
Man who was face of IRA in US on escaping arrest from RUC, 'traitor' Denis Donaldson and using Playboy to further republican cause
For almost two decades, he was the public face of the IRA in the US. New York lawyer Martin Galvin was regarded as so dangerous by the authorities here that he was prohibited from entering the UK.
In August 1984 he defied the ban to appear at an anti-internment rally in west Belfast.

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Spectator
9 hours ago
- Spectator
Must we forgive the 7/7 bombers?
'Bear in mind these dead, I can find no plainer words,' wrote the Northern Irish poet John Hewitt reflecting on the Troubles's terrible death toll. How we remember the victims of terrorism and articulate the harm it causes comes to mind today, the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 Islamist attack on London's transport network. The bombings killed 53 commuters and sentenced hundreds more to a life without limbs, eyes or peace of mind. Many of the victims of 7/7 have spoken in detail about how they have used sometimes miraculous escapes to reframe their lives and give them new purpose. Others have spoken about the freedom and closure of forgiveness. Those who have suffered inconceivable pain through the sudden kinetic brutality of terrorism, either as victims or the bereaved, have every right to process how they make sense of it in their own way. But I worry that the busy hand of reconciliation that seems to elevate forgiveness above all other reactions leaves those simply – and legitimately – angry untouched. Much is made of the Christian instinct to forgive those who trespass against us. The father of Marie Wilson, murdered in the 1987 Enniskillen bombing, became famous around the world for forgiving the terrorists who killed his daughter in the rubble feet away from him. It exposed the moral vacuity of the IRA's campaign like nothing else could. But for every Gordon Wilson, there are other victims of terrorism who cannot forgive and who will not move on. Their experience is every bit as valid. In the Christian tradition, forgiveness is also contingent on repentance. In the case of 7/7, there is no one left to seek absolution for their grave sins. The suicide bombers denied their victims any possible closure in a final act of nihilistic wickedness. Subsequent attacks by Islamist militants have only demonstrated an increasingly depraved indifference to human life. Several survivors of the atrocity have said they still see the faces of the four bombers whenever they close their eyes. There may be forgiveness for some. But for many there is no forgetting this side of the grave. I have sat with several victims of terrorism who are implacably consumed with hatred for what has been done to them or theirs. The fashionable consensus is that these people damage only themselves with unrelievable rage. Many well-meaning clinicians argue that letting go of such emotions and moving on with life is the psychologically healthy option. We must be extremely wary of somehow labelling such emotions as a 'second-class' response. Anger can sometimes give birth to new purpose or even a way of going on for those affected. Not everyone can or should subscribe to the 'don't look back in anger' Disneyfication of events like the Manchester Arena bombing. Candles and flowers are a natural expression of community grief and resilience but the closer you are to the epicentre of a terror attack, and the more they happen regardless, the more disfiguring reflexive forgiveness can seem. Survivors of the 7/7 bombing have found their own way to handle what was done to them. All responses, including simply wanting to forget, are equally valid and must be endowed with the same dignity. The government is currently considering the idea of a national day of remembrance for the victims of terrorism. Any arrangements must not seek to constrain the different ways people process violence against them or their loved ones. Gill Hicks, a 7/7 survivor, provides another perspective. She lost both legs and spoke movingly on the BBC's Women's Hour today about her ordeal. An extraordinary presence of mind kept her alive, fixing tourniquets to her shattered limbs. Other survivors spoke about fellow passengers holding the dying as they slipped away, the heroic emergency response, the comfort of strangers in an inconceivable hellscape of noise, dust and suffering, the forging of lifelong friendships in adversity. These behaviours cannot defeat the terrorists. But they signal something beyond their comprehension which we can use on days like these: they will never crush love.


