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antrim | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Friday January 13, 2006 16:31

by Davy Carlin

Yet another piece?

It is like a big big jigsaw, with many many players and many many pieces.

Below is today's front page article from Daily Ireland. I give though firstly a few lines of an article I had written a few years ago in relation to the {once termed} Belfast SWP's response to this murder.

'Eventually we were to create a space from where a new form of working together, engagement, open discussion between various organisations and mobilising on common cause would take place.

It would be where the left and progressive forces were taking unified and mass actions on common beliefs - and a new working relationship between most of such organisations could and would begin.

'It had started back at the time when Daniel McColgan, a postal worker, was murdered by -loyalist paramilitaries. Our comrades with others pressed for action within the unions including that of the CWU (postal workers union) and within wider society.

With the then postal worker walkouts and a ground swell coming from below, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) was moved into calling for action. With that we worked relentlessly to build the march. In W/Belfast for example we went into shops, colleges, workplaces and community centres and argued for walkouts.

We met trade unionists and addressed groups of workers who wanted to know more. Our poster ‘Shut Down Northern Ireland’ went up in shop windows, community centres, bars, work places, colleges etc the length and breath of the West. This was being replicated by comrades in other 'communities, trade unions, workplaces colleges etc.

The press then carried half page pictures of Socialist Worker posters on the day of the stoppages, including on the front pages of the North’s largest papers, while comrades also spoke from platforms on the day. Our work having being recognised not only within aspects of the media, communities and workplaces that day, it was also eventually acknowledged by the ICTU.

We knew that such a demo eventually, thirty thousand strong, in Belfast was a 'vitally important issue and we had 'thrown everything into it with others to make it come around. We had seen people in their tens of thousands rally on a common issue and we had played a not unimportant role in it.

This was reflected afterwards where the SWP hosted a meeting after the rally and despite hiring out the bottom floor of Robinson’s nite club we still had to unfortunately turn away over one hundred persons who had wanted to listen to what we were saying, but no overspill rooms could be found. It was a lesson though we were to take into the following year and the Anti War Movement, that of a unity for a common purpose and of building for mass mobilisation

Daily Ireland

Man’s killers are agents

McColgan killers are ‘untouchable’

Ciarán Barnes

13/01/2006

A priest yesterday said it was believed the loyalist killers of a 21-year-old Catholic postman have escaped justice because they are police informants.

Speaking to Daily Ireland on the fourth anniversary of the murder of Daniel McColgan, Fr Dan Whyte described as ‘appalling’ reports the gunmen are being protected by elements within the PSNI.

EXCLUSIVE

A priest yesterday said it was believed the loyalist killers of a 21-year-old Catholic postman have escaped justice because they are police informants.
Speaking to Daily Ireland on the fourth anniversary of the murder of Daniel McColgan, Fr Dan Whyte described as “appalling” reports the gunmen are being protected by elements within the PSNI.
Mr McColgan was shot dead on January 12, 2002, as he went to work in a mail sorting office in the loyalist Rathcoole estate on the edge of north Belfast. The Red Hand Defenders, a cover name for the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), said it carried out the killing.
Within days of the murder, the names of two senior loyalists from southeast Antrim were being linked to the murder. One of them, now the UDA’s leader in the area, is reported to be a Special Branch informant.
Fr Whyte, whose St Mary’s on the Hill parish the McColgan family live in, said the feeling in the community is that the killers are being shielded.
“The names of the people who murdered Daniel are known among this community, that’s the feeling around here,” he said.
“The other common understanding is that the police know who was involved in the killing but they have not been touched because they are in positions as informants.
“These are the genuine concerns my parishioners have. It is absolutely appalling that the guys who did this are walking the same streets. They have committed murder, yet nothing has been done.”
Fr Whyte urged the PSNI to renew their efforts to bring Mr McColgan’s killers to justice.
He said that despite the murder occurring four years ago police chiefs should plough as much resources as possible into the investigation.
A spokesman for the PSNI said 12 people have been arrested in connection with the murder but there have been no charges.
He said detectives remain resolute in their determination to bring Mr McColgan’s killers before the courts.
Danny McColgan was one of four young men murdered by loyalists in southeast Antrim during a 12-month period between July 2001-02.
The others killed were Ciaran Cummings, Gavin Brett and Gerard Lawlor. The PSNI has yet to charge anyone in connection with these deaths.

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Comments (2 of 2)

Move on Davy!

by Nostalgic

Fri Jan 13, 2006 16:39

Belfast

Yeah, I'm sure that Davy and his comrades in the Belfast SWP did great work around Daniel McColgan's death, but so did other socialists and trade unionists across the North. The large-scale demonstrations were not only in Belfast where Davy was organising the working class, but in Derry, Omagh, Ballymena, Dungannon, Newry, Enniskillen despite - shock, horror! - Davy not being there to organise them.

I'm starting to get the impression that Davy thinks nothing ever happened on the left in Belfast when he was in the SWP except what they organised and now that he's left the SWP, nothing is happening except through his new vehicle Street Seen.

Give it a go

by D

Fri Jan 13, 2006 18:21

Hi, Nostalgic, gonna be getting even a wee bit more nostalgic in the next input of my Diary, and indeed even goin give youse a mention as well.

'Nostalga' is also a good way of learning from the past.

And yep, loads of others did good work around that issue - and we need more of it.

Indeed as I said, 'It was a lesson though we were to take into the following year and the Anti War Movement, that of a unity for a common purpose and of building for mass mobilisation', -

As it was that I had learnt to take then into the Anti Racism and Make Poverty History Movment etc - each time leanring valuable lessons.

Some call it 'Nostalga, others see it as educating others of - and learning from our history.

BTW why not use Indymedia to let us know what else is happening in Belfast., I can only put up what I know about. If you, or your organisation are doing something then let us know - as of course there are other things happening - but -

people will only know about them if you write about them -

-so give it a go and get all nostalgic on us - I'm sure most won't mind. D

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Comments (2 of 2)