Donal Fallon: History has recast Daniel O'Connell as a liberal icon, but he was no revolutionary
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The Journal
30 minutes ago
- The Journal
Irish business ties to Haiti could be key to securing release of kidnapped missionary Gena Heraty
AS IRISH DIPLOMATS work to find a way to free aid worker Gena Heraty in Haiti, the Caribbean country remains in the grip of a gang war. Significant Irish business connections in Haiti may be the key to securing the Irish missionary's release, sources have told The Journal. There are extensive Irish interests in the region. There is also a significant presence of Irish security personnel who are working for commercial enterprises. Some of those working in the area are former members of the Irish Defence Forces and others have worked for other State agencies – they are joined by other international colleagues working in security operations. A security source said that these ties may provide the answer to resolving the kidnapping such is the extent of their presence in the area. The Journal has reported extensively on the horror in Port au Prince and across the Caribbean state. One security source in the Caribbean and Latin America region said there has been a large increase in kidnappings as it is seen as an easy earner for the gang members who are now believed to control 90% of Port au Prince and its surrounds. Irish diplomacy has a small footprint in the region and their diplomatic efforts are largely handled through the United Nations in New York. There is no Irish consulate in Port au Prince. It is understood that an Emergency Consular Assistance Team (ECAT) has not been stood up by the Department of Foreign Affairs. ECAT teams – generally made up of experienced diplomats and Defence Forces members such as the Army Ranger Wing – are sometimes sent in to trouble spots to provide emergency evacuations of Irish citizens, and can also be deployed in hostage situations. Instead the Department of Foreign Affairs is anticipated to use the Irish connections with a strong base in the area to make contact with the gangs and to find a way to free Gena Heraty. Societal collapse Port au Prince is the size of Dublin with 1.2 million people living there and most are in desperate need of humanitarian help. There has been a collapse in Haitian society in recent years as gangs seek to take over the impoverished island nation. Reports from Haiti have said that there is widespread violence which includes systematic sexual violence against, children and adult women and men. A Kenyan deployment last year of hundreds of police officers to Haiti in a US-funded and UN-backed mission to help local law enforcement secure the country has struggled to make progress. A file image of children with their faces covered marching alongside gang boss 'Barbecue' in Port-au- Prince, Haiti. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Barbecue' and Viv Ansanm There are multiple gangs but the largest, Viv Ansanm, came about through an alliance between the two main factions operating in Port-au-Prince, G-9 and G-Pèp. Advertisement Last month the UN Security Council was told by Ghada Fathi Waly , Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), that 90% of Port au Prince was in control of the gangs. 'As gang control expands, the state's capacity to govern is rapidly shrinking, with social, economic and security implications. This erosion of state legitimacy has cascading effects,' Waly told the UN. The key issue is that these gangs control major trade routes and are able to turn off the supply of food and other humanitarian supplies. Kidnapping Gena Heraty was abducted along with seven others, including a three-year-old child, from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti, over the weekend. The incident saw gang leaders in the early hours of the morning breaking down a wall into her compound and seizing her and her colleagues. It not her first time being the victim of conflict in the area and Gena previously was injured in an attack. Kenscoff is located 10 kilometres to the south of the capital Port au Prince – this area of the country is controlled by Viv Ansanm. While there has been no official confirmation, multiple security sources in Haiti told The Journal that they believe it is Viv Ansanm that has taken Gena Heraty. The gang is run by a notorious Haitian war lord and former police officer Jimmy Chérizier – ominously known as 'Barbeque'. His goal is to take over the country and run it as his own state. Viv Ansanm has rifles and heavy weaponry supplied by Florida based weapons dealers – this has been confirmed by the markings on seized firearms. Jimmy Cherizier, aka Barbecue with masked gunmen in Port au Prince. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Looting of aid convoys The United Nations has said that the gang members, some of whom are armed children, have been participating in looting of aid convoys, hospitals and pharmacies. They have also been fighting pitched battles with Government and Kenyan forces – taking over largescale infrastructure such as the port and roads to the airport. The most horrific attacks have been perpetrated on the Haitian population, with mass killings against locals common as gangs move through communities. News agency AFP said the kidnapped Irishwoman, originally from Co Mayo, made connection by phone with her French based charity at the Sainte-Helene orphanage after being abducted. The facility is operated by humanitarian organisation Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters). That charity is headquartered in the eastern suburbs of the French capital Paris. Security sources said that this may lead to military involvement from French military special forces but noted that a mission would not be without significant risk both for the commandos carrying out the rescue and the hostages. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
President Higgins leads tributes to Irish filmmaker George Morrison who died aged 102
