They have'nt gone away you know.

mike65

from rte

SF member jailed for PIRA membership

30 November 2004 16:48

A Sinn Féin member who was found with surveillance details on Dáil politicians has been sentenced to four years in prison for Provisional IRA membership.

35-year-old Niall Binead from Crumlin in Dublin was convicted at the Special Criminal Court along with co-accused Kenneth Donohoe from Tallaght, who also received a four-year jail term.


Binead was described as a branch secretary of Sinn Féin in Dublin's south city. It is understood that he is a friend of TD Aenghus O'Snodaigh, as well as his election worker.


The court heard that documents found at Binead's home included the names of a number of politicians and Dublin criminals.

These included a note that former Justice Ministers the late Jim Mitchell of Fine Gael, PD founder Des O'Malley, and John O'Donoghue of Fianna Fáil were seen drinking in Rathgar.

The court also heard evidence linking Binead and Donohoe to the scene of what was thought to have been a planned hijacking in Bray in October 2002.

Presiding Judge Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan said that the discovery of the documents, as well as the defendants' insolent and provocative refusal to answer garda questions, backed up the belief of a Garda Chief Superintendent that both men were Provisional IRA members.

Imposing the prison terms, the judge noted that both men had a conviction for threatening to use a weapon during anti-drug activities.

I'd say it was embarrasing but I don't think SF can be embarrassed.

Mike.

Cork

After Binead and Donohoe were arrested, a garda search of Binead’s house found a list naming leading Irish politicians including former Justice Minister John O’Donoghue, Fine Gael’s Jim Mitchell and Des O’Malley of the Progressive Democrats.

link

Maybe, SF has an explanation for this?

Maybe they were doing recearch for a film script or even a book.

bonkey

I've seen quite a lot saying that this guy was a Sinn Fein member. Can anyone clarify exactly what that means?

Was he just a regular subscription-paying member of Sinn Fein? Is he still a member of Sinn Fein?

Cork

bonkey wrote:

I've seen quite a lot saying that this guy was a Sinn Fein member. Can anyone clarify exactly what that means?

Was he just a regular subscription-paying member of Sinn Fein? Is he still a member of Sinn Fein?

Binead is a key election worker for Aengus O’Snodaigh, the Sinn Féin Dublin TD.

But other details are sketchy, I think the media don't want to jepordise the talks going on at the minute by focusing attention on the story.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Sand

Was he just a regular subscription-paying member of Sinn Fein? Is he still a member of Sinn Fein?

Niall Bennet was an election worker for O Snodaigh as Cork has said. Hes also supposed to be a close personal friend of the T.D. He has a previous conviction for threatening someone with a weapon, and he came to the attention of the Gardai recently because he was suspected of being involved in an armed robbery. Hes apparently a community activist, but no one, let alone other community activist have actually been able to say what it is he actually does for the community - one of the reports drew a blank when they asked around. Incidentially, as well as a list of T.D.s, he also had a list of crinimals in his house, which the Gardai believe were to be "taxed" by the Sinn Fein/IRA.

Oh, and this is of course subjective, but having seen a photo of him he looks like a proper skanger.

FTA69

Sand wrote:

Oh, and this is of course subjective, but having seen a photo of him he looks like a proper skanger.

Well, despite the above example of incorruptible evidence I would like to point out the conviction was based solely on the word of a guard, hardly DNA fingerprinting is it?

At the end of the day the man was found with a few names on a sheet of paper and a hammer, this was deserving of 4 years in prison. In other cases a rapist gets let off with a suspended sentence, such is the Free State "justice" system. I'll have to remember to leave my gym membership card at home next time I go to a meeting, I might get caught "on my way to a robbery", those sharp laminated corners could be used to hijack a lorrly full of Lambert and Butlers....

Sand

Well, despite the above example of incorruptible evidence I would like to point out the conviction was based solely on the word of a guard, hardly DNA fingerprinting is it?

The Judge made that same point, he reviewed the Gardai case files and agreed the Gardai had very good grounds for believing him to be an IRA man. He also took into account the car that Bennet bought, with the false number plates, that contained the cs gas, black tape, balaclavas and so on. He also took into account the list of TDs and crinimals that were being targeted.

I think we can be confident that a duck is actually a duck in this case unless all of the above is SOP for SF activists.

At the end of the day the man was found with a few names on a sheet of paper and a hammer, this was deserving of 4 years in prison.

