Since May 19 2009, Maura Harrington, a charismatic figure in the struggle against Shell concerning Mayo's gas fields, has been incarcerated in Mountjoy prison for the second time in three months. Once again, she was driven on the long road from Belmullet to Dublin to serve a prison sentence, this time for refusing on principle to pay a £300 fine. At short notice an outraged group of Dublin supporters blocked the Garda van for 20 minutes and prevented it from entering Mountjoy prison until Gardai forcibly removed the protestors
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92375
She had already spent 28 days in the notorious prison, a sentence which began on 11 March last. On that occasion, Judge Mary Devins, wife of a Fianna Fail Junior Minister in the Irish Government, ordered that she receive a psychiatric examination.
https://www.indymedia.ie/article/91483
MAURA HARRINGTON story
Wikipedia's entry says: "Maura Harrington (born 15 September 1953) is a spokeswoman for the Shell to Sea campaign, from County Mayo, Ireland. A recently retired school principal, on 9 September 2008 she began a hunger strike in protest at the arrival of the Solitaire, an Allseas pipe-laying ship assisting Royal Dutch Shell's Corrib gas project. The strike took place at the gates of the Shell compound in Glengad in Erris, in her car. It ended after the ship left Ireland for repairs.
"Harrington was previously involved in fundraising for the British Miners' Strike.
"On 11 November 2006, Harrington was hospitalised after a baton-charge by Garda Síochána at Bellanaboy left her with head injuries.
"No-one was charged with the assault.
"She appeared in Belmullet District Court on 8 October 2008 accused of a public order offence related to her "lunging" towards President Mary McAleese at the official opening of a civic centre in Belmullet in April 2007. In March 2009, she was found guilty of this charge. She was also found guilty of assaulting a Garda during a fracas which saw several protesters injured[5]. For this, she was given a sentence of 28 days imprisonment, fined and bound to keep the peace for 12 months, though she refused to pay the fine or sign the bond. The judge in the case, Mary Devins, also directed Harrington to receive a psychiatric assessment due to what she described as her "bizarre" behaviour.
"Harrington denied both charges, and refused to give evidence in protest after Judge Devins refused to allow video evidence of the incident of the assault to be shown".
MATTER RAISED IN SEANAD BY SENATOR DAVID NORRIS
On 12 March 2009, Senator David Norris raised the matter of Maura's imprisonment, and the Judge's comments and order, in the Irish Seanad.
Senator David Norris: "I ask for a debate on the Corrib gas field. I do so in light of my considerable concern at the jailing of Ms Maura Harrington and the process which led to it.
"A former Minister of the Government gave this field away for nothing. The Minister concerned was subsequently jailed in the wake of a corruption scandal. He gave it away to Shell, one of the worst polluters and one of the most avid multinationals. It has been involved in incidents of pollution and was deeply implicated in the judicial murder of Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa. It literally got away with murder in Kenya and there have been explosions in many other places where it has oil terminals.
"I am concerned about this and would be very sorry if, after the Garda having been enlisted on behalf of a multinational, the courts system would begin to play a role in this matter.
"Judges are above criticism, apparently, and we cannot even ask questions about their remuneration. They are immune from cuts. I am concerned when judges feel free to comment widely on the personality traits of somebody they are sentencing, this is not a judicial matter.
"She then referred Ms. Harrington for psychiatric examination in addition to jailing her for 28 days. Are we returning to eastern Europe? Is it an attempt to use psychiatry to control political expression? This is terribly dangerous territory."
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Sunday, 12 April 2009
"Anti-Bullying Ireland" has new website
The website "Anti-Bullying Ireland" has a new location and a new improved format, courtesy of John Morahan.
You can find it at http://antibullyingireland.nfshost.com/
The host is NFS, standing for "Nearly Free Speech".
Anti-Bullying Ireland offers free help and advice to victims of bullying, to schools and Boards of Management and other bodies responsible for setting up anti-bullying programmes.
