Latest news with #BobbySands
Irish Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Charging Kneecap with terrorism offences brings out the inner republican in us
My inner republican rose up when I heard British police charged one of Kneecap with terrorism offences. The Brits: never not at it, I thought to myself. Yet another way to silence Irish voices and stifle Irish culture. My mind went back to Thatcherism and Nicky Kelly and even Bobby Sands. I finally reeled myself in when I got to the Penal Laws and 800 years of oppression. I'm not even a fan of Kneecap. I think they're sad panto nationalists, glorifying terrorism in tricolour balaclavas, from the safe position of not being directly affected by it. They do one thing on stage and say another off it, so to me, their authenticity is in question. They're the Wolfe Tones in tracksuits, as the punk poet Jinx Lennon said. But my defensive reaction to Kneecap's Liam Og O hAnnaidh being charged with terrorism offences for waving a Hezbollah flag was probably natural for someone who grew up in a republican house in the fraught 1980s and 1990s. I'm also a strong supporter of free speech and expression, even when I find that speech or expression deeply wrong - which I definitely do, in O hAnnaidh's case. Police said he's accused of displaying the flag 'in such a way or such circumstances to arouse reasonable suspicion he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation." Charging a young fella with serious terrorist offences in a situation like this is excessive heavy-handedness. Granted, there's a certain revolutionary cachet to it, for the rapper. But the reality is, he won't get into the USA if he has a terrorism conviction. That would be the end of Kneecap's American ambitions. However, that's their law, as anyone thinking of doing something like this in front of a crowd of thousands in Britain should know. Their courts will decide next month. Anyway, the whole case is an overall part of the culture battle around the Israel Gaza war that I find excruciating. It all seems petty palavar compared to the nightmarish realities of what's happening there on the ground. The tinfoil-hat theory that Israel rigged the Eurovision voting is more such nonsense. Some can't fathom how Israel came first in the public vote, so it must be a conspiracy. This is despite the fact the EBU says the voting system is one of the most advanced in the world, independently checked and verified by a huge team of people. RTE has requested a breakdown in voting numbers from the EBU and TD Paul Murphy urged the national broadcaster to review the votes. Why would Israel bother, and to what end? The more obvious explanation is voters liked Yuval Raphael's entry. She's a survivor of the October 7 attacks, who sounded like Celine Dion singing a Bond theme. The aim ultimately is to ban Israel from the contest over its military action in Gaza. It all seems so silly, but dark events this week put a new complexion on the cultural conversation around it. First of all, the world watched in horror as thousands in Gaza were brought to the brink of death by Israel's refusal to lift its 11-week blockade. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he only bowed to pressure to ease it as allies 'could not tolerate images of mass famine.' Then on Wednesday night, two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC were shot and killed while leaving an event at a Jewish museum. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were a couple in their 20s due to be married. They were leaving an event in the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect opened fire. He yelled: 'Free, free Palestine' when arrested. We're at a dangerous point in the world. The reality is we're all going to have to tread carefully when it comes to discussing this most contentious issue of our time. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
O'Neill defends attendance at Bobby Sands memorial event
First Minister Michelle O'Neill has defended her decision to attend the unveiling of a statue of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. The Sinn Féin vice president said it demonstrated her pledge to be a "first minister for all" because she attended a VE Day event afterwards. "A first minister for all looks like exactly what Sunday looked like for me," she said. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had criticised O'Neill's visit to the statue of the former MP in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast. The monument is being investigated by Belfast City Council as it was erected without planning permission. Mr Sands died aged 27 during the 1981 hunger strike, in which 10 republican paramilitary prisoners starved themselves to death. It was part of a protest in which they sought to be recognised as political prisoners during Northern Ireland's violent conflict known as the Troubles. The statue was unveiled to mark 44 years since his death. Speaking on Thursday, O'Neill told UTV News she was "very honoured" to visit the statue. "Bobby Sands is a huge figure, a huge iconic figure in terms of republicans here in Ireland, but also in terms of the whole historical political journey that we have been on," O'Neill said. "The hunger strikes marked a pivotal time in our history. So I was very honoured to be there and to be part of the ceremony on Sunday." She said she attended the Bobby Sands unveiling and then "I went on to attend the service at St Anne's Cathedral to mark the end of World War II". "That's a first minister for all in actually demonstrating in actions that I will fulfil that promise." On Tuesday in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the DUP's deputy leader said Bobby Sands was "not a freedom fighter" but a "member of a brutal terrorist organisation". Michelle McIlveen added: "To honour his legacy is to reopen the wounds of the past." She said the "first minister's attendance in Twinbrook on Sunday was a wilful decision to reopen that hurt". Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said the statue was erected on its land "without our permission". "We can confirm a new memorial was placed on our land in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast," the housing body said in a statement to the BBC's Nolan Show. "This was done without our permission or knowledge and we are currently looking into the situation." It comes after Belfast City Council earlier this week said planning approval is "normally required for outdoor public artworks including sculptures and statues that are being installed on a long-term or permanent basis". "As the council has not received a planning application for this statue to date, it is investigating the matter and cannot comment further at this time," it added. A Sinn Féin spokesman said the issue was "a matter for the organising committee". The Bobby Sands Trust said it "was not involved" in the statue plans but it would "doubt if anyone locally would object". Bobby Sands statue investigated by council planners
