Catholic murdered by Loyalist gang

[Libero]

Surprised the press doesn't seem to be covering this yet,..

Breakingnews.ie have covered the alleged attacks... link here

The story has nothing to say about PSNI inaction, even though it's based on SF's Councillor Monica Digney claims.

[mothball]

There are always some sick freaks who act like that. They should be taken away and fixed.

[campbeca]

SOLDIERS BANNED IN
BALLYMENA BARS
-------------
Off-duty British soldiers are reported
to have been banned from all bars in
Ballymena, Co Antrim, where Catholic
schoolboy Michael McIlveen was murdered
a fortnight ago.

British military chiefs imposed the
night-time curfew in a bid to ease
sectarian tensions.

Local SDLP Councillor, Declan O'Loan,
described the move as a wise decision.

'Anyone caught in the pubs after 7pm
will have the book thrown at them,' one
source said.


From RTE

[JFH]

It's rather draining and sad the way the southern media have seized upon the police warnings about 'Republican reprisals'. As of routine Catholics can get beaten up; Catholic schools and churches can be vandalised, fire-bombed and destroyed, but as far as the media in the 26 counties it might as well be happening on Mars.

The eagerness with which the 'Republican reprisals' canard was seized on by the 26 county media illuminates a core truth about the attitude of the southern media to the six counties.

Unquestionably there is a considerable undertow of guilt in the south about partition. The history is pretty stark. The north was created as a sectarian bantustan in 1921. The people of the 26 counties, whilst resistant to the development, acquiesed in its creation.

The acquiesence of the 26 counties in this sectarian carve up meant they had an ethnically and religiously 'pure' state. It could develop without reference to the 25% of planter descent on the island. They could mould a new state in their image without opposition or reference to other voices.

Modern 26 county Ireland is a product of that state. Nigerian Doctors and Filipino Nurses are only so much garnish on the Ireland of the Cosgraves.

However they aren't stupid in the south. They've read the history as well as the rest of us. They know where they came from and they know that they are the comfortable offspring of a diabolical pact. They know that northern Catholics pay the price for their comfort and they don't like the guilt that knowledge brings. How do you get out off a situation like that? Rationalise yourself some peace of mind?

You have to bite down hard and buy into the imperialist's logic. Articles such as the those produced by the 'Republic Reprisal' statement are a product of such thinking. You decide that partition was a 'necessary evil' and furthermore you decide that the outbreaks of sectarian bloodshed are only testimony the sagacy of the decision of the Saor Stat forefathers to abandon this corner the island to the barbaric natives up there.

As a 26 county Catholic it is uncomfortable to look at the bare fact that Michael McIlveen was killed simply for being a Catholic in the face.

It makes it easier to bear if you can hear a nice story about 'Republic reprisals' and just shake your head and go: "those people up there, why can't they just get along with each other."

Can you ever understand? Could you ever care?

[ballymenahey]

Coming from the Ballymena, this has touched close to home. Catholics in Ballymena have been treated like absolute **** over the past 50 years, more so since the ceasefires. The DUP council institutionalises sectarianism throughout the borough, still operates majority rule, flies the Union flag year round, maintains all council positions to themselves and harasses and abuses nationalist councillors in the chambers - when a loyalist gang barged in and threatened Monica Digney they did f*** all.

Ballymena has been split down the middle with Nationalists confined to the safety of the North of the town. If a Catholic dared walk into the Tower Centre (shopping centre) he can find himself likely to end up stabbed in the chest like Kirk McCaughern only a month ago. Going to school in Ballymena was a nightmare let me tell you - everyday existed some threat of loyalist attack and more often enough it was carried out.

Believe it or Harryville used to be a Catholic area, there's even a road down there named after Roger Casement. That was until the Reverend Ian Paisley ordered his cronies to eradicate the Romanists.

I'd wager 50% of Ballymena's Protestant population are fundamentally bigotted, they see no wrongdoing in killing Michael McIllveen as their leadership has taught them. We're subhuman - worse than dogs.

If anyone thinks there is any positives to come out of the death of Michael, in that people might rally around anti-sectarianism - they are very wrong.

I also note that the 'loyal orders' came out yesterday and condemned the killing - perhaps they have a guilty conscience in that at least 3 of the 5 people charged with the murder are members of such a 'loyal order'.

Make Ballymena council embrace equality, figure out a way for the Protestant people to celebrate their culture without everything being boiled down to hating taigs and then we might be a quarter of the way to solving the problem.

John McCormick, Ciaran Cummings, Francis Mulholland, Daniel McColgan, Gerard Lawlor, Chris Witson, James McMahon, Gavin Brett, Thomas Devlin, Michael McIllveen. The above 10 killed simply for being Catholic by loyalists since 2000 and that's not them all. It should be pointed out republican paramilitaries have killed no one for sectarian reasons in that period of time and that the last two were children.

I'm only a new member to this forum, and won't have the same views as the majority on here, but the above post, and a lot of what i have read on here about the murder is rubbish. I was in the town centre today, i saw gaelic tops and celtic tops in the Tower Centre - and there always has been people wearing them. Yes the Tower Centre has got renowned for being a place for young loyalists to congregate, however the Fairhill Centre is the same, only its young Republicans who congregate there. Both of these groups for the past few years have been arranging fights in the town centre on a regular basis, each side has the other sides mobile numbers. Even on Saturday afternoons they are fighting each other in full view of shoppers. It is not a one way thing. As for going to school in Ballymena, how do the pupils of Dunclug College feel, when they are continually attacked because of the school they go to.

Protestants have been targeted at the top of Ballymena (Dunclug etc), like wise Catholics have been targeted in other areas of the town.

As for Harryville used to Catholic :mrgreen: Aye and Gerry Adams was in the UVF before big Ian forced him out!!!
Roger Casement was actually a Protestant who supported Irish Nationalists.

As for your comment about the killing of Michael Mcilveen not doing any good for anti-sectarianism, that says more about you and anyone else who believes that way. The leadership of organisations on both sides need to stop young people from becoming involved in this type of activity and stop stirring trouble. For example the band parade taking place tonight - Sinn Fein should be nowhere near it, as this only brings out the idiots on both sides, one side thinking the Prods get away with everything in town, the other side shouting abuse and attacking people because they see certain people watching.

[Henke]

A tribute to Mickey Bo from his friends:

http://www.bebo.com/FlashBox.jsp?Fla...98512616<br />

[campbeca]

MCILVEEN MURDER PROBE:
THREE HELD
-------------
Three people have been arrested by
detectives in Northern Ireland
investigating the murder of Catholic
schoolboy Michael McIlveen.

The 15-year-old boy died after being
attacked by a gang in Ballymena on 7
May this year.

A man and a woman are being questioned
about allegedly assisting an offender.
A teenage boy was also detained over
conspiracy to pervert the course of
justice.

All three were arrested this morning
and are being held in Ballymena.

(from RTE news)