week's peace talks, due to
     take place in Dublin.
     
     At a press conference yesterday, the UUP published
     proposals which assumed the creation of a new assembly
     for the British-ruled Six Counties had already been
     achieved, and demanded that any other new structures, 
     should fall under the remit of a proposed "Council of
     the British Isles" to draw members from Edinburgh,
     Cardiff, London, Belfast and Dublin.
     
     The new UUP document insisted that all meetings between
     delegates from the 26 Counties and the Six County assembly should take place in meetings of the
     council, which would be convened at summit level at
     least twice a year. All-Ireland bodies with executive
     powers were ruled out.
     
     The UUP also demanded the deletion of the definition of
     Ireland from Article 2 of the Irish constitution, and
     the removal of any possibility of an exercise of
     jurisdiction over the northern six counties.
     
     The document has met with an angry response from
     nationalists. Senior Sinn Fein spokesman Mitchel
     McLaughlin dismissed the Ulster Unionist Party
     proposals for a settlement as "unrealistic,
     unrealisable and unacceptable to nationalists."
     
     Mr. McLaughlin said the proposals were "a rehash of a
     political mindset which is locked into the failure of
     the past".
     
     "It is about maintaining the status quo and securing an
     internal arrangement.  It is about putting in a place a
     unionist dominated Assembly, and institutions and
     structures which will continue to deny nationalists
     living in the north our national and democratic rights."
     
     Mr McLaughlin feared the proposals would sustain the
     nationalist "nightmare" which had endured since the
     partition of Ireland.
     
     "These proposals are evidence of a lack of imagination
     by the Unionist leadership and an unwillingness to
     accept the need for fundamental change.
     
     "They are not and will not be the basis for a
     democratic peace settlement."
     
     
     'NO GROUNDS FOR EXPULSION'
     
     And the Sinn Fein Party Chairman last night dismissed
     claims that his party was about to be banned from the
     multi-party talks.
     
     Calls for for the party to be thrown out of the talks
     were based on allegations by the RUC police and
     unionist politicians, that the IRA was involved in the
     killings this week of loyalist paramilitary Robert 
     Dougan and drug dealer Brendan 'Bap' Campbell.
     
     Unionists are to push for Sinn Fein's expulsion on
     Monday when negotiations move to Dublin Castle to
     discuss north/south relationships.
     
     Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams described the
     allegations of IRA involvement as "spurious" while
     party chairman Mitchel McLaughlin yesterday told BBC
     Radio that there were no grounds to expel Sinn Fein.
     
     Both British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his governor
     in Ireland Mo Mowlam emphasised yesterday that no
     organisation had yet been found responsible for the 
     killings of Dougan and Campbell.
     
     Tony Blair said: "It is the case that the rules must be
     applied in respect of any organisation that's bound to
     engage in paramilitary activity, so you can't have one
     set of rules for one group of people and another set
     for others. But let's wait and see exactly what the
     investigations uncover."
     
     Mr McLaughlin also disputed RUC claims that the Direct
     Action Against Drugs (DAAD) organisation -- which they
     blamed for the killing of Brendan Campbell -- was a
     cover for the IRA. He said on Irish radio: "Who said
     so?  It's not in my opinion."
     
     His party had no involvement in a recent wave of
     shootings and had not infringed the Mitchell Principles
     of non-violence which underpin the ongoing multi-party
     talks in Belfast, he added.
     
     "Sinn Fein has not been involved in killing anybody --
     not in any shape, form or fashion....We have honoured
     every commitment we have made.
     
     "We have made it very clear that all of those who
     engage in armed activity at this time -- including
     Direct Action Against Drugs -- should desist."
     
     
____________________________________________________________
     
     
>>>> Twinbrook residents caught in RUC media game
     
     
     The RUC police was yesterday accused of "felon setting"
     after labelling seven young men arrested in west
     Belfast as 'IRA suspects' and linking them to the
     killing of loyalist paramilitary Robert Dougan.
     
     Sinn Fein party President Gerry Adams pointed up RUC media
     manipulation after the description of the Twinbrook men
     as "suspected IRA members" was faithfully reproduced in
     national and international news services.
     
     Residents have been protesting Tuesday's massive search
     operation of the estate in which a number of homes were
     raided.   A picket on Woodburn RUC base saw calls for
     an end to harassment on the estate and the disbandment
     of the heavily militarised police force.
     
     "The RUC and [British] army descended on the area in
     numbers and went round houses questioning everyone in
     the area - even builders. This is in marked contrast to
     RUC actions following the recent spate of murders of
     Catholics for which no suspects were arrested," said
     local councillor Paul Butler.
     