Nah, he was found to be an IRA man. I think 4 years is a bit too mild for membership of an illegal terrorist organisation that targets the overthrow of our Republic, but hey what can you do?

Free State

Republic since 1949 actually. Nevermind though, I understand that the Republican sympathiser mindset is about 80 years in the past.

FTA69

Sand wrote:

The Judge made that same point, he reviewed the Gardai case files and agreed the Gardai had very good grounds for believing him to be an IRA man. He also took into account the car that Bennet bought, with the false number plates, that contained the cs gas, black tape, balaclavas and so on. He also took into account the list of TDs and crinimals that were being targeted.

Republic since 1949 actually. Nevermind though, I understand that the Republican sympathiser mindset is about 80 years in the past.

He did indeed take into account the lists of TDs and stated they "could have been used for entirely legal purposes", charges of spying, robbery etc are all pie-in-the-sky. At the end of the day he was convicted of IRA membership on the word of a guard. Simple as that.

Regards the Free State, to me the Republic is that declared in 1916. It is not the 26-county jurisdiction which the present leaders of Fianna Fáil describe as Pearse's goal incarnate.

Meh

Regards the Free State, to me the Republic is that declared in 1916. It is not the 26-county jurisdiction which the present leaders of Fianna Fáil describe as Pearse's goal incarnate.

The vast majority of Irish people disagree with you there. Oh well, at least you're honest about your contempt for democracy.

poneill

Cork wrote:

....a list naming leading Irish politicians including ....Fine Gael’s Jim Mitchell

Hardly, he is dead.

Maybe, SF has an explanation for this?

Natural causes they said.

M

gdiddy361

Meh wrote:

The vast majority of Irish people disagree with you there. Oh well, at least you're honest about your contempt for democracy.

How does advocating a 32 county Ireland show a contempt for democracy? Democracy is not just the rule of the majority. Go back and read your Locke, Rousseau, Socrates, etc....

One can support a 32 county Ireland and still be supportive of democracy. Now whether or not the majority of Irish people want a 32 county Ireland I do not know as I am not Irish.

helpdogscat

Meh wrote:

The vast majority of Irish people disagree with you there. Oh well, at least you're honest about your contempt for democracy.

if you disagree with what he had to say, then just say I disagree, I don't remember you ever having being voted voice of the Irish people :rolleyes:

helpdogscat

helpdogscat wrote:

if you disagree with what he had to say, then just say I disagree, I don't remember you ever having being voted voice of the Irish people :rolleyes:

are you implying that meh is wrong? and that the vast majority of the electorate here adhere to the 1918 election...
If you are then try this board t'would be more suited.

Victor

poneill wrote:

Hardly, he is dead.

These convictions stem from activities prior to arrest two years ago.

I and given that the judges had sight of the Garda files (a) its likely the word of more than one Garda, indeed it could be the word of quite a few other people also (army intelligence, civilians, foreign police) (b) there was the matter of the illegal activities in Bray.

Meh

gdiddy361 wrote:

How does advocating a 32 county Ireland show a contempt for democracy? Democracy is not just the rule of the majority. Go back and read your Locke, Rousseau, Socrates, etc....

Thanks for the name-dropping, but I think it's you who needs to go back and read the post I responded to.

There is nothing inherently anti-democratic about adovcating Irish unity. But FTA69 thinks the Republic of Ireland (supported by the vast majority of Irish people in numerous democratic elections over the past 80+ years) is an illegitimate government. That's "contempt for democracy" for you.

gdiddy361

Meh wrote:

Thanks for the name-dropping, but I think it's you who needs to go back and read the post I responded to.

There is nothing inherently anti-democratic about adovcating Irish unity. But FTA69 thinks the Republic of Ireland (supported by the vast majority of Irish people in numerous democratic elections over the past 80+ years) is an illegitimate government. That's "contempt for democracy" for you.

You are right. Sorry about that. Misunderstanding on my part....

FTA69

What I am saying is that the 26-Counties cannot describe itself as "the Republic of Ireland" when it's jurisdiction does not cover the entire country of Ireland. It is not the representation of the Irish nation embodied in a state, it is the representation of a section of them and as such I do not see it as the Republic declared in 1916.

BuffyBot

do not see it as the Republic declared in 1916.