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bobby Sands: First Minister defends visit to west Belfast statue
First Minister Michelle O'Neill has defended her decision to attend the unveiling of a statue of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sinn Féin vice president said it demonstrated her pledge to be a "first minister for all" because she attended a VE Day event afterwards."A first minister for all looks like exactly what Sunday looked like for me," she Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had criticised O'Neill's visit to the statue of the former MP in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast. The monument is being investigated by Belfast City Council as it was erected without planning permission. Mr Sands died aged 27 during the 1981 hunger strike, in which 10 republican paramilitary prisoners starved themselves to death. It was part of a protest in which they sought to be recognised as political prisoners during Northern Ireland's violent conflict known as the Troubles. The statue was unveiled to mark 44 years since his on Thursday, O'Neill told UTV News she was "very honoured" to visit the statue. 'Pivotal time in history' "Bobby Sands is a huge figure, a huge iconic figure in terms of republicans here in Ireland, but also in terms of the whole historical political journey that we have been on," O'Neill said."The hunger strikes marked a pivotal time in our history. So I was very honoured to be there and to be part of the ceremony on Sunday."She said she attended the Bobby Sands unveiling and then "I went on to attend the service at St Anne's Cathedral to mark the end of World War II"."That's a first minister for all in actually demonstrating in actions that I will fulfil that promise." On Tuesday in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the DUP's deputy leader said Bobby Sands was "not a freedom fighter" but a "member of a brutal terrorist organisation".Michelle McIlveen added: "To honour his legacy is to reopen the wounds of the past."She said the "first minister's attendance in Twinbrook on Sunday was a wilful decision to reopen that hurt". 'Without our permission' Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said the statue was erected on its land "without our permission"."We can confirm a new memorial was placed on our land in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast," the housing body said in a statement to the BBC's Nolan Show."This was done without our permission or knowledge and we are currently looking into the situation."It comes after Belfast City Council earlier this week said planning approval is "normally required for outdoor public artworks including sculptures and statues that are being installed on a long-term or permanent basis"."As the council has not received a planning application for this statue to date, it is investigating the matter and cannot comment further at this time," it added.A Sinn Féin spokesman said the issue was "a matter for the organising committee".The Bobby Sands Trust said it "was not involved" in the statue plans but it would "doubt if anyone locally would object".
ITV News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
First Minister Michelle O'Neill defends decision to attend Bobby Sands statue unveiling
The First Minister has defended her decision to attend the unveiling of a statue that marked the 44th anniversary of the death of IRA hunger striker and MP Bobby Sands. Michelle O'Neill and other Sinn Féin members were among those who visited the memorial garden in west Belfast over the weekend, a move that has been criticised by the DUP. Belfast City Council has subsequently revealed it is investigating whether the statue was built without planning permission, after saying it did not receive an application for it. In response, Ms O'Neill has said that the matter is an issue for those who erected the statue. She said: "Firstly, I was very content and very happy actually to attend the unveiling and to be there and to see the statue. "Bobby Sands is a huge figure, a huge iconic figure in terms of republicans here in Ireland, but also in terms of the whole historical political journey that we have been on. "The hunger strikes marked a pivotal time in our history, so I was very honored to be there and to be part of the ceremony on Sunday. "A First Minister for all looks like exactly what Sunday looked like for me. "I attended the Bobby Sands unveiling. And then I went on to attend the service at Saint Anne's Cathedral to mark the end of WW2. "That's a First Minister for all and actually demonstrating in actions that I would fulfill that promise." Sands died on May 5 during the 1981 hunger strike, aged 27. The father-of-one had been elected an MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone less than a month before his death.
Irish Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Belfast council says it did not receive a planning application for Bobby Sands statue
Belfast City Council has said it did not receive a planning application for a Bobby Sands statue unveiled at the weekend and is investigating the circumstances. The statue of the IRA hunger striker and MP was erected at the Republican Memorial Garden in Twinbrook on Sunday to mark the 44th anniversary of his death. The council said on Wednesday it had not received a planning application for the sculpture and is investigating the matter. A Belfast City Council spokesman said: 'Planning permission is normally required for outdoor public artworks, including sculptures and statues that are being installed on a long-term or permanent basis. READ MORE 'As the council has not received a planning application for this statue to date, it is investigating the matter and cannot comment further at this time.' Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was among the dozens who attended the statue's unveiling at the weekend. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she visited the statue on Sunday and called it 'a powerful tribute'. Sands died on May 5th during the 1981 hunger strike, aged 27. The father-of-one had been elected an MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone less than a month before his death. Seven IRA prisoners and three from the Irish National Liberation Army died during the hunger strike.
