Capitalist tyrant targetted by bomb on Co Louth border

louth | anti-capitalism | news report Wednesday August 16, 2006 14:53 by Kevin Murphy - 32 County Sovereignty Movement sarmagh32csm at hotmail dot com

Edward Haughey ( Lord Ballyedmond) targetted by 70lb bomb

Multi millionaire businessman Edward Haughey ( honoured by Britian with the title "Lord Ballyedmond") has been targetted in a bomb attack in Co Louth close to the border with South Armagh . A farm labourer discovered a 70lb device attached to a command wire at a house owned by the controversial pharmaceutical giant renowned for his aggressive stance against trade union "interference" in his business affairs , a high handed and bullying manner towards his employees and riding roughshod over the local ccommunities in which his homes and businesses are located . A former 26 county senator aligned with Fianna Fail in the early 80s he then switched formal allegiance to the British conservative party and later the Ulster Unionist party whom he represents in the British House of Lords .

The targetting of Edward Haughey with a large explosive device at his home is the first time the capitalist bully boy has come under the direct attention of republicans (whom gardai have identified as prime suspects behind the bomb attempt ) despite a lengthy past of provocative and cynical behaviour by the industrialist . Notorious for bullying and intimidating his workforce and neighbours , in the immediate aftermath of the 1981 hungerstrikes Haughey cynically invited British PM Margaret Thatcher to stay at his mansion in Rostrevor in nationalist south Down in what was felt at the time to be a deliberate insult towards the nationalist people of the surrounding area . He also allowed the private beach on his estate to be used by British Royal marine commandos as a resting point during boat patrols from their warship stationed in Carlingford Lough . These troops in particular had an extremely nasty and brutal attituide towards the local population and were regularly wined and dined by Haughey in his mansion residence .

Over the years numerous employees found themselves on the receiving end of Haugheys bullying and persecution with summary dismissals from the workplace being common at his Norbrook plant outside Newry . His plant is a major employer in what was a notorious unemployment blackspot and it has long been an open secret that if any governemnt or council action was taken against him Haughey had threatened to pull the plug on his business and take it elsewhere . Many of his employees have incurred his wrath over the years as he developed a reputation as a workplace tyrant and bully .
Haughey was also notorious as a british " justice of the peace" for a long period and developed a reputation for harsh sentencing for minor offences committed by people from the south armagh and Newry area . Despite all this he was never targetted throughout the troubles by the republican movement . It seems that now however his past ( and present) is catching up with him .
2 recent court cases involving Haughey involved a woman employed as his housekeeper in England whom he had wrongly accused of theft and persistently mentally harassed despite the death of her mother from cancer and a fisherman who owned land which bordered his estate which Haughey decided one day to simply annexe and claim for himself without paying the man a penny . He is currently engaged in a legal dispute with a small community in England who have made a planning objection to a restaraunt he has opened in their village . Haughey has threatened all the residents with legal action and sent solicitors letters to anyone who objected to his restaraunt informing them legal action would be taken against them if they didnt withdraw their objections . With the array of resources at his disposal and his membership of the powerful British establishment in no doubt many objectors withdrew their applications in the face of this threat .

In the light of their surrender of arms to the British governent by the Provisionals and their imminent joining of the British crown forces Haughey seems to have thought it safe enough to return to the border area in which he was born and was building a house on ground which was his former family home . It was at this property were the large device was discovered which will no doubt put his plans on hold . While there has been much speculation over the years as to why the Provisional leadership decided to leave him alone to do as he wished it seems a new generation of republicans have taken a different attitude completely to the tyrannical multi millionaire and have him in their sights if this planting of a substantial device on his property is anthing to go by . It seems a future happy retirement at his birthplace is no longer on the cards for "Lord Ballyedmond" and that his chickens may be coming home to roost .

Unlike himself .