You do realise the 90 years have passed since then. What happened then, happened then. Today is reality, and for the most people have learned to live with it.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

FTA69

FTA69 wrote:

as such I do not see it as the Republic declared in 1916.

Ah thats ok, you are entitled to have that view but as long as the vast majority, up to 95% of them disagree with your view, expect jail if you bomb shoot , maim or kill to try implement this extreme minority view point.

Zulu

FTA69 wrote:

What I am saying is that the 26-Counties cannot describe itself as "the Republic of Ireland" when it's jurisdiction does not cover the entire country of Ireland. It is not the representation of the Irish nation embodied in a state, it is the representation of a section of them and as such I do not see it as the Republic declared in 1916.

You mean the Island of Ireland is it? And what would you describe it as, these 26 counties?
Who then has claim over the land mass that is China, Russia, Europe, etc.?

Perhaps you should think a little more.

Oggy Doggy

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

So, what country is Ireland in????

monument

From wikipedia...

The island of Ireland (Éire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland, a region of the United Kingdom. The population of the island is about 5.6 million people. The population of the Republic of Ireland recently passed 4 million for the first time since 1871, due to immigration and increased birth rate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland

FTA69

Zulu wrote:

You mean the Island of Ireland is it? And what would you describe it as, these 26 counties?

The 26 County State.

A Dub in Glasgo

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Ireland was one country (encompassing the whole of the island of Ireland) up until it was partitioned by the British in 1921. Six counties of the province of Ulster were kept under British control whilest the remaining 3 counties of Ulster joined the 23 counties of Leinster, Munster and Connaught in becoming the Irish Free State which later became the Republic of Ireland.

You know why the 3 counties of Ulster were cut off and joined the Irish Free State?

I believe FTA69 is referring to the 'Republic' declared in 1916 and ratified by the will of the Irish people in 1918. That Republic consisted of the whole of Ireland and was known as the Republic of Ireland.

Zulu

FTA69 wrote:

The 26 County State.

Good man FTA, sure we'll put you up in front of the UN: Hello, I'm FTA, President of "The 26 County State". :rolleyes:

Personally I prefer "Ireland", or "the Republic of Ireland" as the name of our little country.

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Ireland was one country (encompassing the whole of the island of Ireland) up until it was partitioned by the British in 1921. Six counties of the province of Ulster were kept under British control whilest the remaining 3 counties of Ulster joined the 23 counties of Leinster, Munster and Connaught in becoming the Irish Free State which later became the Republic of Ireland.

Thats very good. Care to explain why we shouldn't be governed by mainland europe/nordic countries? I mean before the British divided up our land, what did the Normans do? ...or the Celts? ...and what of before the Beaker people???

Get over it buddy. You are living in the past.

A Dub in Glasgo

Zulu wrote:

Thats very good. Care to explain why we shouldn't be governed by mainland europe/nordic countries? I mean before the British divided up our land, what did the Normans do? ...or the Celts? ...and what of before the Beaker people???

Is there a point hidden in there?

The facts I stated have a direct impact with current politics on this Island!

Get over it buddy. You are living in the past.

Again, the facts I stated have a direct impact with current politics on this Island. You choose to ignore them?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Zulu

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Is there a point hidden in there?

Yes there was - I was highlighting that our recient history with England is inconsequential in the grander scheme of things - but I can understand that that may have been difficult for you to grasp.

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

The facts I stated have a direct impact with current politics on this Island!

They certainly do. So does the comunist manifesto. So do a lot of things. That dosen't make them right or wrong. The point is - if you wish to stick with it, these 26 Counties are Ireland.

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Again, the facts I stated have a direct impact with current politics on this Island. You choose to ignore them?

...and again I repeat - you're living in the past, get over it.

A Dub in Glasgo

Zulu wrote:

Yes there was - I was highlighting that our recient history with England is inconsequential in the grander scheme of things

Surely you mean our recent history with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. England is just a constiuent part of the UK.

- but I can understand that that may have been difficult for you to grasp.

Then your understanding is quite flawed

They certainly do. So does the comunist manifesto. So do a lot of things. That dosen't make them right or wrong.

Please point out from my posts where I said it was right or wrong. Again, you seem to want to choose to ignore the biggest impact on this island.

The point is - if you wish to stick with it, these 26 Counties are Ireland.

Tell that to the hundreds of thousands in Northern Ireland

...and again I repeat - you're living in the past, get over it.

I am living in the reality of the present. You seem to want to ignore that reality.