It also contains a full description of the Box and Interview Method to Prevent Bullying in Irish schools.
You can find it at http://antibullyingireland.nfshost.com/
The host is NFS, standing for "Nearly Free Speech".
Anti-Bullying Ireland offers free help and advice to victims of bullying, to schools and Boards of Management and other bodies responsible for setting up anti-bullying programmes.
It also contains a full description of the Box and Interview Method to Prevent Bullying in Irish schools.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Limited Palestinian autonomy is not enough Mr Benjamin Netanyahu
So Benjamin Netanyahu is the newly elected Prime Minister of Israel
Described as a hawk even compared to the trio of Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni - all the architects of the abominable holocaust of Gaza over the Christmas period 2008-2009,- Mr Netanyahu in his first speech to Parliament spoke ambiguously of seeking "full peace" with the Arab and Muslim world but then added "Under the permanent status agreement,the Palestinians will have all the authority to rule themselves".
"Authority" is the important word here, implying a Palestinian Authority but never a Palestinian State.
Stephen Gutkin of AP remarks that his comments appeared to hark back to a decades-old notion that peace could be achieved through limited Palestinian autonomy. Gutkin also dismisses the idea that Mr Netanyahu is redy to soften his position on this issue but rather is saying enough "to curry favour with the West". http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics;_ylt=
Every new Prime Minister needs a short time in which to show his true metal. If this Prime Minister has any idea of the well-spring of animosity against Israel that has sprung up around the world in the wake of the latest atrocities in Gaza, he should be wise to consider the implementation of justice toward the Palestinians.
He should stop the ruthless ongoing robbery of Palestinian land, end the occupation, talk to the elected Parliament of Hamas which he refuses to recognize, squarely face up to all past injustices perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians, settle to their satisfaction the burning question of the right to return and recognize Palestine as a sovereign State.
.
Described as a hawk even compared to the trio of Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni - all the architects of the abominable holocaust of Gaza over the Christmas period 2008-2009,- Mr Netanyahu in his first speech to Parliament spoke ambiguously of seeking "full peace" with the Arab and Muslim world but then added "Under the permanent status agreement,the Palestinians will have all the authority to rule themselves".
"Authority" is the important word here, implying a Palestinian Authority but never a Palestinian State.
Stephen Gutkin of AP remarks that his comments appeared to hark back to a decades-old notion that peace could be achieved through limited Palestinian autonomy. Gutkin also dismisses the idea that Mr Netanyahu is redy to soften his position on this issue but rather is saying enough "to curry favour with the West". http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics;_ylt=
Every new Prime Minister needs a short time in which to show his true metal. If this Prime Minister has any idea of the well-spring of animosity against Israel that has sprung up around the world in the wake of the latest atrocities in Gaza, he should be wise to consider the implementation of justice toward the Palestinians.
He should stop the ruthless ongoing robbery of Palestinian land, end the occupation, talk to the elected Parliament of Hamas which he refuses to recognize, squarely face up to all past injustices perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians, settle to their satisfaction the burning question of the right to return and recognize Palestine as a sovereign State.
.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Pat Kenny Quits the Late Late Show
Pat Kenny announced on his Show tonight that he will be quitting the Late Late Show at the end of its present term. The announcement came in two stages. First he said that he would be making an announcement that "some of you, not too many I hope" would be pleased with and some would not be pleased with. Later on, he made the announcement itself and received loud and prolonged applause which he stopped by saying "OK, OK, I get the message. I've just changed my mind" after which there was more applause which he again interrupted by saying "Not really".
During his ten year tenure I was present in the audience only on one occasion. Although the content was mediocre there was a buzz in the auditorium helped on by a warm-up that was just too rehearsed. There was also a portion that was to appear on a later show; obviously this part was not live. Afterwards the host was friendly to all comers for a bit of a chat.