     A number of the men were reported to have been badly beaten
     as they were being removed to Castlereagh Interrogation
     centre in east Belfast.
     
     Commenting on the arrests, west Belfast MP Gerry Adams
     said the RUC was guilty of double standards.
     
     "The continuing raids and arrests in the Twinbrook area
     and the sophisticated management of the media is in
     marked contrast to their approach during the recent
     killings of Catholics," said Mr Adams.
     
     "The RUC presence in Twinbrook has been continuous
     since yesterday (Tuesday) and is extremely intimidating
     and threatening."
     
     Mr Adams urged the media to be aware of being directly
     or indirectly manipulated by the RUC.
     
     "All last evening, following the killing of Robert
     Dougan, the media carried reports of the arrests of
     'IRA suspects'. This was an RUC spin relayed to
     sections of the media in off the record briefings.
     
     "There are numerous examples of the RUC managing the
     media in this way. It is important that the media are
     vigilant at all times, but especially so because of the
     seriousness of the current situation," said Mr Adams.
     
     
     SILENCE
     
     A 'two minutes silence for peace' organised by the STOP
     (Solidarity To Organise Peace) campaign to highlight
     protests against recent killings and to show support
     for the peace negotiations took place today at 11am
     this morning.
     
     Most major parties, including Sinn Fein, backed the
     campaign. But calls for silence met with a mixed
     response in the north, with STOP activists expressing
     anger at the lack of support from the nationalist SDLP.
     Mr  Adams, backing the two minutes' silence, said
     "peace demands change".
     
     "All of us have a responsibility to ensure that the
     desire for peace becomes a reality.  It is important
     the people throughout the country have the opportunity
     not only to demonstrate their support for peace but are
     also involved fully in the ongoing search for peace.
     
     "Sinn Fein's commitment to a peace process remains our
     priority."
     
     
     * An area on the border between Fermanagh and Monaghan
     remains cordoned off today while a joint search
     operation continues by Irish Garda and RUC police.  The
     body of a Belfast man was said to have been dumped in
     the area yesterday following a tip-off from a man
     claiming to represent the 'Continuity IRA', a small new
     Republican paramilitary group.  The CIRA has since
     denied the claim.
     
     
____________________________________________________________
    
     
>>>> Mourners remember Paddy Mac
     
     
     The funeral took place yesterday of veteran Sinn Fein
     Councillor Paddy McManus, popularly known as Paddy Mac.
     Paddy died peacefully on Monday afternoon after a short
     illness and was  was buried at his birthplace in
     Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, after Requiem Mass in his home
     parish in Belfast.
     
     His tricolour-draped coffin was flanked by Sinn Fein
     members as a large crowd travelled from the Oldpark
     area which Mr McManus represented on Belfast city
     council.
     
     First elected to Belfast City Council in 1985, for 13
     years he served his constituents in North Belfast with
     "unstinting commitment" according to mourners.
     
     In the words of fellow Belfast Sinn Fein Councillor Tom
     Hartley: "He will be sorely missed by the Sinn Fein
     group on Belfast City Council, the wider Sinn Fein
     membership and the entire republican community."
     
     Paddy Mac's last Council vote on 19 January was
     crucial. It allowed Sinn Fein to win the battle to form
     a new sub-committee dealing with the issues of cultural
     diversity and the Irish language in Belfast by 25 votes
     to 24.
     
     As a veteran of Belfast City Council Paddy "patiently
     served as a mentor to the newly elected councillors" as
     Sinn Fein's electoral mandate increased, Tom Hartley
     said. During his life as a determined and unswerving
     Republican he helped found the Citizen's Defence
     Committee in response to the loyalist pogroms in 1969
     and was twice interned in the 1970s.
     
     Just days away from his own death, with typical humour
     and tenacity, on hearing that Sinn Fein President Gerry
     Adams had taken a fall at home, Paddy Mac joked that
     he'd have to send him a 'get well soon' card.
     
     Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: "In good times
     and bad times Paddy Mac never wavered in his
     determination to pursue the republican goals. He was a
     gentle man and a gentleman. He will be deeply and
     sorely missed by all who knew him."
     
     Fellow Belfast councillor Alex Maskey, who gave a grave
     side oration at Lisnaskea, said: "When history is being
     told Paddy McManus' involvement in terms of rebuilding
     the movement at the end of the 60s and helping to
     transform Sinn Fein into what it is today will show
     that he was at the forefront."
     
     Mr Maskey said 'Paddy Mac' - as he was affectionately
     known to friends - was very intelligent and very well
     read. He was respected as a "mild mannered hardworking
     councillor".
     