Belfast Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Nama Trial ends: What's next for Jamie Bryson and Daithí Mckay?
All three had repeatedly denied the charges. The charges relate to controversy following the sale of Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio. Nama, the so-called bad bank created by the Irish government to deal with the toxic loans of bailed-out lenders during the economic crash, sold its 800 Northern Ireland-linked properties to investment fund Cerberus for £1.2 billion. Jamie Bryson made headlines in 2015 when he used privilege in a finance committee meeting to claim that then first Minister Peter Robinson was benefiting from the sale of the portfolio. Robinson said the claim was 'without one iota' of evidence. Judge Gordon Kerr KC said he was satisfied that Mr Bryson, who has ambitions of pursuing a career as a barrister, had lied under oath in the trial – allegations he strongly denies. How did the trial unfold and what's next for the Nama story? Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph Journalist Liam Tunney, who has followed the trial extensively.


Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Sports star used iPhone cord to pretend he had cancer to scam thousands of people
With a 'tube' up his nose and lying on a 'hospital bed', the photo appears to be of Ireland's most famous sports stars being treated for cancer. There is one problem – he didn't have cancer. DJ Carey, seen as one of the greatest hurlers of all time, has pleaded guilty to pretending to have cancer to trick people into giving him money. The sports legend even conned Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien into giving him money to fund cancer treatment. Carey, 54, pleaded guilty to 10 counts related to defrauding people out of money while pretending to have cancer at the Circuit Court in Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice on Wednesday. The sportsman won five All-Ireland titles and nine All-Star awards in hurling. Hurling is a stick-and-ball field game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin played by men and women. Carey has been described as the sport's 'first superstar' and a 'hurling legend'. However, he was said to have tricked his victims into making a monetary payment to him between 2014 and 2022 after saying he needed money to fund cancer treatment. Since pleading guilty, an image of Carey with 'tubes' up his nose and lying on a 'hospital bed' has resurfaced. The image, thought to have been sent to his victims, appears to show an iPhone cable taped to his face. Carey was charged with inducing him to make a payment to him between January 2014 and late 2022. Carey's defence team told the court that while cancer was referred to in the indictment, the sports star 'does have very genuine health conditions' which required surgery for a heart condition last year. They told the court he must attend check-ups periodically and that evidence from his surgeons can be provided. Despite his legendary status after he retired from hurling, Carey publicly battled financial problems. In May 2011, Allied Irish Bank (AIB) secured an initial debt repayment court order for about £7.3million. However, this debt was then reduced from nearly £8.2million to £51,000 in a settlement with AIB in 2018. In 2015, speaking on RTE's Ray D'Arcy radio show, Carey said: 'I am not one of those who would say 'I don't care' about repaying debt.' 'You borrow money, it should be paid back.' Carey appeared in court in late 2023 charged with 21 counts under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, with a four-week trial expected to take place this year. He was due to stand trial on deception charges at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. About 28 witnesses were expected to give evidence for the prosecution at trial. But the prosecutor told the court that Carey would be entering guilty pleas, with a sentencing date now set for October 29. Carey has been remanded on bail until then. The hurling star's fall from grace follows a period of celebrity status after retiring from hurling in 2006. Carey's family members are also well-known in the world of Irish sport. His sister, Catriona, was a member of the Ireland women's field hockey team, while his brother Martin was also a hurler. One of the most high-profile cancer-faking scandals unfolded a decade ago with influencer Belle Gibson. In 2015, it was uncovered that the Australian wellness influencer, who had built an online community and profited off the back of selling a story about being diagnosed with cancer, was a fraud. The author of The Whole Pantry mobile app and cookbook claimed to have had malignant brain cancer that she managed through diet, exercise, natural medicine, and alternative medicine therapies. More Trending After an investigation regarding the legitimacy of Gibson's claims that she was donating a sizeable amount of her income to charities, it was discovered she'd lied about her age, personal life and actually having cancer at all. She eventually confessed, admitting that 'none of it's true'. Gibson was convicted in 2017 of engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct and fined $410,000 (£211,000) for breaching consumer laws. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Beautiful and much-loved' mum and daughter, 6, killed in car crash named MORE: The origin story of Baby Guinness reveals you've been doing the shots all wrong MORE: Irish musician and comedian cancels all of his gigs for the year