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Real IRA: We murdered Denis Donaldson

Monday, 13 April 2009

Denis Donaldson

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The Real IRA is today expected to publicly claim responsibility for the murder of former Sinn Fein administrator Denis Donaldson at a commemoration event being held in Londonderry.

The dissident republican terror group is to use a 32 County Sovereign Movement Easter commemoration event in the city to read out a statement saying its members shot the west Belfast man in Co Donegal some three years ago.

Mr Donaldson, former head of Sinn Fein's administration at Stormont, was murdered at a remote Glenties, Co Donegal, cottage after leaving Northern Ireland when he admitted to years of work as a British informer.

In a Real IRA Easter statement carried by the Sunday Tribune yesterday, the group branded Mr Donaldson a “traitor”, a term recently used by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to describe dissident republicans after the murders of two soldiers and a PSNI officer.

The terrorist organisation also threatened to carry out armed attacks in mainland Britain as part of its campaign for a united Ireland.

It also warned young police officers they would be considered targets.

According to the Sunday Tribune, several hundred republicans are expected to gather at the City Cemetery in Londonderry today to mark the Easter Rising and to pay tribute to killed IRA members.

Wreaths will be laid and the 1916 Proclamation read. The newspaper said the oration will be delivered by a 32 County Sovereignty Movement representative who will be joined by “a member of the republican movement” to read out the Real IRA’s Easter statement.

Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness branded the dissidents traitors after they killed two soldiers last month at Massereene army barracks in Antrim.

The Real IRA’s Easter statement carried in the newspaper said: “A former comrade, (Martin McGuinness), has come full circle and with a knight of the British realm (Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Sir Hugh Orde) at his shoulder he has labelled our gallant volunteers as traitors to justify his Redmondite (anti-violent republicanism) stance and home rule politics.

“Let us remind our former comrade of the nature and actions of a traitor. Treachery is collaborating with the enemy, treachery is betraying your country.”

The Real IRA statement added: “Let us give our one-time comrade an example. Denis Donaldson was a traitor and the leadership of the Provisional movement, under guidance from the British government, made provision for Donaldson to escape republican justice.

“It fell to the volunteers of Oglaigh na hEireann (the Real IRA) to carry out the sentence and punishment demanded in our army orders and by the wider republican family.

“No traitor will escape justice regardless of time, rank, past actions.

"The republican movement has a long memory.”

Other threats made by the Real IRA included:

Attacks on Great Britain “when it becomes opportune”

High-profile targets will be sought but there will be no attacks on a daily basis

Young mainly Catholic PSNI recruits could be killed if they don't leave the force.

The Real IRA spokesman claimed, in an interview with the newspaper, that two Real IRA members armed with a sledgehammer and a shotgun broke down the door of Donaldson's cottage.

“He just ran into the back room.

There was a struggle and he ended up on the ground.

“He didn't cry out or plead for mercy. He remained silent all the time.”

The spokesman claimed the two weapons used to kill the soldiers at Massereene army barracks hadn't been found.

Security experts were surprised the Massereene getaway car had not been burned out.

But the Real IRA said it had been doused in petrol and was ablaze.

“Because a window hadn't been left open the fire burned itself out,” he added.

He also threatened policemen in Northern Ireland.

“Any young person fool enough to join the colonial police in the belief that the leadership of the Provisional movement will protect them or give them cover is sadly mistaken.”

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27 Comments

John McMahon asks if we have ever heard of the Miami Showband massacre and that UDR men were involved.
That does not mean that the whole of the UDR was involved or corrupt.
Iraqi prisoners were abused at Abu Grab by US Army personnel ,that does not mean that everyone in the US Army is guilty of the same .
London police shot dead a Brazilian in London because they thought he was an Arab terrorist, so by your logic the whole of the London police force is bad.

Posted by Stevie | 25.04.09, 04:31 GMT

Mary. Let me remind all good citizens of the truth. Most of us desire true peace for all Catholics and Protestants and others. However there are over 40 concrete/steel peace walls in Belfast separating the communities. 5% of each community go to integrated schools together. Over 70% of the population live in segregated areas. This is about 8-10% increase since the good friday agreement began. The peace walls have doubled. A recent survey showed 4/5 want true peace- that means 1/5 don't. Sadly, these are the true facts of life in Northern Ireland. People like Martin Galvin will add to the problems on the American side. I prayed for peace and voted for peace. I am not happy with the recent murders or these stats above. Hopefully sanity prevails.

Posted by Canuck | 14.04.09, 03:34 GMT

Apologies to Mary below if she is an ordinary peace-loving Irish American, whom I would respect. I was speaking in general terms regarding Northern Ireland aid from America which is ridiculous as there was no need for aid. Noraid and Martin Galvin and the Irish republican community in America clearly, and in fact, provided funds for terrorism, for about 30 years, and I'm certain that the real IRA would have supporters also. These groups cannot survive without funds or media attention. Withhold both, and they will disappear, because it will be fruitless for them to carry on. Mary, mark my words, sadly I doubt if they will disappear. I hope I am wrong, as I would love to see true peace in my native land.

Posted by canuck | 14.04.09, 03:13 GMT

Mary I beg to differ with you on that. As Canuck says, and rightly so, Where does the monies come from to support these THUGGISH MORONS? why Americans who spend up to $500 a plate on fund raising dinners.

Posted by Stuart | 14.04.09, 03:11 GMT

Give it up now, the rira have little support, the people of northern Ireland don't want you, that makes you traitors to the people of northern Ireland, you, the rira are the traitors, get out of your goldfish bowl and get a life, you won't win, we won't let you!

