Seán South Reports 'riddled with inaccuracies'

national | miscellaneous | press release

Wednesday January 07, 2004 18:56

by Na Fianna Éireann - The Republican Movement

info at fiannaeireann dot com

Dublin

Evening Herald and the gutter press

1909-2004 Unbowed and Unbroken

Seán South Reports 'riddled with inaccuracies'
Des Long, Vice President, Republican Sinn Féin
January 6, 2004

The well worn phrase "gutter journalism" is too refined a term to describe the front page story published in the Dublin based Evening Herald on Monday 5th January 2004 in the wake of the annual Seán South commemoration in Limerick, the vice president of Republican Sinn Féin said today.

"To describe children marching in "paramilitary regalia" is not only a distortion of the facts it is an insult to the noble Republican scouting organisation founded in 1909," said Des Long the Limerick based vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin.

Des Long from Shannon Banks in Corbally said that he also acted as secretary of the local Seán South Commemoration Committee responsible for organising the annual event in Limerick.

"I feel compelled to issue a public statement to denounce the awful distortions and blatant falsehoods contained in this piece of so called journalism," he declared.

"There were no children in paramilitary regalia in Limerick at the parade - there were members of Na Fianna, a scouting organisation that has been part of the Republican Movement since 1909 when it was founded by Countess Markievicz and Bulmer Hobson, a Protestant political figure prominent in the demand for Independence.

"Na Fianna have taken part in every Seán South commemoration since 1957 and the fathers and mothers of those who took part on Sunday had also attended commemorations when they were young as members of Na Fianna. In fact a recent court case found that the uniform of Na Fianna cannot be construed as paramilitary.

"This type of weasel word journalism is the latest in a campaign of attacks on Republican Sinn Féin because the organisation has opposed the failed Stormont Agreement.

"This front page piece is so riddled with inaccuracies that I must point out that Bernadette Sands has never been the leader of, nor a member of Republican Sinn Féin - the leader of Republican Sinn Féin is Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, a former TD who won his seat on an abstentionist ticket.

"Far from being shocked the people of Limerick came out and attended the Seán South commemoration - in fact his funeral was the largest ever seen in Limerick, attended by church and state figures and his sacrifice was embraced by the vast majority of the people of this country.

"Contrary to the report, there were over 200 people present at his graveside on Sunday-the figure of fifty quoted in the paper referred to the number of highly paid political police there!

"In his 'analysis' piece Peter Howick reaches new levels of invective - but if he thinks that dragging in words like Nazi and Hitler will tarnish the aspiration of the Republican Movement he is gravely mistaken. We have heard it all before!

"Republican Sinn Féin has opposed the Stormont Agreement on the grounds that the Agreement is flawed - and it cannot bring about a real and lasting peace because of its inherent contradictions. promising closer integration to the Unionists and a united Ireland to the Nationalists. In fact the Agreement has ingrained sectarianism as evidenced by the latest political impasse. Instead Republican Sinn Féin advances its ÉIRE NUA policy of a Nine County Ulster within an all Ireland federal state free from the British presence which is the root cause of conflict in Ireland.

"Finally I wish to confirm that the only accurate piece in the entire coverage was where the newspaper stated that 'Republican Sinn Féin are still attracting new members.' "

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Comments (6 of 6)

Fed Up

by Fed up

Fri Dec 31, 2004 20:24

This man and many others died for what they believed in. for injusice and the down trodden. To free the weak from the strong.
We Must remember them, but not let there sacrifice go in vain and move on in peace, in an Ireland that is a fitting epitaph for them.

Lone Arsehole

by Canteen Kevin

Tue Jan 13, 2004 13:14

Feel better after getting that off your chest do you? How do you equate Sean with being a "terrorist lover " when he merely pointed out the hypocrisy of you penning articles using a militaristic pseudonym. Crawl back to your play pen now like a good little boy.

Cos it makes you think

by lone gunman

Fri Jan 09, 2004 20:58

Maybe Sean Walsh the terrorist lover could contribute somthing worthwhile like a reason ten year old kids are dressed up like their killer big brothers,fathers,uncles and other so called" freedom fighters"
Get somthing into your collective balaclaved heads.You are not fighting for my freedom or 95% of the peoples of Irelands freedom. We dont give a fuck about you and your idiotic ideal of a 32 county free of the Brits.if you lot would wake up to the 21st centuary you would see that it is EUROPE that is now running this place and the UK. May I suggest that you try attacking and blowing up some EU ministers and Brussless ?or is that too much to be expected from the Hahah hardmen of the Irish freedom movements?
Gobshite!

'riddled with inaccuracies'

by Me

Fri Jan 09, 2004 18:24

And there was me thinking that the virgin mary lover had been riddled with bullets.

Re: Lone Gunman

by Sean Walsh

Fri Jan 09, 2004 18:19

If you're so against violence etc as your sarcy reply to the article suggests. Why is your pen-name that of a sniper?? Rubberhead!!

Boy it was really sunny

by Lone gunman

Thu Jan 08, 2004 22:47

In Limerick last Sunday.All the "boy scouts" needed sunglasses.
Funnily how the boyscouts of RSF looks soooo much like what you see the killer flag parties at the propaganda fests of dead terrorists. AKA paramilitary funerals. Black berets,green "British" army sweaters,web belts,black berets.How many merit badges do you need in Fianna Eireinn before you get an AK47 and balaclava? Is there a merit badge in knee capping,semtex handling,and intimidation?

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Seán South Reports 'riddled with inaccuracies'

Comments (6 of 6)