by Kevin Meagher
By now, you’ve probably heard of Jean McConville, the Belfast mother of ten who was brutally murdered and “disappeared” by the IRA in 1972. You’ve probably not, however, heard of Joan Connelly.
She was another Belfast woman, a mother of eight, who was also brutally killed back in the early 1970s. She went to aid a young man who had just been shot in the street before the same British soldiers turned their rifles on her, shooting her in the head and body.
Her injuries were so serious that half her face was blown off. Joan’s husband could only identify her, on the third attempt, as he recognised her red hair.
This was in August 1971 during Operation Demetrius when internment without trial was brought in to target “IRA ringleaders”. Weak intelligence and the sectarianism of the Stormont government instead saw hundreds of ordinary Catholics arrested and jailed, (but not a single loyalist).
Northern Ireland erupted and in the ensuing tumult, eleven people were killed by the British army over a two-day period in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast. As well as Connelly, soldiers also shot dead a Catholic priest.
Although the Police Service of Northern Ireland has just spent 96 hours grilling Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams about Jean McConville’s heinous murder, there will be no similar effort expended investigating Joan Connelly’s.
We know this because Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers last week ruled out setting up an inquiry into the Ballymurphy killings.
It’s worth pondering this sequence of events. Just two days before Adams was arrested over one high profile murder four decades ago, the circumstances of an equally appalling series of murders were effectively brushed under one of the thick pile carpets in Hillsborough Castle by Villiers. And all this during a key set of local and European elections.
It is possible that the Police Service of Northern Ireland did not bother to inform the Northern Ireland Secretary that they were going to arrest Gerry Adams last week; but it’s surely unlikely. Adams’s appointment with police was by prior agreement. He wrote to them requesting a meeting. They knew he was coming in. The political ramifications of his arrest demanded that Villiers should have been aware too.
This is why Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein are now complaining about “dark forces” and politicised policing. Indeed, former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain raised a similar issue last night.
Hain’s point is that it becomes impossible to show these things are treated even-handedly when no soldiers have ever been charged with the Ballymurphy killings, or even the murders of 14 civil rights demonstrators in Derry on Bloody Sunday, (despite Lord Saville’s forensic inquiry which determined that they had been unlawfully killed by soldiers).
Ministerial eyes have been off the ball in allowing Adams to be arrested while at the same time ruling out an inquiry into Ballymurphy. This clumsy conflation has given the clear impression that the historical abuses of republicans will be pursued but the shocking actions of the British state will not be. Of course, republicans are reading this as a not-too-subtle threat: don’t poke around in our back yard or we’ll poke around in yours.
After the botched alliance between the Conservatives and the Ulster Unionists at the 2010 election (which failed to secure a single seat), Theresa Villiers cannot allow any perception to linger that she is fishing for unionist votes by vigorously pursuing republicans while soft-pedalling on the British state’s failings.
The Northern Ireland Office needs to sharpen up its act and Number Ten needs to pay far more attention to Irish affairs than it has done under David Cameron. The settlement in Northern Ireland will always be brittle; all weak smiles and forced cordiality to mask burning and eternal resentments. It can’t withstand the political incompetence of Westminster dilettantes.
All this is probably far from the minds of Jean McConville’s children, who naturally enough want some measure of justice for their mother and recognition for the effect her murder has had on their lives too. Despite Gerry Adams’ questioning and the arrest of former IRA commander Ivor Bell, they may never get the justice they seek.
But we now know for certain that Jean Connelly’s family won’t.
Kevin Meagher is associate editor of Labour Uncut
Tags: Jean McConville, Joan Connelly, Kevin Meagher, Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers
Lets get something straight about PIRA/Sinn Fein. They are not ‘freedom fighters’. They are murdering scum who are still up to their necks in prostitution, gun-running, drug smuggling, illegal diesel, people trafficing, alcohol and tobacco smuggling, illegal gambling, toxic waste dumping, taxi licensing, extortion and protection etc etc etc.