     The councillor said there were many people in the New
     Lodge area of Belfast who would have been burnt out by
     loyalist pogroms in the late 60s if it hadn't been for
     people like Paddy, who was prepared to defend his
     community.
     
     Earlier yesterday at a special meeting of Belfast city
     council tributes were paid to Mr McManus by councillors
     including Sinn Fein, SDLP, Ulster Unionist and
     Progressive Unionist Party members. Ian Paisley's
     hardline DUP boycotted the meeting.
     
     Fr David White told mourners Mr McManus was interned in
     1971 and on his release worked for the community
     seeking justice and equality.
     
     He said Paddy was a "quiet, private, fair-minded" man
     and described how he met with priests when they talked
     to joyriders to help give such people "a chance in
     life".
     
____________________________________________________________
     
     
>>>> Analysis: Same old SDLP analysis
     
     By Mary Nelis
     
     
     
     If you listen to Hume and Mallon this week you could be
     forgiven for believing that the conflict in Ireland was
     nothing more than a quarrel between neighbours, devoid
     of any external interference, which could be resolved
     through a process of negotiation and agreement.
     
     The SDLP argue that such a process would lead to the
     creation of structures, in this case a Stormont-style
     assembly, which would operate on the basis of
     consensus, therefore preventing one neighbour from
     imposing its views on the other.
     
     In simplistic terms, the SDLP views both neighbours as
     being in the wrong. Sean Farren takes the argument one
     step further by stating that this attempt at conflict
     resolution will operate on a power-sharing basis, which
     will lead to the beginning of new relationships based
     on mutual respect.
     
     It is amazing that 25 years since their inception the
     SDLP continues to define the conflict in terms of
     community relations. "How we are to share this island
     between us?" is the familiar cliche. This disingenuous
     effort by the SDLP to absolve Britain of any blame for
     events on this island reinforces the concept used
     successfully by Foreign Office personnel of a religious
     war with the British Government as the honest broker
     trying to sort it out.
     
     John Hume tells us ad nauseam to leave the past behind
     and build a new future together -- which all right
     thinking people want to do. But we cannot leave the
     past behind when the "honest broker" continues to claim
     sovereignty over six counties of our island.
     
     The British claim contained in the Government of
     Ireland act 1922 and regurgitated after the prorogue of
     Storment in the 1973 NI Constitutional Act, is at the
     heart of the conflict and is the root cause of the
     divisions between the people of the Six Counties and
     the divisions between the partitioned north and the
     rest of Ireland.
     
     The result of partition and the British claim is
     manifested in the structural apartheid of the north and
     the refusal by the British Government over fifty years
     to address the sectarian racist ethos of those charged
     with its political administration.
     
     The hopes of the nationalist people within the north to
     reach a just and workable accommodation with their
     unionist neighbours has not been subverted by Sinn
     Fein, as Sean Farren sanctimoniously proclaims, but by
     the British Government's refusal to rebuke its wayward
     child, whose antics in the big house, Stormont, became
     the envy of every tyrannical regime in the world.
     
     The SDLP continually seeks to downplay the role of the
     third party in the bed chamber, but they would do well
     to remenber that no marriage of the peoples of this
     island will be consumated until the British remove
     themselves entirely.
     
     Moving from the bedroom to the ante-chamber will not
     encourage the parties to even seek a new beginning. To
     state that Sinn Fein's opposition to a renewal of
     Stormont, whatever way it is structured, is a betrayal
     of nationalist hopes only reflects the sterilty of the
     SDLP political analysis.
     
     Does Seamus Mallon seriously expect the nationalist
     people, notwithstanding a Bill of Rights, to accept
     that a power-sharing arrangement in a revamped
     Stormont, will change the mindset of the unionists who,
     with few exceptions, are still enmeshed in the same
     sectarian and racist politics.
     
     One has only to read their response to the announcement
     of an enquiry into Bloody Sunday to wonder how such a
     party would ever support or give allegiance to the
     notion of equality. It is clear that they have learned
     nothing from the past. They have not moved beyond the
     sense of their superiority and supremacy.
     
     Why should they? Their long cherished ambition for a
     return of their "Protestant parliament for a Protestant
     people" will soon be realised with the bonus of the
     imprimatur of the SDLP and An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
     
     Partition, the root cause of all political violence in
     Ireland will remain. If the Dublin Government proceeds
     with the constitutional change to Articles 2 and 3,
     with the agreement of the SDLP, that will indeed be the
     ultimate betrayal of nationalist hopes for peace, for
     it will represent the moral and political abandonment
     of the northern nationallist community.
     
