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Fury as actress, Rose McGowan, tells film festival 'I would have joined IRA'
Friday, 12 September 2008
enlargeThe Hollywood actress Rose McGowan has been heavily criticised after expressing sympathy with the IRA ahead of the release of her new film.
The Italian-born star, who is most famous for her role as Paige Matthews in the series Charmed, said she would have joined the IRA if she lived in Belfast during the Troubles. McGowan, 35, stars in Fifty Dead Men Walking, a biopic based on the autobiography of the former IRA informer Martin McGartland.
"My heart just broke for the cause," she told a news conference before the film's world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. "I imagine, had I grown up in Belfast, I would 100 per cent have been in the IRA," she said. "Violence is not to be played out daily and provide an answer to problems, but I understand it."
McGowan's comments have met with angry ripostes – not least from Mr McGartland himself. He still lives in hiding because of the threat to his life from militant sympathisers. "It's easy to say this sort of thing when you live in LA," Mr McGartland told The First Post website. "Rose McGowan's comments were insulting to victims of IRA terrorism and she should apologise.
"She must have taken leave of her senses. Can't she see that such remarks are incredibly insensitive to the families of victims of the IRA? She clearly doesn't know anything about Northern Ireland."
Billy Armstrong, an Ulster Unionist assembly member, said the comments were "foolish and offensive". He added: "As an IRA member, would Miss McGowan have been happy to participate in the abduction, torture and murder of Jean McConville, a widow and mother of 10?"
The film, which also stars Jim Sturgess as McGartland and Sir Ben Kingsley as his British handler, is not the first to arouse controversy over the activities of the IRA. The actor Mickey Rourke, who sports an IRA tattoo, received approbation for allegedly claiming he donated part of his fee for the 1989 film Francesco to the terrorist group, though the charge was never proved.
The controversial comments from McGowan, who had leading roles in Scream (1996), Jawbreaker (1999) and Grindhouse, last year's two-part feature by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, come in the wake of a settlement between Mr McGartland and the film's producers over its content.
Chronicling his four years in the IRA from 1987 to 1991, Mr McGartland has protested that the "film is not a true account of my story as it puts me at the scene of torture and murders". He added: "I insisted on a new voiceover and a disclaimer at the beginning saying the film was inspired by my book, rather than being a true story."
Mr McGartland has now dropped a threat of legal action following a settlement which includes a payment thought to be about £20,000.
Mr McGartland was kidnapped after his cover was blown in 1991. He escaped by jumping out of a window and was later resettled with a secret identity in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle upon Tyne. His new name emerged after he was prosecuted for a driving offence, and in 1999 he was badly wounded in a gun attack blamed on the IRA. Since then, MI5 has moved him to a new location.
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112 Comments
I am an American. I was brought up reciting the 'Pledge of Allegiance' (to the American flag) in school. At home my family salutes the tricolor. In Ireland, I'm American, in America, I'm Irish. This is a concept many people in Europe cannot understand. I grew up with my gran putting a few dollars into a 'collection' bucket in Boston. I grew up with violent images of the UDA contrasting peaceful civil rights marches, that's how the news is presented. Before university, I went to Belfast for the first time without my family. Never before have I felt discrimination until my first night there when I realized I had no business being at that particular club, and I felt real hate, but I grew to see hurt on both sides caused by the IRA. I now have a much more informed opinion, one that you cannot get simply by living in America. Rose never met a catholic store owner whose shop was bombed by the IRA. I have, most American's haven't and so, her comments are both typical and common.
Posted by Jimmy Morrissey | 16.04.09, 17:36 GMT
Rose can say what she likes.
A lot of pople say they will do this and do that but never would.
Grow up the lot of you.
Posted by Big Tas | 27.02.09, 11:29 GMT
Rose can say what she likes.
A lot of pople say they will do this and do that but never would.
Grow up the lot of you.
Posted by Big Tas | 27.02.09, 11:28 GMT
It is quite obvious that Rose McGowan's mind is a blank page upon which anyone can write their own emotionally contrived version of Irish history.
Typical of her kind, she ignores the historical fact that by claiming to be catholic freedom fighters, the IRA gave rise to a distrust of all catholics & hence the bias & discrimination consequential thereof.
Either too sick or too stupid to observe the distrust & thus the bias & discrimination that IRA violence brought to bear against Irish catholics, Islamist terrorists are now doing the the same to their own people & one must assume that Rose McGown approves.
Posted by jock | 19.09.08, 11:15 GMT
I support Rose's comments. Even though I could not do harm to people of Northern Ireland, I undersand the fundementals of the IRA. The British were terrible to the Irish, both my ancestry. Although I do not wish violence to others, I understand the hatred that comes from being victimized.
Rose's comments aren't shocking - being of Irish decent.
Posted by D-Ann | 18.09.08, 22:59 GMT
What a cooment to come out with, who cares what this foreigner thinks and here narrow minded naive views. What role would she of played in the IRA the killing of innocent victms including women and childern and for what gain.
What is her view on what they have achieved over the years of the troubles.
Does she think now that it was all worth while, you now the cause and the struggle and all that?
She probly could not even point Northern Ireland out on map!