Prolific Irish filmmaker George Morrison has sadly passed away at the amazing age of 102, and Michael D Higgins was one of the first to pay tribute. The Waterford native was best known for the 1959 documentary film, Mise Éire, which presents a history of one of Ireland's most turbulent periods, culminating in the 1916 Rising and Sinn Féin's electoral victory in 1918. In light of his passing, President Higgins, who served as Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997, paid tribute to Morrison, hailing him as an 'iconic and foundational figure in Irish filmography'. Pic: Joe Giddens/The statement reads: 'As President of Ireland, may I express my deepest condolences on learning of the death of George Morrison. George Morrison is and will remain an iconic and foundational figure in Irish filmography. 'A filmmaker of immense craft and skill, he will rightly be remembered in particular as a great innovator in the techniques of film, using new and pioneering camera work while realising how film and music could be brought together in a way that is distinctive. 'His seminal works, including Mise Éire and Saoirse as well as his many other films including his early partnership with the Gate Theatre, comprise an outstanding body of work that has made a deep and lasting impact on Irish culture and Irish cultural memory. 'Mise Éire was created following a painstaking process through which George tracked down long lost or forgotten newsreels from the independence period in archives across Europe. This work led to the preservation of 300,000 feet of early 20th century newsreel footage which may have been lost forever without his work. 'I had the honour of bestowing the honour of Saoi of Aosdána on George Morrisson in 2017 and have also had the pleasure of meeting with him on many other occasions over the years, including when we marked his 100th birthday in Áras an Uachtaráin in 2023. 'On behalf of Sabina and myself, may I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and all those who have been so inspired by his work over the decades.'
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Oireachtas Committee recommends government take action to stop the approval of Israeli bonds
THE GOVERNMENT HAS been urged by TDs and Senators to engage with the EU to amend the law so the Irish Central Bank can refuse to facilitate the sale of Israeli State bonds. The Oireachtas Finance Committee, whose membership includes government TDs and senators, published a review today on Israeli bonds , which included recommendations for both the Irish government and the Central Bank. Commenting on the publication of the review, committee chair Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell said: 'The Committee is united in the position that the Central Bank of Ireland should desist insofar as is possible from the facilitation of Israeli bonds.' In recent months, the government and the Central Bank have been under mounting pressure to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli State bonds in the EU. Advertisement Under EU law, government bonds from countries outside of the EU must have their prospectus ( a legal document setting out the details of the bond) approved by the Central Bank of a country that is in the EU. In Israel's case, Ireland's Central Bank is the authority that approves the document that allows for their sale. Pro-Palestine activists in Ireland, alongside most opposition parties in the Dáil, have been pushing for the Irish Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli State bonds because of the fact they are used to fund Israel's military operations in Gaza. Explainer: Why are pro-Palestine groups calling for Ireland to prevent the sale of Israeli 'war bonds'? The Oireachtas Finance Committee sought to find out if there is a legal avenue open to the Central Bank to refuse the approval of a prospectus. The committee made 15 recommendations following its investigation. It recommended that ahead of the Israeli bond prospectus's renewal next month that the Irish Central Bank conduct an internal review to check that the application complies with existing requirements in relation to the level of disclosure, accuracy and transparency. Related Reads Gary Gannon launches legal action against Central Bank over approval of Israeli bonds Government rejects motion calling on it to stop sale of 'Israeli war bonds' Other recommendations were: That the government engage at EU level to amend the EU Prospectus regulations to permit individual Central Banks to refuse to act as a Competent Authority. That the Irish Central Bank engage with other central banks to develop a mechanism that would allow them to refuse to process any new prospectus certification requests. That the government considers what it can do on a national level to ensure that the approval of any prospectuses complies with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion in July 2024. Chair Mairéad Farrell said that as part of its review, the Central Bank should seek further information from the Israeli authorities. 'This should take into account the nature of the case taken by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention and the interim findings of the ICJ in that regard, the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 2024 in respect of the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and any other pertinent matters in respect of international law,' she said. Farrell added that the committee believes an amendment to the Prospectus Regulation to allow individual European Central Banks to refuse to act as Competent Authority is required in order to allow individual Member States to make decisions which align with their stated position and obligations under international law. 'The Committee further believes that the Central Bank is vested with powers that it has not yet exercised and makes a number of recommendations identifying areas which may provide the Central Bank with the opportunity to desist from facilitation of the prospectus. The Joint Committee encourages the Central Bank to exercise the powers available to it in this regard,' she said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
