Trial of RSF members

by Padraig Donoghue

The news had come in that eight Republican Sinn Féin members had been arrested in Limerick and charged with membership of an illegal organisation. Shots were reported, attempted escapes and even reports of weapons being found. The members ranged from ordinary rank and file to Ard Comhairle members, including the vice president of the organisation. All were charged at the Special Criminal Court with membership of an illegal organisation and all pleaded not guilty.

From the start the trial was a farce; there was no real ‘evidence’ to begin with and only the Garda could have fired shots since no weapons were found in the house. The only ‘evidence’ presented by the state was a so called ‘source’ who reported that an important IRA meeting was taking place. The flimsiest ‘evidence’ was given by Detective Garda Joe Heaney when he reported that Des Long had taken “elaborate anti-surveillance measures” i.e., he went around a roundabout twice! Oh yes, clearly an IRA man then! Since when was this against the law? It was indeed a shambles and an expensive one at that. Despite the lack of evidence, the trial dragged on for many months at great expense to the taxpayer.

Matt Conway was the first to be acquitted, not long after the trial had started. After the Chief Superintendent’s evidence the defence proposed that their client Matt Conway be found not guilty, to which the DPP had no objection, such was the flimsy ‘evidence’. Although Mr Conway was released and the trial continued. The Garda witness who claimed that a source had given information was called back to the court to reveal evidence of his source. Chief Superintendent Gerard Kelly refused saying that it would put peoples lives “at immediate risk”, how convenient!
It was also denied that Gardaí had fired shots into the air, although there were reports of gunfire being heard. The Gardaí also claimed that one of the accused “ran” out to the back garden before they could even smash down the door - even though the person in question needed a walking aid to walk!

Gardaí also denied that they harassed Republican Sinn Féin members in the Limerick area. During an Ard Fheis prior to their arrest Des Long appealed for people to come to the Séan Sabhat Commemoration in Limerick saying, “Come to Limerick and get arrested!” Long was making light of what is seen to be a black spot for RSF members with arrests at every commemoration, harassment of paper sellers and even arrests and fines for people simply out selling a legal political paper.
Two other trial defendants, Christy Dunne and Joe Lynch, had their bail revoked during the trial for being in a crowded pub at the same time. Joe Lynch managed to retrieve his bail, but only after he put himself on virtual house arrest. With his wife Nora confined to a wheelchair and in ill health after a recent operation, he was forced to accept what was described in Republican Sinn Fein’s newspaper Saoirse, as “the most draconian bail conditions ever granted in the 26-County State”.

The Lynchs were not allowed visitors while he was present in the home. When the court rose on Friday lunchtime he would have to return to Portlaoise prison until the sitting on Tuesday morning. In essence he was a prisoner in his own home and if it weren’t for the ill health of his wheelchair confined wife he would not have accepted these crazy bail terms.

It was eventually ruled that most of the evidence presented was “inadmissible” after it was found that their second arrest - on the steps of Henry Street Garda station (after their first short release) - was in fact against the State’s own laws. Section 30a, section 11 of the Offences Against the State Act states that a person may only be re-arrested for the same alleged offence under a warrant from the District court? Yet upon release they were re-arrested on the steps of the Garda station.

There was very little media coverage during this important trial. This is the very same media that is so quick to inform us that it costs ¤2 million to send refugees back home - yet when the state wastes ¤4 million on a trial where it was found that most of the evidence was inadmissible due to Garda mishandling it gets barely a mention.
The trial eventually drew to a close. To the shock of the Republican Sinn Féin members and family friends of the accused in the gallery, one of the seven men - Patrick O’Shea - was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. All of the other six were released. After the trial Ruairí O’Bradiagh denounced the verdict as a “travesty of justice” and said that Patrick O’Shea was a “sacrificial lamb” as they needed their “pound of flesh” to justify wasting so much money on this trial. The six acquitted members released a statement vowing to continue their work for the republican movement and expressing their sympathy for the O’Shea family.
A lot of questions must be answered after this trial. What was the motive for continuing with a trial that showed the defendants’ second arrest to be illegal,a trial that had no real evidence to it? Why no outcry from the media that nearly 30 uniformed and plain clothes Gardaí were involved in a raid on many men over the age of sixty and yet the same Gardaí cry about lack of resources and men to combat the rising crime and feuding in Limerick!

Why no outcry about the ¤4 million wasted on this trial, while at the same time hospital wings are closing and cut backs across the medical sector. Recently the State has refused to pay a ¤3,000 electricity bill for a Dublin school! It would seem we must tighten our belts, while the state found the need to continue with a trial they had no hope of winning.It would seem the motive would be the harassment of Republican Sinn Féin members and to perhaps put off people thinking of joining the republican movement and also to show republicans against the Good Friday agreement in bad light (as if the media don’t do that for them).Do they really think they can beat republicans through harassment and intimidation? They have already tried that method and failed, I’m sure Pádraig Pearse would comment if he were alive, “The fools, the fools they have left us our Free State fools....”

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