     The SDLP, like their unionist counterparts, have also
     learned nothing from the past, for in accepting the
     heads of agreement documents, even as a basis for
     negotiation, they have accepted that the nationalist
     people of the north, whose democratic and national
     right to be part of the majority on this island, are
     once again to be sacrificed on the altar of British
     unionism.
     
     Sean Farren accuses Sinn Fein of raking over past
     injustices. He fails to acknowledge that such
     injustices have not gone away. Perhaps he was on
     vacation when those with whom he wishes to share power
     were dancing, sash-clad, down the Garvaghy Road. Or
     perhaps he was so engrossed in helping Trimble try on
     the old hat with new feathers that he failed to notice
     that the British Government are already chickening 
     out.
     
     The heads of agreement document proposes an internal
     settlement, couched in ambiguous language to make it
     politically acceptable to the SDLP. They have already
     chickened out on the New Ireland Forum, The Anglo Irish
     Agreement, The Downing Street Declaration and the
     Framework Document. Remember the .Rent and Rates Strike!
     

____________________________________________________________
     
     
>>>> Events in England and Ireland
     
     
     PUBLIC MEETING: Cearta -- Charter for Change. 8pm
     Thursday 12 February, Ortine, LISNASKEA, County
     Fermanagh. Speakers: Breandan Mac Cionnaith, Rosemary
     Nelson, Gerry McHugh (SF) and Tommy Gallagher (SDLP)
     
     POW FUNDRAISING FUNCTION: Valentine's Night. 8.30pm
     Saturday 14 February, Widow Scallan's, Pearse Street,
     DUBLIN. Taille #3
     
     WHITE-LINE PICKET: Assemble 3-4pm Saturday 14 February,
     CAMLOUGH, County Armagh
     
     PUBLIC MEETING: Trade Union Recognition -- Ryanair
     Workers. 11am-1pm Saturday 14 February, ATGWU Hall,
     Middle Abbey Street, DUBLIN. Speakers: Tom Hayes, Alex
     White (Lawyer), Des Geraghty (SIPTU), Pat Rabbite (DL)
     and Mick O'Reilly (ATGWU). Sponsored by International
     Committee for Trade Union Rights. Open to the public,
     all welcome
     
     PICKET: For the release of all Irish POWs. Assemble
     2.30pm Saturday 14 February, Full Sutton Jail, YORK,
     England. Flute bands in attendance. Organised by
     Feachtas, Dept 111. Newton St, Manchester
     
     RALLY: Farmers and Residents against Military Bases.
     Rally at Mullen checkpoint County Fermanagh, Sunday 15
     February 3pm. Assemble at Cassidy's Cross. A number of
     cross-party speakers will attend
     
     SF PUBLIC MEETING: With Gerry Adams MP, Martin
     McGuinness MP, Bairbre De Brun (Stormont negotiator)
     and Paul Donnelly (SF candidate, North Dublin
     by-election). 8pm Monday 16 Febraury, Liberty Hall,
     DUBLIN. Organised by Dublin Sinn Fein
     
     LEACHT STAIRE 7.30 Ceadaoin 18 Feabhra Seanad Loch
     Garma le Brian o Cleirigh; Comhdhail Naisiunta na
     Gaeilge, 42 Sraid Chill Dara, BAILE ATHA CLIATH.
     Tuilleadh eolas o Aengus O Snodaigh 6763222
     
     PUBLIC MEETING: From Blueshirts to Bigots... 7.30pm
     Thursday 19 February, ATGWU Hall, Middle Abbey Street,
     DUBLIN. Speakers: Mick O'Riordan (Spanish Civil War
     veteran), John White (Inner City Community Activist)
     and Brian O'Reilly (AFA). Organised by Anti-Fascist
     Action
     
     COMMEMORATIVE DISCUSSION: 10th anniversary of the
     murder of Aidan McAnespie. 7.30pm Thursday 19 February,
     St Patrick's Hall, CLARA, County Monaghan. Speakers
     from the GAA, various justice groups and Cearta. All
     welcome
     
     FUASCAILT MEETING: Next meeting 8pm Thursday 19
     February, Camden Irish Centre, Murray Street, LONDON,
     England
     
     NATIONAL COMMEMORATION: National Sinn Fein 1798
     commemoration. Assemble 2pm Sunday 22 February, Fair
     Green (beside Belfield GAA grounds), ENNISCORTHY,
     County Wexford. Speaker: Gerry Adams. BANDS: For
     Enniscorthy required. Contact Marie on 2869434
     