Their two most effective units – East Tyrone Brigade & South Armagh Brigade ( which were basically half a dozen extended families – Hughes, Murphy, O’Neill, Rafferty, Arthurs, Campbell and a couple of others) are the backbone of the new IRA off-shoots basically because they were making so much money from red diesel carouseling pigs and wheat to abuse variations in EU subsidies between the Republic and Northern Ireland and moving young east European women who had been forced into prostitution, that they were unwilling to stop as they needed the cover of militant republicanism.
Gerry Adams has already been condemned as a traitor by the new RIRA, CIRA and whatever other names it calls itself and sentenced to death in his absence (along with McGuiness and a few others). Thankfully, one of the IRA’s good traits is it invariably ends up killing anyone who makes peace with ‘The Brits’ – as Michael Collins amongst dozens of others will testify. And long may that trait continue.
If there is evidence to arrest and question someone then arrested and questioned they must be. And if they evidence to charge someone exists then charged they must be. And if it clashes with an election then tough-titty.
They could have waited till after the election and then arrested Adams. If he had been charged now, just think of the hell let loose in NI. It would be taking NI back to the pre Good Friday Agreement. A lot of the IRA were not at all pleased with what they consider Adams selling out. But they are the minority. People are sick to death with the guerilla warfare carried out between protestants and catholics; as bad as the war between sunnis and shiites. The rest of Britain are also fed up with their security being put at risk because of tje internecine warfare between two religions. We wish they’d both go away, disappear, aand leave the rest of us in peace.
So Peter Hain is right. Draw a line under that episode, and move on.
So Adams having been named as a suspect in 72′, arranges to go to be interviewed under caution, you print it’s possible the PSNI, didn’t tell Tersea Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary, and thats an example of a dark forces, you also mention ,the a toires and UUP aligning, and that not a single seat was won. Same as SDLP being associated to labour, and no seats, although, post troubles, it would be great if as part as the UK. The two main parties could say they have their own equivalent of their parties , the reason that the two equivalent parties of Labour and atory don’t have seats mis the DUP and Sinn Fein, have taken more of their votes,it’s called democracy, shame as the UUp are the equivalent of one nation Tories and for us the SDLP are the party it’s better Labour Party members want to win, regarding justice never coming, each individual case should be based as such, Hain has been completely discredited lately on both N.I and .Israel so his views are hypocritical as for the reference to Bloody Sunday, there’s talks of prosecutions, but you forgot to mention, the lack of prosecution, for the hyde park bombing of 1982.
Well said Tafia
Can’t we have a referendum in England Wales and Scotland about divorcing from Northern Ireland. Those who want to come to the mainland are welcome those who wish to stay carry on by yourselves, sink or swim.
Unless the mainland political parties remove the convention that they do not campaign in NI and parachute non partisan candidates into constituencies, otherwise the political situation will continue to be a sectarian/religious problem. This would allow I suspect the silent majority to vote for non sectarian/religious candidates and you may get a more balanced Assembly and representation in the HoC.
John Reid: would you expect the Home Secretary to be informed if, oh please, Nick Clegg was arrested, was she informed when the criminal Huhne was, I suspect not. It is not for the Northern Ireland Secretary like the Home Secretary to be involved in operational police matters. Hain is and always will be a political opportunist who supports whatever is best for Hain and nobody else. The man disgusts me, both as a politician and human being, in fact he is only slightly better than Blair if that is possible.
@Bob Unless the mainland political parties remove the convention that they do not campaign in NI and parachute non partisan candidates into constituencies
Unfortunately they would all lose their deposit. Northern Irish politics revolves around one thing and one thing only – your religion. In 99% that denotes your opinion on the border – protestant for it, catholic against. Sin Fein republican catholic party, SDLP nationalist catholic party. DUP working class protestant party, UUP middle class protestant party. The only other party of note is the Alliance Party which is similar to our Lib Dems – clueless as to where it stands on anything and voted for largely by fanatasists and folk music fans. Therefore any mainland party – Lib Dem, Tory, Labour etc because they support a United Kingdom are unionist and as a result most of the catholics will not vote for them. It is utterly impossible to remove the dominance of the border issue in Northern Irish politics. You have to decide for or against and that will decide whether catholics or protestants will give you the time of day. If you try and ignore it you will just get folk music fans voting for you.