Posted by Andrew | 16.09.08, 19:27 GMT
Its not surprising when an american spouts garbage on a subject they know nothing about. Maybe I'm being too general but a lot of them dont understand or get Northern Ireland. For that matter a lot of English dont either!
Posted by Frank | 16.09.08, 16:19 GMT
What options did the Irish Catholic have should he have abided slavery to the English landlords. Should they have endured the humilation of being second class citizens and looked down apon by the English.
The Rebelion started back then and to quantify it by protestant and catholics is to sugar coat it so the world will not be embarrised by man's cruelity to his brothers.
Respect and Equality was the fire that burnt in there hearts to continue the fight and the way with life was passed on from father to son until now when hopefully equality is achieved.
The events of American, Germany and Northern Ireland I hope are not forgotten to prevent the cruel nature of man winning out over good.
In the end it was the English that did bite the welcoming hand of the Irish.
Posted by anon | 16.09.08, 14:24 GMT
oh dear a hollywood actress says something stupid... Best way to let the film maker's know how disgusted you are is to boycott the film. In these 'sensitive' times in Northern Ireland you'd think that the people promoting the film might have briefed their so-called star on things that one should avoid mentioning.
Posted by Jemma | 15.09.08, 18:03 GMT
Having observed the effects of the troubles almost every day on my family, I am disgusted by these repulsive comments from yet another ignorant, oafish American.
No more comment is needed, other than to suggest that this is a WONDERFUL way to raise publicity for a film. Hollywood is painfully transparent.
Posted by William | 15.09.08, 15:55 GMT
Who is Rose McGowan?
Posted by Liz | 15.09.08, 15:26 GMT
What about the native peoples of America ie the Sioux,Apache,Commanche　、does　Ｒose want to join their struggle,after all with a name like McGowan she does not sound like a native American so she must be descended from the people who displaced them.
Lets not talk about the enforced transportation and slavery of 1000s of Africans to America who could not sit at the front of a bus if they travelled in the US.
Rose should get an education and learn about the injustices in her own country before she makes naive and stupid comments about Northern Ireland based on a movie she acted in.
Rose , stick to casting spells with Shannon Doherty because you make yourself look like an idiot commenting on things you don`t understand.
Posted by STEVE DOUGLAS | 15.09.08, 13:23 GMT
Dave, I am actually from Armagh not from Georgia.
So, this makes me just as qualified as anybody to as you say "give history lessons".
By the way the history lesson was on the island and not on a fictious place called "our country".
Posted by Anthony, Tbilisi, Georgia | 15.09.08, 07:06 GMT
As an American, I am embarassed by this. Unfortunately, there are many Irish-Americans in different states that still speak in support of the IRA or the UDA/UVF (etc.). Truth be told, if you did not live in Ireland for the conflict, you don't know the pain EACH side suffered. I can not fully grasp that as I did not live there. My husband is from Northern Ireland and grew up during years of conflict in some dangerous areas. Maybe Rose McGowan should do some formal research about the troubles.
Posted by Amanda | 15.09.08, 02:14 GMT
This woman does not know what she is talking about a friend of mine was blown up on bloody friday his remains were shoveled into a plastic bag he was 15 years old identified only by his wrist watch does she want to associate with that
Posted by eddie | 14.09.08, 13:33 GMT
I wonder which part she would have played:
Making or setting bombs, putting drill bits through kneecaps, bullets through elbows and ankles. Would she feel as much pride at her first 'blooding' as she does with any of her acting achievements?
Posted by John | 14.09.08, 13:00 GMT
The best thing that happened to give peace to NI was the 9/11 attacks. They stopped the Noraid funding that was supporting the murding in NI. I bet the yanks would like it if we stood up on stage and said I wish I had flew that plane into the towers!
Posted by Norman | 14.09.08, 11:31 GMT
Rose McGowan , an actress on a show about the supernatural called "Charmed" , well that makes her highly qualified to talk about Northern Ireland ,sarcasism intended.I　wonder what her education level is , I　wonder is she has ever been to Northern Ireland.
I have been to the USA quite a few times and was astounded by peoples lack of knowledge of anything outside the USA , a very inward looking society.
The problem is that people nowadays seem to take the　Hollywood　movie　version as the truth.
Posted by STEVE DOUGLAS | 14.09.08, 01:19 GMT
Mo Chara,
While I agree with your comments about the UK following the US blindly into Iraq, the rest of it doesn't make sense.
You appear the be anti-war on one hand but pro-war on the other. Its quite simple, you should be one or the other. Your own politicians have realised that; why can't you?
They still hold their beliefs but at least they're willing to sit down and talk about it now. And they've apologised to the innocent victims. Could you persude the families of the 29 bomb blast victims and the man who lost his wife and two unborn twins in Omagh that that bomb was "good for Irish freedom" I doubt it!
Posted by Dave | 14.09.08, 01:01 GMT
Legend...At least she speaks the truth...
Its exactly the same as the english going to iraq...
Did they know what was going on??...Don't think so...
They just put there heads to try and act "BIG".. and whats the outcome???...
But at least the Irish were fighting for something.. The freedom of their country...
What are England fighting for in Iraq???
Well said Rose...
Posted by Mo Chára | 13.09.08, 18:10 GMT
112 Comments