Posted by Mickyfin | 14.04.09, 02:29 GMT

Real IRA, ETA, the same rubbish.

Posted by Steve X | 13.04.09, 22:33 GMT

Sorry-they are the same as those from the past.Just because the provos have "ceased"doesn't make them angels.
ALL people murdered in pursuit of a political goal are innocent.

Posted by henry | 13.04.09, 22:12 GMT

this is history repeating its self ,,when the anti treaty fought the free state army the free state put it down by imprisioning or shooting anyone involved,,and if they had not the british would have been back in ireland,,,,,this is thugs ,,the only a all ireland will be achieved is by consent,,the overwhelming vote of the people is for peace ( not that will matter to thugs ) i watched the commemoration in derry on tv two hundred people including children ,,i feel sorry for theses people they can not move on with their lives,,,,god bless ireland many a fool ye raised

Posted by baily | 13.04.09, 20:36 GMT

watching these peices of rubbish walking on our streets ,i bet they were just out of their beds ,a bunch of lay abouts,time to take them out.

Posted by martin | 13.04.09, 20:26 GMT

These guys are a joke!

Posted by col | 13.04.09, 19:48 GMT

I feel sorry for anyone who has to put up with this sort of nonsense living in their heads. It is definitely a form of mental illness that plagues the vulnerable, the weak willed, and the socially inadequate.

The godfathers of these organisations have a way of appealing in particular to a certain substrata of society that usually fits into the following profile: of low intellect, sometimes to the point of being clinically retarded; bullied at home and/or school; history of participation in cruel sports and animal abuse; low self-esteem; easily lead and manipulated by simplistic arguments and dogma; often sexually frustrated or dysfunctional.

Organisations such as the Real IRA, provide an outlet for this type of damaged individual, that lets them assume a mantle of "normality" and credibility for their deranged, psychotic actions.

These folk need to be handed over or detected, then under care in an appropriate institution, so that they get the help they need.

Posted by Plannisaurus Rex | 13.04.09, 19:09 GMT

Canuck, this first generation Irish American does NOT support this type of thuggery, of that I can assure you! Jim has the right of it. Decent people, Catholic and Protestant, do not want these types of actions in Northern Ireland. They need to be called what they are - criminals and need to be dealt with as such!

Posted by Mary | 13.04.09, 18:19 GMT

Please do not detract from the issue at hand. Terrorists murdered a man. Yes there have been 1 or 2 bad apples in the UDR but they were never allowed to infect the many many good men and women who defended Ulster proudly and without fear.

Posted by Wesley | 13.04.09, 18:09 GMT

So Wesley, you served gallantly in the UDR. Good on you. I always though that gallant was a term used by one person to comment on the bravery of another.

My mother always said that self praise is no recommendation.

Posted by Fred | 13.04.09, 16:54 GMT

I cannot believe this.
what an outrage and a disgrace
I thought all that was finished
isn't there peace in northern Ireland now

Posted by sue | 13.04.09, 15:58 GMT

Undercover of this story, were shocking photographs of the Real IRA parading on the Falls Road carrying 'real' weapons. This is the proscribed organisation responsible for the killing of two soldiers at Masserine. Where was the PSNI - having an away-day? Why were these people not arrested? If some loyalist paramilitary group were to mimic this outrange on the 12th July, I wonder what the PSNI response would be?

Posted by Liz | 13.04.09, 15:54 GMT

Send the dissidents all over to America, and give them green cards. THE IRISH_AMERICANS seem to be the only ones who support these morons. Where else does their funds come from? The majority of the Irish people themselves don't support these fools.

Posted by canuck | 13.04.09, 15:37 GMT

Wesley, Internment was a huge failure the first time it was introduced and it drove many young men into the ranks of the IRA. I'm sure it would probably have the same effect if introduced again. As for the UDR never bending a knee to terrorists of any denomination, a lot of it's members definately bowed to loyalist paramilitaries, being members, supplying intelligence and weapons generally acting as a secterian force for the loyalist community.
The people of the nationalist community have had enough of these idiots and that lack of support is what will defeat them in the end. Nothing else.
It's a new era for the people of Ulster, and only working together can we move on. Using old techniques and ideas will only bring us back to the past.

Posted by Keetz | 13.04.09, 15:17 GMT

Why were these people allowed to get away with these threats to-day they should have been arrested and locked up .Bring back the B Specials they took no bull from anyone its a total disgrace .And as for John do you not remember it was thr UDR that saved gerry adams life you to have a short memory .

Posted by wilma | 13.04.09, 15:04 GMT

Time to get these people out of Ireland once and for all. It's a pity that Mars isn't habitable yet. They could go there and fight all they want.

Here's what to do.

1. Stop their benefits.
2. Brace for a riot.
3. Gather them all up and ship them off.
4. Bring back the motivated good people who took their families away to USA, Canada, Australia, etc, to get away from these maniacs.
5. Everyone who is left in Ireland can enjoy a peaceful life.
6. Wake up and have a bowl of cornflakes.

Stupid dreams.

But the fact remains, this needs to end somehow.

We don't want to live like this anymore.

They don't speak for Catholics and they don't speak for Protestants.

Who do they speak for? Drug dealers, benefit cheats, hoodlums, gangsters, the dregs of society. In other words, their own little band of gangsters.

I'm glad the people of Ireland have finally spoken up and shown their outrage. Now it's time for action.