Any other issues – defence, education, NHS etc etc are minor issues of little signficance to them. The border dominates everything.
Tafia,isn’t Labour a nationalist Catholic party,and the Tories a Middle class Protestant party?
John, in the eyes of a Northern Irish voter if you believe in a United Kingdom you are unionist. If you accept the Queen as head of state you are unionist. Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, are unionist. From what I see around me, Labour is also fast becoming a middle class party and quite a considerable number of working class vote Tory.
The SDLP (their equivalent of Labour) is civic Nationalist – ie it wants out of the UK but by peaceful democratic means , but out. Sinn Fein is also working class but they are Republican and not only want out of the UK, but also seek to overthrow the government of Dublin and re-install one that adheres to the original republicans and the 1916 proclamation and all that jazz. They (SF) retain the ‘right’ to do both by force of arms if needs be. Neither Catholic party (SF or SDLP) sees their future as anything other than a united Ireland, the difference between the two being as to what sort of united Ireland – a Republican one or a Nationalist one.
The DUP and UUP are unionist, and worship the Queen like you would not believe and are not interested in a united Ireland and would take up arms to resist any attempt to force Northern Ireland into one – you only have to look at that nonsense over the union jack at Belfast city hall and the Orange parades and more importantly the Loyalist Orange Order (virtually all unionist politicians are practising and very proud Orangemen)
Bizarrely, in a united Ireland because political parties are so close and coalitions the norm, the DUP/UUP would actually be a formidable bloc vote in a united Dail and would spend most if not all of the time in government. So a united Ireland would actually suit them even though they are dead against. Also, the majority of the population of the Republic do not want Northern Ireland – they regard it as an economic basket case (which it is)
@tafia
> Northern Irish politics revolves around one thing and one thing only – your religion. In 99% that denotes your opinion on the border – protestant for it, catholic against
No longer. According to the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey there has been a large shift of opinion amongst Roman Catholics. This is a report from 2011 and the figures have been maintained afaik:
“The survey, which was conducted between October and December last year, found just 33% of Catholics wanted Irish unity on the long term. More than half of Catholics said they would prefer to stay in the UK, a view shared by 90% of Protestants.
The survey is conducted annually by Ark, a joint project by Queen’s University and the University of Ulster, for the Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Over the years it has shown high and rising Catholic support for the Union coupled with distrust of unionist parties.
In 2005 the figure was 25% of Catholics wishing to remain in the UK and there had been a similar figure for many years before that. ”
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/survey-most-northern-ireland-catholics-want-to-remain-in-uk-28628245.html
The arrest of Gerry Adams is a welcome sign that the PSNI are willing to investigate murder suspects without fear or favour.
I suspect that Sinn Fein have severely damaged themselves with their conspiracy theories.
Gerry Adams is on record as calling for historic crimes to be investigated. There is no reason why he should be an exception. His involvement in directing the IRA never mind his frontline activities as a commander in Belfast, is well documented.
The three sentences I wrote “It is utterly impossible to remove the dominance of the border issue in Northern Irish politics. You have to decide for or against and that will decide whether catholics or protestants will give you the time of day. If you try and ignore it you will just get folk music fans voting for you.”
Is borne out by the part of the article you link ” In 2005 the figure was 25% of Catholics wishing to remain in the UK and there had been a similar figure for many years before that. However, very few Catholics defined themselves as unionists or were prepared to vote for a unionist party. Despite 52% favouring the Union in the current survey, only 1% was prepared to vote for the DUP and 1% for the UUP.
By contrast, only 1% of Protestants said they would favour a united Ireland. However, 82% said they could accept it with some reluctance if it came about after a democratic vote.”
Catholics will not vote for a party they perceive as unionist and likewsie protestants will not vote for a party they perceive as nationalist/republican. And that makes the border the dominant issue.
Tafia
“If there is evidence to arrest and question someone then arrested and questioned they must be. And if they evidence to charge someone exists then charged they must be.”
Does this also apply to the Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy,MRF etc etc etc are is it just Republicans and the occasional loyalist that will have their collars felt??