Ireland's Brightest Daily

civdef

Last Saturday's Star had a bit about handguns. Article mentioned they were allowed here now again for the first time in 30 years. Also talks about the fact that monitored alarm system and gun-club membership is needed. Lot's of words like "lethal", "deadly" etc, but I suppose that's the tabloids for ya!

Could have been worse.

Sparks

Don't happen to have a copy of the article to scan in, do you civ?

macnas

Similar article in last Friday's Evening Herald, without the 'lethal', 'deadly' references.

Degsy

Check out this months Hotpress.Nonsensical article on the 'growth' of guncrime,'expert' testimony from a former habitual criminal and a photo of the reporter holding a shotgun in a gunshop,presumably to demonstrate how easy it is to buy a gun and use it in the commision of crime..

Sparks

The Hotpress article is here. Subscription needed though.

Flattop 15

Nowt surprises there.Hotpress has always given the antis of CACS and IHS free rein in their "Shooting Gallery"[very ironic name there] to rant &rave,that even the newspapers who are sympathetic wont publish.Tried a few replies to Hotpress, they never published them.So Hotpress methinks is a biased glorified immature student rag,that should stick to the gig reporting, and smutty ads,and stop trying to ape Rolling Stone magazine. :mad:

Rovi

Anyone with access to the Hotpress site want to post the text of the article here?
Or even a scan of the print version???

.

Degsy

Flattop 15 wrote:

Nowt surprises there.Hotpress has always given the antis of CACS and IHS free rein in their "Shooting Gallery"[very ironic name there] to rant &rave,that even the newspapers who are sympathetic wont publish.Tried a few replies to Hotpress, they never published them.So Hotpress methinks is a biased glorified immature student rag,that should stick to the gig reporting, and smutty ads,and stop trying to ape Rolling Stone magazine. :mad:

That magazine makes me cringe,ultra left-wing opinionated drivel with a pseudo-intellectual streak.They even claim that Al Pacino in Scarface is using some sort of 'shotgun'(which thier criminal genius knows all about),and go on to picture him holding an M16 with M203 grenade launcher!! Ill-informed crap!

Sparks

From the Times today:

McDowell to introduce gun amnesty before clampdown
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is to introduce a weapons amnesty in advance of his planned clampdown on gun offences, writes Liam Reid, Political Reporter

The provision, which will be included as an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill currently before the Dáil, will allow people with unlicensed or unregistered firearms and weapons to hand them over to gardaí in order to avoid criminal prosecution.

The move is linked to mandatory sentencing for possession of firearms, which will introduce minimum custodial sentences for those caught with an unlicensed firearm, regardless of circumstances.

The amnesty will not apply to weapons that have been used in a crime, and the guns handed over during the amnesty are expected to be forensically tested to identify whether they were used during any recorded criminal offences.

It is one of a number of legal changes Mr McDowell is planning as part of a response to growing concerns about the number of serious crimes involving firearms.

These include new offences for modifying firearms, and heavier penalties for being in possession of a sawn-off shotgun, and a new offence of belonging to a criminal gang.

Eight people have been killed by firearms since January this year, most of them in gangland assassinations. This compares with nine such murders last year. There has also been a spate of armed robberies where families have been held hostage.

The amnesty will be one-off and will last for a number of weeks in advance of the introduction of the mandatory sentencing policy.

There are no reliable estimates from gardaí or the Department of Justice as to the exact number of unlicensed firearms in the State, although it is believed to be in the thousands. A similar initiative in Britain in 2003 resulted in 43,000 weapons and one million rounds of ammunition being handed over to police.

The majority of unlicensed firearms in Ireland are believed to be disused weapons, mainly shotguns, hunting rifles and old military weapons that belonged to family members.

The chief concern of the Garda is that these firearms could be stolen and subsequently used in armed raids or other crimes.

Mr McDowell had hoped to have the legislation passed by the summer recess but because of controversial amendments, including anti-social behaviour orders, electronic tagging and on-the-spot fines for public order breaches, Opposition TDs are expected to insist on a comprehensive debate.

The rise in firearm offences, especially in Dublin, has emerged as one of the main policing concerns at present, and the Government has been criticised by Opposition parties for failing to take adequate steps against it.

© The Irish Times

Sparks

Much better news now though. From last Sunday (May 15th), the Life magazine in the Sunday Independent had this article (click on it to get the larger image) about Nicholas Flood. I have to confess, I hate the photo, but the article paints a decent image of target shooters for a change, and in the right place too (the Sunday Independent is the largest-selling newspaper in the country).

Sparks

From the Newsletter:

MLA Seeking Gun Assurance
By Elinor Glynn
Tuesday 24th May 2005

An assurance is to be sought from the Chief Constable Hugh Orde that the catalogue of delays in processing and approving gun licence applications have no political motive.

DUP Assemblyman Mervyn Storey has called for the clarification in the wake of a growing trend in gun licence delays being reported to him by constituents in north Antrim.

"I have been made aware of a number of cases recently where legitimate applications for gun licences or licence renewals have been delayed for a considerable period," he said.

" In every case, the applications have been made by responsible and respectable constituents, whose purpose for applying is totally within the law," said Mr Storey.

The DUP MLA says that he is raising the length of delays with the Chief Constable as some cases involve ex-police officers whose need of a protective weapon has, up until now, not been questioned.

"With the introduction of the new Gun Order in February this year the system has been overstretched, with the Police Service struggling to cope - yet another example of the decimation of the organisation in dealing with the every day matters of policing since Patten," said Mr Storey.

" I will be seeking assurances from Hugh Orde that these delays in processing and approving licence applications have no political motive.

"It would be totally unacceptable to think that republican attempts to draw comparisons between terrorist illegal weaponry and legally-held firearms is being given any credence," said the MLA.

macnas

Kinda looks like Oldzed's Plinker????