Pat Kenny was never able to fill the shoes of Gay Byrne. He could never relax with a guest and was invariably not listening to a reply but focused on his own next question. His nervousness carried over to the interval after a band or singer had performed. The applause for the performance was always cut out with a hand admonishing the audience to be quiet for his next announcement. By contrast, Gay Byrne would sit back smiling in the direction of the performers for as long as the applause lasted, letting them enjoy their moment of glory and adding his own comments of praise when the applause had died down.
On Radio however he is an able performer just as Gay Byrne was and still is. He is also a genial person to talk to. The TV chat show was just not Pat's medium.
There was no explanation given on the Show for his decision to quit except that he and his family had decided that they wanted to spend Friday nights at home.
Coming so soon after John Bowman's announcement that he will no longer present his own Monday night programme "Questions and Answers" on RTE 1, the question that immediately arose was: Were these two presenters pushed in any way or did they really want to go themselves.
We will wait and see.
During his ten year tenure I was present in the audience only on one occasion. Although the content was mediocre there was a buzz in the auditorium helped on by a warm-up that was just too rehearsed. There was also a portion that was to appear on a later show; obviously this part was not live. Afterwards the host was friendly to all comers for a bit of a chat.
Pat Kenny was never able to fill the shoes of Gay Byrne. He could never relax with a guest and was invariably not listening to a reply but focused on his own next question. His nervousness carried over to the interval after a band or singer had performed. The applause for the performance was always cut out with a hand admonishing the audience to be quiet for his next announcement. By contrast, Gay Byrne would sit back smiling in the direction of the performers for as long as the applause lasted, letting them enjoy their moment of glory and adding his own comments of praise when the applause had died down.
On Radio however he is an able performer just as Gay Byrne was and still is. He is also a genial person to talk to. The TV chat show was just not Pat's medium.
There was no explanation given on the Show for his decision to quit except that he and his family had decided that they wanted to spend Friday nights at home.
Coming so soon after John Bowman's announcement that he will no longer present his own Monday night programme "Questions and Answers" on RTE 1, the question that immediately arose was: Were these two presenters pushed in any way or did they really want to go themselves.
We will wait and see.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Three Published letters on Gaza
(1)ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA
30 December 2008
(published in the Irish Times)
Madam, - Permit me to express outrage at the inhuman attacks by Israel against Gaza that have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and injuries to many hundreds more.
Also please permit me to add my condemnation of the lies emanating from Messrs Olmert, Barak, Ms Levine and other Israeli spokespersons, including the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, concerning the origin of, and the alleged necessity for, this murderous assault even while they continue to escalate it.
I commend the forthright condemnation of Israel's action by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mícheál Martin. It would be even better if, with the full backing of all Opposition parties, the Government shut down the Israeli Embassy because of this atrocity. - Yours, etc,
Justin Morahan
(2)GAZA ATROCITY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN
(published in the Irish Independent)
20 January 2009
"Dear Editor
Hamas and Israel have agreed to a truce that may allow children to sleep in Israel and Gaza. In Israel, there will be no need to run to shelters.
In Gaza, parents can collect the tangled bodies, blasted heads and torn-apart limbs of their own little ones from the hospitals without fear of being themselves blown to similar pieces there, or along the way.
We should be grateful for small mercies. Only the cynical will be unhappy. Only the cynical will be afraid.
And only the cynical will know that this respite is not out of mercy or feelings of humanity but timed accurately by a rogue state that appears to have gone mad with power and patronage.
The cynical know of this because some brave citizens of that rogue state, to whom we should be forever grateful, have spoken openly against its disgraceful treatment of Palestinians in general and in particular of its war crimes these past horrendous weeks in the tiny strip of Gaza.
Israel's now disgraced leaders rush their last troops from Gaza, hours before the demise of the reviled Presidency of George W Bush sets in, two continents away from the awful action.
There is no doubt about it: a holocaust has been perpetrated on the population of the caged-in population of Gaza and no-one was able to prevent it.
There is also little doubt that a state which has perpetrated such a holocaust weeks before an election in Israel, if it gets away with it now, will repeat the process whenever it feels that it is necessary.
