Former IRSP Spokesman Kevin 'Bap' McQuillan Denies Informer Claims

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What's you point?

R Ó B was 'out of the loop' for internal political reasons that had nothing to do with the Hunger Strikes.

I don't give much thought to the present internal workings of either the RNU or the IRSP and Kevin McQuillan is not significant to the overall hunger strike debate. Go ahead now and clarify what you mean by such agenda exposing terminology as "colourful conspiracy theory."

Do you deny that you have an agenda? Or that Ms Twomie has an agenda? To establish as 'facts' that which demonstrably remains unproven - or inconclusive as RNU would put it. If Mrs Thatcher was so kind why didn't she stop an elected MP from dying? She could have unilaterally implemented changes at any time before the Hunger Strike ended but she didn't. Fairy godmother, my arse!

There is no evidence to suggest that McQuillan was told of the offer and there is evidence to suggest that IRA prisoners and their families weren't told of the offer so it's pretty reasonable to conclude that he had no knowledge of the offer, thus your increasingly ridiculous attempt to signify McQuillan's relevance is utterly without merit.

It's natural now that a cloud of sorts hovers over McQuillan that you would wish to downplay the significance of his contribution. However Danny Morrison claims that he and McQuillan discussed an offer that was to be put to the prisoners. It's untrue therefore to state that no evidence exists that McQuillan was told about the offer.

[Katayusha Mk2]

R Ó B was 'out of the loop' for internal political reasons that had nothing to do with the Hunger Strikes.

He was the democratically elected party president and most likely a member of the IRA army council. Do you not think that he should have had an input into the decision making in regard to any offers?

Do you deny that you have an agenda? Or that Ms Twomie has an agenda? To establish as 'facts' that which demonstrably remains unproven - or inconclusive as RNU would put it. If Mrs Thatcher was so kind why didn't she stop an elected MP from dying? She could have unilaterally implemented changes at any time before the Hunger Strike ended but she didn't. Fairy godmother, my arse!

Who ever implied that Thatcher was 'kind'? You're off into to desperate tangent territory here. Minus relevance.

It's natural now that a cloud of sorts hovers over McQuillan that you would wish to downplay the significance of his contribution. However Danny Morrison claims that he and McQuillan discussed an offer that was to be put to the prisoners. It's untrue therefore to state that no evidence exists that McQuillan was told about the offer.

Link very much required, given your track record in regard to truth and integrity. Try as you might, your efforts to make McQuillan seem significant in contrast to those who received and rejected the offer, without significant consultation, are transparent and reek of desperation.

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Link very much required, given your track record in regard to truth and integrity. Try as you might, your efforts to make McQuillan seem significant in contrast to those who received and rejected the offer, without significant consultation, are transparent and reek of desperation.

As you mentioned honesty (or lack of it) are you really still trying to pretend that you yourself do not have an agenda, which is to establish a narrative of the Hunger Strike that matches your political political point of view irrespective of whether or not it can be supported by objective fact?

As for truth and integrity, I had to pull you up on the misleading statement you made, whether by accident or design, above. Of course I could have insisted you were lying but instead I gave you the benefit of the doubt. So catch yourself on with your puerile nonsense.

Now here is the link you requested (in which McQuillan rejects Morrison's claim that they discussed an offer). In light of the recent revelations, which both the IRSP and RNU both tried to cover up, McQuillan's account must now be called into question.

Given that I discussed the Ó Brádaigh stuff with you ad nauseam recently and that nothing much has changed I propose it (i.e. the contributions of R Ó B) be discussed on the thread you recently started.

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Statement from Kevin McQuillan in response to Danny Morrison’s comments on Radio Foyle:

During the period of the Hunger Strikes(s) I sat on the Belfast Executive of the H-Block, then H-Block/Armagh Committee. I did so as the Republican Socialist prisoners’ representative. During this I time interacted and consulted with numerous senior members of the provisional movement in relation to the ongoing Prison campaign, and developments therein.

I wish to respond to claims made by Danny Morrison on Radio Foyle, yesterday April 6th 2009. I did take Danny Morrison (as I had other provisional representatives) to Long Kesh in July of 1981.

Whilst I have yet to personally hear the said interview, I am led to believe that Danny Morrison said that I was told of, or was already aware, of a set of proposals that were to be put to the prisoners, and that we had talked of this.

This did not happen. If he had of appraised me of such a serious development, my first point of reference would have been to contact the National leadership of the Republican Socialist Movement, in particular those delegated with the struggle within the Blocks. At no point had I cause to.

Clearly put…it did not happen.

