Ó Brádaigh - Hunger Strikers Were Not Sacrificed for Political Gain

[picador]

You didn't even come close to addressing the issue, mischief maker.

I'll put it to you again. If the British were serious why didn't they unilaterally implement their 'offer' at any time following the election of Bobby Sands as MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

[ON THE ONE ROAD]

I know I shouldn't bother as your primary purpose here is mischief making but here goes: The issue isn't about British good faith, if such a thing exists where Ireland is concerned, it is about a very small group of people making decisions concerning the lives of the hunger strikers without consultation with the hunger strikers, the president of Sinn Féin and any significant portion of the party, the entire IRA army council, the IRSM who had members on the hunger strike or the families of any of the hunger strikers. We know the Brits are bad but maybe those who took it upon themselves to make the decisions might have been just as bad.

how did information get to o rawe and bik to have a conversation on the matter, if the prisioners wheren't told?

they where the command in the prision, and just to remind you the IRA was an army.

[Kf]

Brendan Duddy who passed it to Martin McGuinness who then gave it to the rest of the kitchen cabinet. The kitchen cabinet obviously put it on paper to get it into the prison if Richard O Rawe and Brendan McFarland were able to discuss it in the presence of witnesses.

Now Ó Brádaigh didn't speak of 'no deals' that is spin on your part. What he said was that he was not made aware of the conditions of an alleged offer to end the hunger strike which is significantly different.

....and then he turned round and told his cousin, whose best friends postman was next door neighbour to Adams mother in law, who gave it to him, in turn he talk to a taxi driver who knew Bobby Sands da and they gave the secret document to.........blah blah blah.

Marty your talking dribblage!

Do us all a favour re-register and try spin your line again, you've been outed

Amateur.

[Katayusha]

how did information get to o rawe and bik to have a conversation on the matter, if the prisioners wheren't told?

I never said that prisoners weren't told of the offer, certain prisoners were; namely Brendan Mc Farland and Richard O Rawe, although Brendan McFarland initially denied that any offer had been made and maintained this stance until quite recently. Gerry Adams stated in the Irish News recently that Richard O Rawe never visited the hunger strikers in the prison hospital so would therefore not have been in any position to inform them of the offer. It is safe to assume that the hunger strikers weren't informed of the offer as neither the two INLA prisoners, nor their movement were informed.

they where the command in the prision, and just to remind you the IRA was an army.

Indeed and Ruarí Ó Brádaigh has stated that neither he, as president of SF, nor certain members of the IRA army council were informed of the offer.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

You have failed to address the fundamental issues regarding the alleged good faith of the British

Apparently that doesn't count. So in the whole scenario of British smoke and mirrors; in the whole scenario of British double dealing and back sliding (confirmed by the ICJP) the good faith of those negotiating on behalf of the British is not an issue.
What we do know is that the British were saying different things to different people (as per usual). What we do know is that the British were saying what might happen in a land far, far away if the prisoners called off the strike. What we do know, confirmed by Duddy and the ICJP, is that the British were not prepared to put it all down on paper. What we do know is that they were asked on 6 separate occasions to go and put forward any proposals they may have had to the prisoners, easily circumventing alleged outside interference, yet they again failed to do so.
So it boils down to the bona fides of the British, but according to some that doesn't count.

[Katayusha]

So it boils down to the bona fides of the British, but according to some that doesn't count.

The 'bad Brits then, good Brits now' argument; priceless. When did they change?

[SevenStars]

....and then he turned round and told his cousin, whose best friends postman was next door neighbour to Adams mother in law, who gave it to him, in turn he talk to a taxi driver who knew Bobby Sands da and they gave the secret document to.........blah blah blah.

Marty your talking dribblage!

Do us all a favour re-register and try spin your line again, you've been outed

Amateur.

Look I really hope that all this turns out to be nonsense however the mother of one of the Hunger strikers has called for an independent inquiry and I believe that her wishes should be honoured.

Also it does seem now that what a lot of people actually ended up dying for was not the 32 county democratic socialist republic they thought they were fighting for but tea and cakes in Downing Street and the White House, Armanai suits, chushy pensioned jobs in Stormount, etc for certain people while the 6 counties remain under occupation and what has come out of the GFA looks like pushing us into a sectarian catastrophe.All great stuff...And Gerry Adams had a lot of us, almost all of us believing that a United Ireland was around the corner not so long ago...So you should be able to understand people's suspcions

[Pat Mc Larnon]

Look I really hope that all this turns out to be nonsense however the mother of one of the Hunger strikers has called for an independent inquiry and I believe that her wishes should be honoured.

The majority of the families don't want any such inquiry, what about their wishes being honoured?

Who would be on this 'independent inquiry'? I have a sneaking suspicion that the current renegade element would use this 'inquiry' to fling as much mud as they can. After all some of them are positioning themselves for electoral intervention, what better way to open their campaign. No doubt if this 'inquiry' went against them it would be a fix and they would continue on with their sordid little publicity stunt.

[SevenStars]

The majority of the families don't want any such inquiry, what about their wishes being honoured?
.

Have they made statements to that effect?

I think that this is disturbing for us all.

[Seánod]

For me one thing is clear. The memory of the Hunger Strike has been tarnished. I say that as someone who can see valid points in both sides of this debate. But the fact that this debate has occurred at all, has led to the perhaps unwitting consequence, that in the minds of the public now, and even in the minds of many people who supported the Hunger Strike, no-one can any longer think of the sacrifice or the commitment of the men involved without also thinking of the 'controversy'. The 'controversy' has now taken over the memory. That for me is the tragic consequence of this whole debate. And some people are so convinced of their own position they'd nearly bite you if you tread anywhere next or near this debate in an openminded way. I say that as someone who was republicanised as a result of the Hunger Strike, and who eventually ended up in the same place as them as a result.