RELATIVES WARN ABOUT INCREASE IN REAL IRA ACTIVITIES
Relatives warn about increase in Real IRA activities
By JACQUELINE COURTNEY
OUTRAGED RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb were spared further cruel anguish this week - but only at the eleventh hour.
Relatives had planned to picket a fundraising function for Real IRA prisoners to be held tomorrow (Friday) just three days after the anniversary of the bomb.
However, in a dramatic development earlier this week the fundraising event was called off in the face of intensifying controversy and pressure over the insensitive timing of the function. It had been planned to hold the event in a Belfast bar just days after the bomb anniversary.
Relatives are now urging the Irish Government to seize dissident republican funds being held in bank accounts.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son, Aiden, was one of the 29 people killed in the blast, said he had been monitoring the activities of dissident groups on the Internet.
He said: "They have continued to organise, recruit and try and solicit finance on a worldwide basis.
"One of the accounts that we have identified is an Allied Irish Bank account in Dundalk and one group is advertising for money to be put in this account.
"We think it is ethically wrong in what the bank is doing here," he said.
A spokesperson for the AIB Bank said the rules of customer confidentiality prevent AIB from commenting on individual accounts.
He said that in any case where there was evidence to suggest that potential accounts contravened their rules then the details are passed to the appropriate authorities.
Mr Gallagher, who is chairman of the Omagh Support and Self-help group, also believes that another atrocity like Omagh was avoided recently in Derry when police intercepted a 500lb bomb.
He said "Since Omagh there has been a slow but steady increase in Real IRA activities."
"As long as those people are out there it's only a matter of time before we have another potential terrorist event.
"I am very saddened by the fact that, even though this happened two years ago, nobody has been brought to justice despite the best efforts of the Gardai and the RUC.
Last week there was further revulsion for families on learning that Omagh Councillor, and 32 County Sovereignty Movement Chairman, Francis Mackey was planning to lead a delegation to an international conference on the right to self-determination, in Geneva last weekend. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has been alleged to be the political wing of the Real IRA.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Gallagher said: "We believe that Mr Mackey is the most unsuitable person to advance Human Rights and Humanitarian Rights of the Irish People in light of his group's association with the Real IRA."
He added: "The Real IRA blatantly disregards the will of the Irish People and were responsible for the worst atrocity in recent Irish history on August 15th 1998 in Omagh."
He welcomed the cancellation of the Belfast fundraising function, organised by the Irish Republican Prisoner's Welfare Association.
He had asked the decent people of west Belfast to send out a clear message that"
their particular brand of militant politics in not accepted in the context of the New Ireland, we now find ourselves in."
He challenged the British and Irish governments to clamp down on dissident republican organisations and said only for the Grace of God
they had not been another Omagh before and after August 15th 1998.
Continuing, he told the Herald "People have no idea about the pain this type of thing is causing there were tears in my household when we heard about the fundraising event."
"It has added to our belief that the British and Irish Government are not doing enough to disrupt and make life difficult for these people," he said.
It is understood that among the prisoners supported by the IRPWA are men accused of involvement in the IRA splinter group's activities.
The Irish republican Prisoner's Welfare Association is a political lobby group which has always maintained it has no links with the Real IRA and had nothing to do with the Omagh attack
By JACQUELINE COURTNEY
OUTRAGED RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb were spared further cruel anguish this week - but only at the eleventh hour.
Relatives had planned to picket a fundraising function for Real IRA prisoners to be held tomorrow (Friday) just three days after the anniversary of the bomb.
However, in a dramatic development earlier this week the fundraising event was called off in the face of intensifying controversy and pressure over the insensitive timing of the function. It had been planned to hold the event in a Belfast bar just days after the bomb anniversary.
Relatives are now urging the Irish Government to seize dissident republican funds being held in bank accounts.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son, Aiden, was one of the 29 people killed in the blast, said he had been monitoring the activities of dissident groups on the Internet.
He said: "They have continued to organise, recruit and try and solicit finance on a worldwide basis.
"One of the accounts that we have identified is an Allied Irish Bank account in Dundalk and one group is advertising for money to be put in this account.
"We think it is ethically wrong in what the bank is doing here," he said.
A spokesperson for the AIB Bank said the rules of customer confidentiality prevent AIB from commenting on individual accounts.
He said that in any case where there was evidence to suggest that potential accounts contravened their rules then the details are passed to the appropriate authorities.
Mr Gallagher, who is chairman of the Omagh Support and Self-help group, also believes that another atrocity like Omagh was avoided recently in Derry when police intercepted a 500lb bomb.
He said "Since Omagh there has been a slow but steady increase in Real IRA activities."
"As long as those people are out there it's only a matter of time before we have another potential terrorist event.
"I am very saddened by the fact that, even though this happened two years ago, nobody has been brought to justice despite the best efforts of the Gardai and the RUC.
Last week there was further revulsion for families on learning that Omagh Councillor, and 32 County Sovereignty Movement Chairman, Francis Mackey was planning to lead a delegation to an international conference on the right to self-determination, in Geneva last weekend. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has been alleged to be the political wing of the Real IRA.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Gallagher said: "We believe that Mr Mackey is the most unsuitable person to advance Human Rights and Humanitarian Rights of the Irish People in light of his group's association with the Real IRA."
He added: "The Real IRA blatantly disregards the will of the Irish People and were responsible for the worst atrocity in recent Irish history on August 15th 1998 in Omagh."
He welcomed the cancellation of the Belfast fundraising function, organised by the Irish Republican Prisoner's Welfare Association.
He had asked the decent people of west Belfast to send out a clear message that"
their particular brand of militant politics in not accepted in the context of the New Ireland, we now find ourselves in."
He challenged the British and Irish governments to clamp down on dissident republican organisations and said only for the Grace of God
they had not been another Omagh before and after August 15th 1998.
Continuing, he told the Herald "People have no idea about the pain this type of thing is causing there were tears in my household when we heard about the fundraising event."
"It has added to our belief that the British and Irish Government are not doing enough to disrupt and make life difficult for these people," he said.
It is understood that among the prisoners supported by the IRPWA are men accused of involvement in the IRA splinter group's activities.
The Irish republican Prisoner's Welfare Association is a political lobby group which has always maintained it has no links with the Real IRA and had nothing to do with the Omagh attack
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1407
Published Date: 17-Aug-00
Related Images
