Death Threat to Galway Peace Activist

by paul o toole Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:06 pauljotoole at eircom dot net

At the Fianna Fail Ard Feis in Tralee 2004, I think it was the aid to brian Lennihan who came over to the protest and told those on the picket that he had a message from brian and that was that ...'there was nothing a shotgun wouldent sort out', ...as the cops watched on.
There is not only an ample ammount of moral and political cowardice amongst our public figures and everyone who supports them but copious ammounts of genuine cowardice in all other areas from those who support genocide.
Was it Bush went awol from the TexasAir National Guard, which he initially joined to aviod Viet-Nam. Was it Bertie and Harney who got a smooth ride from The Dunphy Show, in which afterwards Dunphy admitted that they would only agree to come on to answer pre arranged questions-cowards the lot- and Dunphy still calls himself a journalist.

Diddnt Hitler, Himmler, Goering and the rest of them take cianide and end their lives when the pressure came to bear for their war crimes, because in the final hour, they also were cowards to the core.
When people take the cowardly step to make threats annonymously, or threaten pickets from across the road, or shout insults from their speeding car or make phone threats, they are not to be feared.

I put them in the same class as men who beat up their wives and children because of their own sense of impotency, then threaten more for fear of being exposed - for what?...for being a coward....Threats work for them only if their are no consequences.
Id say most people who threaten, especially annomously, are having pschycological difficulties, gaps in their inability to face the fact that they do not conform to their own understanding of their own masculinity.

This country I believe is a 'Parasite Facist State', we dont even send a blood sacrifice to the front line, yet. We threaten our own people to justify war, we keep threatening them to keep the war valid, and we threaten anyone who challenges this notion of democracy.

!,200.000 murders in Iraq, 500,000 widows, 5,000,000 orphans, and a country blown back to the stone age.... and threats arrive on the doorstep of those who challenge this Genocide. I'm relieved somewhat that the women and men of 1916 are not arround to witness this, after all weve been through.

It was Brendan Behans nephew at the unveiling of a statue to Brendan that said.....'You are the most un-wanted, un-welcome, and un-invited guest. You stand against everything that Brendan Behan stood for by leaving Shannon open to the Americans'......This was said to An Taoiseach Bertie Aherne on the banks of the Royal Canal in Dublin at the unveiling....I hope that Bertie will be remembered for being the.....'Greatest Coward Of Them All'.....

by Edward Horgan - Peace and Neutrality Alliance Thu Mar 13, 2008 15:05

Peace activists being abused, by those who are profiting from war is nothing new. However the abusive phone call and death threat to Niall Farrell reaches a new low. This is not just an individual crank doing something on the spur of the moment. The person who made this call had taken the effort to find out Niall's number and had significant background information on Niall and his family.
We should not be surprised by such a vicious attack. Clearly many business people lost out on the profit from the Galway War Show cancellation.
I have also received some abusive mail and phone calls because of my opposition to the US military and CIA use of Shannon airport, but these were not nearly as serious as the threat to Niall.
Peace activists have no financial benefits to gain from their peace activism. On the contrary the costs in time and financial costs are very considerable over a number of years. Niall especially has been a very dedicated peace worker and successful organiser. It is likely that this is the reason he has been targeted.
It is important that we use such incidents to reinforce our commitment to the peace movement and our opposition to Ireland’s complicity in war. On my own behalf and on behalf of PANA and all the other peace groups I have been and am associated with, I express my solidarity and support for Niall Farrell.
Maybe we should take some comfort from the knowledge that these are the sort of ‘low life’ that supports and profits from war.
Edward Horgan

by Con Catha Thu Mar 13, 2008 17:46

Galway is becoming the locus of companies profiting from the war industry.

Rivada, the company of extreme rightist Declan Ganley, is heavily involved with the U.S war machine and is based in Galway.

http://www.rivada.com/about/keypersonnel/declanjganley.htm

Ganley also heads Libertas, a free-market propagandist organization. The 'free market' does not operate in the U.S. military-industrial complex, which just goes to show that Ganley is a phony.

CTL, a company headed by Dr. Conchur O Bradaigh, which does work for Raytheon and Lockheed, is also based in Galway.

http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20051006.htm

by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland Thu Mar 13, 2008 18:43 info at antiwarireland dot org

This is an appalling low and, in the context of the tragedy suffered previously by Niall's family, it is a particularly dispicable incident. It is clear that GAAW's excellent work over the past few years has rattled a few reactionary cages in Galway. Whoever made this phone call is the lowest of the low. Disgusting.

by Justin Morahan Sat Mar 15, 2008 09:20

The death threat to Niall Farrell is an outrage, despicable and shameful. Typically it was made by an anonymous, threatening coward..

If it was connected with the cancellation of the Galway Air Show, it only proves what we always knew - business people might speak in favour of peace but as soon as peace empties their wallets, or spoils their fun, their teeth get sharp. In a way it is a compliment to Niall that he was singled out - if the Galway Air Show was the reason, then the caller believes that Niall played a major part in ending the sick display of war planes that were used to kill children in Iraq "entertaining" children in Salthill.

The reference to Niall's sister and mother are also sick but typical of cowards who use their anonymity to depart from the decency they possibly display when using their own names.

I deplore the incident and offer my own solidarity to Niall for what it's worth

by Sean - Fianna Fail Sun Mar 16, 2008 01:01

The personal bitter filled attacks made by Mr.Farrell towards Cllr.Crowe this week were shocking, disgraceful and as Cllr.Crowe pointed out in this week's Advertiser libellous. His insinuation that Cllr. Crowe had anything to do with the alleged phone call was embarrassing to himself and his organisation. Even Keith Finnegan was laughing at him! Also the statement that Mr.Farrell contributed to Cllr.Crowe where he claimed Cllr.Crowe had said "they should get out of the city" was a complete fabrication, a downright lie! This has been confirmed by Keith Finnegan yet no apology is forthcoming from Mr.Farrell. While Cllr.Crowe is clearly unfond of the GAAW, he has always had the decency not to make attacks personal which is more than can be said for Mr.Farrell. His actions bring shame on his organisation.