No major international power, neither the EU nor the UN or USA, was willing or able to take any serious action, or even disapprove.
Our own country has so far not seen fit to expel the Israeli ambassador who has been allowed, all through this sad and sorry period, to use the Irish media to express his opinions, repeatedly, ad nauseam, mostly unchallenged and usually in defiance of facts.
I again request our government to take that step.
Justin Morahan"
(3)ISRAELI OFFENSIVE AGAINST GAZA
29 January 2009
(Published in the Irish Times)
Madam, – The letter of January 22nd from Katrina Goldstone and seven others, Jewish or of Jewish descent, was welcome as it was courageous. The recent Israeli attack on Gaza – they accurately describe as a massacre – cannot be justified by Israel’s alleged “security concerns”.
It has long been particularly difficult for Jewish people or people of Jewish extraction to criticise the state of Israel. The point was made tellingly by the (Jewish) president of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, on January 23rd.
In blaming himself and other Jews in the US for having remained silent on Gaza, he remarked: “Some of our hesitation to act results from the condemnation and opprobrium anyone, but especially Jews, encounter with even mild criticisms of Israel”
We have listened for four weeks to the outpouring of that opprobrium and condemnation against Irish citizens. – Yours, etc,
JUSTIN MORAHAN
NOTE: The last letter above was curtailed by the Editor. The full version is here:
Madam
The letter by Katrina Goldstone and seven of her fellows, Jews or of Jewish descent in Ireland, was welcome as it was courageous. (IT 23 January 2009) The recent attack on Gaza by the State of Israel which they accurately describe as a "massacre" can never be justified, and it is not justified by Israel's alleged "security concerns".
It is refreshing and reassuring to find these eight humane people give the lie to much of the Israeli spin that has been woven without intermission throughout that shocking and shameful episode and beyond.
It appears that for long it has been particularly difficult for Jewish people or people of Jewish extraction to criticise the State of Israel. The point was made tellingly by the (Jewish) President of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, on 23 January last.
Mr Ratner, in blaming himself and other Jews in the USA for having until then remained silent on Gaza, remarks: "Some of our hesitation to act results from the condemnation and opprobrium anyone, but especially Jews, encounter with even mild criticisms of Israel"
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/01/23/michael-ratner-on-gaza/.
We have listened for four weeks to the outpouring of that opprobrium and condemnation against Irish citizens and, inevitably, Ms Goldstone and friends were confronted by Drs David Abrahamson, Leonard W Abrahamson and Mr Stephen Molins. (IT, 26January and 27 January.)
The latter two of these eminent gentlemen in particular are able to leap-frog over three weeks of cynical and barbaric killing by Israel in Gaza, giving us patronising lectures instead about their "concern" re media fairness and, outrage of all outrages, how Hamas is to blame for the massacre carried out by Israel in Gaza.
Against such cynicism, the humane Katrina Goldstone and her fellows can, I presume, only gnash their teeth in disbelief
Yours etc
Justin Morahan
30 December 2008
(published in the Irish Times)
Madam, - Permit me to express outrage at the inhuman attacks by Israel against Gaza that have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and injuries to many hundreds more.
Also please permit me to add my condemnation of the lies emanating from Messrs Olmert, Barak, Ms Levine and other Israeli spokespersons, including the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, concerning the origin of, and the alleged necessity for, this murderous assault even while they continue to escalate it.
I commend the forthright condemnation of Israel's action by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mícheál Martin. It would be even better if, with the full backing of all Opposition parties, the Government shut down the Israeli Embassy because of this atrocity. - Yours, etc,
Justin Morahan
(2)GAZA ATROCITY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN
(published in the Irish Independent)
20 January 2009
"Dear Editor
Hamas and Israel have agreed to a truce that may allow children to sleep in Israel and Gaza. In Israel, there will be no need to run to shelters.