Note: Morrison's interview should be found by following the link above

[Quinn Quinn]

One time IRSP vice-chairman Kevin 'Bap' McQuillan has rejected charges made by former comrades that he was acting as an informer at the time of a 1997 siege in Maghaberry jail. The allegation came to light as a result of proceedings at the inquiry into the death of LVF leader Billy Wright, who was shot dead by INLA inmates at the Maze prison in December in 1997. Two of the three man gun team had recently been transferred to the Maze (Long Kesh) following a siege at Maghaberry in which they took a warder hostage.
The allegation against McQuillan stems from an MI5 officer's testimony that on the day of the siege he took a call from an informant who notified him of the hostage situation in the jail. Previously the former governor of Maghaberry had told the inquiry how he had kept an external IRSP representative informed about latest developments in the developing siege. It is the IRSP's contention that the person referred to by both witnesses was Bap McQuillan.
McQuillan strenuously denies the informer claims, blaming damage resulting from a severe beating received in 1998 for his inability to provide the Republican Socialist Movement (IRSP / INLA) with a full and satisfactory explanation of his role in events at the time. Cynics would point out that, in spite of the very serious informer charges the IRSP have made against McQuillan, they are still happy to accept his account of a visit he and Sinn Féin's Danny Morrison paid to Long Kesh at a crucial point of the 1981 Hunger Strike, an account that feeds into the conspiracy theory building up around that momentous event and one which Danny Morrison hotly disputes.
Kevin 'Bap' McQuillan from Spingfield Park in west Belfast had a long involvement with the IRSP before quitting the party a decade ago. During the eighties he was first imprisoned on the word of supergrass Harry Kirkpatrick and later shot and wounded during the course of a bloody internecine feud. Currently McQuillan is a spokesman for the Republican Network for Unity. After examining the case put forward by the IRSP the RNU adjudged the evidence against McQuillan as 'inconclusive'.

Was he called 'Bap' after the bread to annoy the poo-poo extreme dieters in the H Blocks ?

[Katayusha Mk2]

As you mentioned honesty (or lack of it) are you really still trying to pretend that you yourself do not have an agenda, which is to establish a narrative of the Hunger Strike that matches your political political point of view irrespective of whether or not it can be supported by objective fact?

My only 'agenda' is that the truth be established. You seem to be fanatically defending the Adamsite position with increasingly painful desperation.

As for truth and integrity, I had to pull you up on the misleading statement you made, whether by accident or design, above. Of course I could have insisted you were lying but instead I gave you the benefit of the doubt. So catch yourself on with your puerile nonsense.

The statement was perfectly clear to anyone with a half a clue.

Now here is the link you requested (in which McQuillan rejects Morrison's claim that they discussed an offer). In light of the recent revelations, which both the IRSP and RNU both tried to cover up, McQuillan's account must now be called into question.

You don't even see that by focussing on this you highlight the gaffe on Danny Morrison's behalf where he acknowledges knowledge of the 'offer that was never made' and adds credence to O Rawe's claims. Again McQuillan has little significance in the overall debate concerning an offer that the Shinners have subsequently attempted to deny the existance of.

Given that I discussed the Ó Brádaigh stuff with you ad nauseam recently and that nothing much has changed I propose it (i.e. the contributions of R Ó B) be discussed on the thread you recently started.

There's that famous integrity of yours again. Pathetic.

Statement from Kevin McQuillan in response to Danny Morrison’s comments on Radio Foyle:

During the period of the Hunger Strikes(s) I sat on the Belfast Executive of the H-Block, then H-Block/Armagh Committee. I did so as the Republican Socialist prisoners’ representative. During this I time interacted and consulted with numerous senior members of the provisional movement in relation to the ongoing Prison campaign, and developments therein.

I wish to respond to claims made by Danny Morrison on Radio Foyle, yesterday April 6th 2009. I did take Danny Morrison (as I had other provisional representatives) to Long Kesh in July of 1981.

Whilst I have yet to personally hear the said interview, I am led to believe that Danny Morrison said that I was told of, or was already aware, of a set of proposals that were to be put to the prisoners, and that we had talked of this.

This did not happen. If he had of appraised me of such a serious development, my first point of reference would have been to contact the National leadership of the Republican Socialist Movement, in particular those delegated with the struggle within the Blocks. At no point had I cause to.

Clearly put…it did not happen.

Note: Morrison's interview should be found by following the link above

What a conundrum, are we to believe Morrison or McQuillan? I wouldn't trust either of them. Morrison has after all contradicted himself when claiming that no offer was made, when that was the PSF position. This is even within the article that you link to.

None of your clumsy contortions alter the fact that an offer containing 4 of the 5 demands was made by the Brits, relayed to and accepted by the prison leadership, rejected by a clique surrounding Gerry Adams without wider consultation with the leadership of the Republican Movement and subsequently denied to have ever existed by PSF representatives in later years. Do you dispute any of this?

[minstrelboy]

So many informers and UK state assets. It occurs to me that certain people may be diverting attention away from themselves. Are certain people being protected to protect the 'peace' process and British strategy in Ireland?

[Katayusha Mk2]

So many informers and UK state assets. It occurs to me that certain people may be diverting attention away from themselves. Are certain people being protected to protect the 'peace' process and British strategy in Ireland?

Certain people could be argued to have been 'protected' from investigation and assassination for decades in the interests of British strategy as they were seen by the British as people with whom they could do business.

[TheTipperaryMan]

At the time of his death, Billy Wright and his LVF factions were trying to reignite the sectarian conflict with a campaign of sectarian murder.

I don't care who knocked him off.

I'm just glad someone did.

[Katayusha Mk2]

At the time of his death, Billy Wright and his LVF factions were trying to reignite the sectarian conflict with a campaign of sectarian murder.

I don't care who knocked him off.

I'm just glad someone did.

Billy Wright was a British agent who went rogue. I would have preferred to have seen him spill details rather than spill blood and I'm speaking from the perspective of having known some of his victims since childhood.