( Republican ) Sinn Féin News releases

dublin | miscellaneous | press release Friday September 12, 2003 18:16 by Tiocfaidh Armani - Na Fianna Eireann info at fiannaeireann dot com Dublin

Republican News

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Joe Lynch, Munster Republican Sinn Féin
September 11, 2003
A new appeal for information concerning the disappearance and murder of Armagh man Gareth O'Connor who vanished on his way to a Dundalk police station has been made by a man who was in prison with him.

Republican Sinn Féin spokeman Joe Lynch from Limerick was on remand for allegedly breaking bail conditions when he became friendly with Gareth O'Connor in Portlaoise prison.

Last night Mr. Lynch said that Gareth O'Connor had only spent a short time in the prison before being granted bail but he had impressed many Republicans with his vision and honesty.

"There is no doubt but that he was killed by people who call themselves Republicans but many people today take part in acts that tarnish Republicanism," said Mr. Lynch who is PRO for the Munster Executive of Republican Sinn Féin.

"Gareth O'Connor's family, his parents, partner and children are suffering because they cannot give him a Christian burial. This is a cruel way to treat any family and today I am appealing to anyone who has any information on what happened to come forward and inform the family.

"There can be no justification for prolonging the agony being suffered by his parents, Mark and Bernie and his partner and their children. No true Republican would be so callous as to kill a man and deny his family the right to a Christian burial.

"There are many unresolved questions surrounding the abduction and murder of Gareth O'Connor but first I am appealing for the return of his body to his family so that their unbearable agony may be brought to an end."

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Seán McGoldrick, Dublin Republican Sinn Féin
September 11, 2003
Bertie Ahern may now be sorry he didn't listen to the anti-war in Iraq protesters who had called for the US to be denied the use of Shannon, the Crumlin cumann of Republican Sinn Féin said today.

Seán McGoldrick was commenting on the recent 640 job losses announced by the US company 3com in Blanchardstown and another 315 by Sneider in Celbridge.

"One of the cynical reasons put forward for allowing US military access to Shannon airport was because it was claimed that refusal would lead to US companies withdrawing investment from the State. We can be sure that if the US had been denied use of Shannon, as the huge numbers of protesters who took to the streets wanted, every announcement of lay-offs by multi-nationals would have been laid at our feet.

"We now see that these lay-offs are occurring anyway. We will not be fooled by people telling us neutrality has to be compromised to pacify multi-nationals who are in any case prepared to leave at any time that suits them," Seán McGoldrick.


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Des Dalton, Assistant Publicity Officer, Republican Sinn Féin
September 9, 2003
"Whilst welcoming the announcement yesterday ( Monday September 8 ) that political prisoners in Maghaberry prison are to be segregated 'arising from the so-called 'Steele Review', which found that the regime of enforced integration of Republican and Loyalist prisoners posed a serious risk to the health and safety of prisoners, Republican Sinn Féin points out that these risks were highlighted over two years ago by Republicans. All of these warnings were ignored by the British government, resulting in an ongoing campaign of physical violence directed against Republican prisoners."

"All of this of course was central to the British government's policy of criminalizing Republican prisoners, a core element of the overall 'Stormont Agreement' agenda of criminalizing Irish Republicanism. The long overdue segregation of political prisoners is but the first step in establishing the prisoner's right to political status, the same right for which the ten H Block hunger strikers gave their lives 22 years ago."