In Gaza, parents can collect the tangled bodies, blasted heads and torn-apart limbs of their own little ones from the hospitals without fear of being themselves blown to similar pieces there, or along the way.
We should be grateful for small mercies. Only the cynical will be unhappy. Only the cynical will be afraid.
And only the cynical will know that this respite is not out of mercy or feelings of humanity but timed accurately by a rogue state that appears to have gone mad with power and patronage.
The cynical know of this because some brave citizens of that rogue state, to whom we should be forever grateful, have spoken openly against its disgraceful treatment of Palestinians in general and in particular of its war crimes these past horrendous weeks in the tiny strip of Gaza.
Israel's now disgraced leaders rush their last troops from Gaza, hours before the demise of the reviled Presidency of George W Bush sets in, two continents away from the awful action.
There is no doubt about it: a holocaust has been perpetrated on the population of the caged-in population of Gaza and no-one was able to prevent it.
There is also little doubt that a state which has perpetrated such a holocaust weeks before an election in Israel, if it gets away with it now, will repeat the process whenever it feels that it is necessary.
No major international power, neither the EU nor the UN or USA, was willing or able to take any serious action, or even disapprove.
Our own country has so far not seen fit to expel the Israeli ambassador who has been allowed, all through this sad and sorry period, to use the Irish media to express his opinions, repeatedly, ad nauseam, mostly unchallenged and usually in defiance of facts.
I again request our government to take that step.
Justin Morahan"
(3)ISRAELI OFFENSIVE AGAINST GAZA
29 January 2009
(Published in the Irish Times)
Madam, – The letter of January 22nd from Katrina Goldstone and seven others, Jewish or of Jewish descent, was welcome as it was courageous. The recent Israeli attack on Gaza – they accurately describe as a massacre – cannot be justified by Israel’s alleged “security concerns”.
It has long been particularly difficult for Jewish people or people of Jewish extraction to criticise the state of Israel. The point was made tellingly by the (Jewish) president of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, on January 23rd.
In blaming himself and other Jews in the US for having remained silent on Gaza, he remarked: “Some of our hesitation to act results from the condemnation and opprobrium anyone, but especially Jews, encounter with even mild criticisms of Israel”
We have listened for four weeks to the outpouring of that opprobrium and condemnation against Irish citizens. – Yours, etc,
JUSTIN MORAHAN
NOTE: The last letter above was curtailed by the Editor. The full version is here:
Madam
The letter by Katrina Goldstone and seven of her fellows, Jews or of Jewish descent in Ireland, was welcome as it was courageous. (IT 23 January 2009) The recent attack on Gaza by the State of Israel which they accurately describe as a "massacre" can never be justified, and it is not justified by Israel's alleged "security concerns".
It is refreshing and reassuring to find these eight humane people give the lie to much of the Israeli spin that has been woven without intermission throughout that shocking and shameful episode and beyond.
It appears that for long it has been particularly difficult for Jewish people or people of Jewish extraction to criticise the State of Israel. The point was made tellingly by the (Jewish) President of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, on 23 January last.
Mr Ratner, in blaming himself and other Jews in the USA for having until then remained silent on Gaza, remarks: "Some of our hesitation to act results from the condemnation and opprobrium anyone, but especially Jews, encounter with even mild criticisms of Israel"
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/01/23/michael-ratner-on-gaza/.
We have listened for four weeks to the outpouring of that opprobrium and condemnation against Irish citizens and, inevitably, Ms Goldstone and friends were confronted by Drs David Abrahamson, Leonard W Abrahamson and Mr Stephen Molins. (IT, 26January and 27 January.)
The latter two of these eminent gentlemen in particular are able to leap-frog over three weeks of cynical and barbaric killing by Israel in Gaza, giving us patronising lectures instead about their "concern" re media fairness and, outrage of all outrages, how Hamas is to blame for the massacre carried out by Israel in Gaza.
Against such cynicism, the humane Katrina Goldstone and her fellows can, I presume, only gnash their teeth in disbelief
Yours etc
Justin Morahan
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