     1798 COMMEMORATION BUSES: To Wexford on 22 February for
     SF commemoration. Leaves CORK, calling at
     Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Youghal, Dungarvan and
     Waterford. Taille #7.50. Contact Cork SF at 136 Barrack
     Street on 311389; DUBLIN: From Rathfarnham. 10am,
     Hillview Estate; 10.15am, Nutgrove Fire Station;
     10.30am, Furry Bog pub. Taille #5; GALWAY: Contact Sinn
     Fein in Galway for details
     
     POST-1798 COMMEMORATION GIG: Featuring Gael Force. 8pm
     Sunday 22 February, Widow Scallan's, Pearse Street,
     DUBLIN. All welcome
     
     POST-1798 COMMEMORATION FUNCTION: Sunday 22 February,
     8pm. Murphy Floods, Enniscorthy, County Wexford. Music
     by Oisin. Taille #2.50
     
     VIGIL: for Roisin McAliskey. 4-6pm Monday 23 February,
     The Clock, High Street, BIRMINGHAM, England. Organised
     by TOM
     
     SAOIRSE SCOTLAND: Next meeting 7.30pm Wednesday 25
     February, Room 4, City Halls, Albion Street, GLASGOW,
     Scotland
     
     RACE NIGHT: Annual Cairde Shinn Fein Race Night. 8pm
     Saturday 28 February, Shelbourne Park, Ringsend,
     DUBLIN. Further info or any help offered contact Joe
     Reilly, Bobby Sands Centre, Flowerhill, Navan, County
     Meath, Tel (046) 21345/087-478508. All nomination cards
     and advertisements to be returned to Joe Reilly on or
     before 14 February
     
     SIX-COUNTY WIDE SAOIRSE DEMOS: 15 February, MAGHERA,
     County Derry; 29 March, ARMAGH CITY, County Armagh; 26
     April, CROSSMAGLEN, County Armagh; 31 May, CUSHENDALL,
     County Antrim. On 14 February there will be a 32-COUNTY
     MOBILISATION of white-line pickets
     
     COMMEMORATION: 75th anniversary commemoration of the
     Ballyseedy Massacre. Assemble 1pm Sunday 1 March, the
     Pikeman Monument, Denny Street, TRALEE, County Kerry,
     followed by march to Ballymullen Barracks. Assemble
     Earl of Desmond Monument at 2pm and march to Ballyseedy
     Memorial. Speakers: Martin Ferris and Brian Keenan
     
     MONTHLY PICKET: To demand the release of all Irish
     POWs. 12 noon Sunday 1 March, Downing Street, LONDON,
     England
     
     LEACHT STAIRE 7.30 Ceadaoin 4 Marta "Mna calma '98" le
     Seamus O Saothrai; Comhdhail Naisiunta na Gaeilge, 42
     Sraid Chill Dara, BAILE ATHA CLIATH. Tuilleadh eolas o
     Aengus O Snodaigh 6763222
     
     WOMEN'S DAY EVENT: Women and the Irish Struggle.by Ruth
     Taillon. 5pm Saturday 1 March, The Union Club,
     BIRMINGHAM, England. Speakers, stalls, food, drink and
     creche. Social 8pm #5/3. Everyone welcome, men as well!
     Sponsored by the Birmingham Trade Union Council
     
     CIVIL WAR COMMEMORATION: 75th anniversary of Countess
     Bridge Massacre. Assemble 8.30pm Saturday 7 March,
     Republican Monument, Park Place, High Street,
     KILLARNEY, County Kerry. Speaker Martin Ferris
     
     PUBLIC FORUM: Northern Ireland -- Can There be Peace?
     Without British Withdrawal. 7.30pm Monday 16 March,
     Stockland Green Leisure Centre, Marsh Hill, BIRMINGHAM,
     England. Speakers: Margaret Wells (Councillor,
     Stockland Green), Mary Pearson (TOM). Chair: John
     Robinson (Councillor Stockland Green)
     
     CRIME OF CASTLEREAGH: Tickets are now available for the
     performance in GLASGOW on 9 May. Tickets from Saoirse
     activists, Scotland or the Ticket Centre, Candleriggs,
     Glasgow. Tickets for the social function are only
     available from Saoirse Scotland
     
     WANTED: Video Footage (Long or Short) regarding any
     aspect associated with the last 30 years of conflict
     specific to Fermanagh, eg, civil rights marches,
     elections, commemorations, road openings etc. Also
     still photos of same (preferably Black and White).
     Everything borrowed will be returned. Contact: Thomas
     013657 38741 or Ciaran 047 52224



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