Free Dessie O'Hare

national | miscellaneous | press release

Tuesday October 07, 2003 11:14

by Saoirse - Free Dessie O'Hare Campaign

Irish Republican Socialist Party
http://www.irsm.org/irsm.html

Statement on behalf of the Free Dessie O'Hare Campaign, delivered at
the Seamus Costello Commemeration

5 October 2003
Irish Republican Socialist Party
http://www.irsm.org/irsm.html

Statement on behalf of the Free Dessie O'Hare Campaign, delivered at
the Seamus Costello Commemeration

Desmond O'Hare was born on 26 October 1956 and comes from a staunch
Republican family. Dessie's grandmother did six months in Holloway
Gaol for "keeping Republicans". His father and six of his uncles were
interned between 1940 and 1944. One uncle died while interned on the
Isle of Man.

Dessie became active in the Republican struggle from the age of 16
and one of his Officers Commanding in the IRA was John Francis Green,
later assassinated by Captain Robert Nairac.

Dessie was jailed for life in 1988 and is currently the O/C of the
INLA prisoners in Castlerea Prison. He has endorsed and fully
accepted the INLA ceasefire. That statement said among other things:

"That the conditions for armed struggle do not exist".

"We acknowledge and admit faults and grievous errors in our
prosecution of the war".

"Innocent people were killed and injured and at times our actions as
a liberation army fell far short of what they should have been. For
this we as Republicans, as Socialists, and as Revolutionaries do
offer a sincere, heartfelt, and genuine apology".

Organisations which are on ceasefire are entitled to the early
release of its members under the Good Friday Agreement, which says
that all political prisoners convicted of offences committed before
April 1998 should be released. Dessie O'Hare was not released.

The Irish government has refused to free him in contravention of the
Good Friday Agreement even though Dessie was a leader of the INLA at
the time of the kidnap. Indeed the former Minister for Justice,
Equality, and Law Reform, Mr John O'Donoghue, has publicly
stated, "He is a qualifying prisoner".

The GFA in its entirety includes the early release of 'qualifying
prisoners' meaning those prisoners whose organisations
are 'maintaining a complete and unequivocal cease-fire'. Dessie
O'Hare is such a prisoner who has been denied the benefits of the
early release scheme as laid down in Annex B, Section 2 of the
Agreement which the Irish electorate voted for.

Dessie has been demonised by the media and by certain politicians who
labelled him the "Border Fox". He has been seen by experts at the
request of the Irish government in an attempt to keep him imprisoned
on the grounds of his mental state. They could find no such grounds
for his continuing incarceration but this was an attempt to emulate
the tactics of Stalinist USSR in labelling opponents of that
regime 'mad'.

Dessie's "crime", if 'crime' it was, was to be an active Republican.
His co-accused, Edward Hogan and Fergal Toal, have already been
released under the Agreement even though they were convicted of the
same offence.

Dessie is being victimised, discriminated against, and demonised by
the state authorities. And yet his activities were no different from
those of hundreds of others released under the GFA. We will, over the
coming weeks, be stepping up our campaign, where pickets and protests
will be placed on constituency offices and private residences of
those politicians who are charged with enacting the Agreement in its
entirety but who have failed to acknowledge the democratic will of
the people.

Dessie O'Hare is no different from hundreds if not thousands of
Republicans. He played his part in the struggle. It is now time he
was released. The governments started releasing the first POWs under
the terms of the GFA four years ago and Dessie is beginning his 24th
year behind prison bars. Dessie has been in jail continuously since
1979 (with one year's exception, 1987) and in all of them 23 years he
hasn't been given a single days temporary release despite many family
tragedies including the death of his father (RIP).

The case of Dessie raises issues over and above either the
personality or deeds of Dessie O'Hare. Fundamentally it goes to the
heart of the Good Friday Agreement. We in this campaign have been
skeptical about that Agreement but we say now implement not just the
spirit but also the letter of the GFA. Carry out the wishes of the
Irish people and release Dessie O'Hare now!!!

###

Free Dessie O'Hare Campaign
http://www.irsm.org/irsp/free_dessie/

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Comments (33 of 33)

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And If We Refuse?

by Righteous Pragmatist

Tue Oct 07, 2003 11:59

Are you going to kidnap a dentist demand a ransom and chop of his fingers if you don't get your way?

crap

by Shelly

Tue Oct 07, 2003 14:35

#####We acknowledge and admit faults and grievous errors in our prosecution of the war"."Innocent people were killed and injured and at times our actions as a liberation army fell far short of what they should have been. For this we as Republicans, as Socialists, and as Revolutionaries do offer a sincere, heartfelt, and genuine apology"#####

The text is not that of O Hare it is from a previous INLA statement over 4 years ago.

####Dessie's "crime", if 'crime' it was, was to be an active Republican. .### O hares crimes are well documented,How they were 'Republican" has yet to be established.

numbskulls

by pat c

Tue Oct 07, 2003 14:38

if the first 2 comments had been directed towards the sp swp or lp then they would have been deleted. the selective policy as regards what is trolling does not help build an image of impartial indy editors.

Well, if the first comment were directed to the SP, LP, SWP then it'd be ludicrous

by R Isible

Tue Oct 07, 2003 14:47

Why? Because none of their members have kidnapped people and cut their fingers off. See the difference Pat?

The dog dont bark

by Sammy

Tue Oct 07, 2003 14:49

joins the INLA while in prison and then assumes the status of political prisoner! The inclusion of INLA prisoners is tenuous at best. Including this dog is a stretch too far

some indy editors not impartial

Tue Oct 07, 2003 14:57

editors delete comments on the grounds of abuse for far less than those comments. risibles actions as an edsitor are clearly politically motivated.

woof woof

by sammy

Tue Oct 07, 2003 15:07

at least something is politically motivated. Was cutting off of a bank managers fingers or the murder of a cop political?
speak on it dessie

what was the name of his organisation.. IRB not the INLA.

Pat

Tue Oct 07, 2003 15:19

You know nothing about my political motivations. If I've missed comments that are abuse then it's because I spend so much time fielding your paranoid accusations. If you posted less and thought more then there'd be less garbage for editors to wade through.

risible the censor

Tue Oct 07, 2003 15:50

risible hass now demanded that i be removed from the editorial list.

what i know about his politics is that they are far from democratic. he is outraged at the idea of anyone disagreeing with him.

dessie

Tue Oct 07, 2003 15:55

well dessie was never convicted of killing any cops. but if you are referring to the killing of an ruc member; then yes i would say it was political. part of a war old boy. ruc men were armed to the teeth y'know.

i dont support the action of cutting off the dentists fingers, it was savage. but it pales in comparison to the actions of people who have already secured release under the terms of the gfa.

Now now pat don't let the drama queen part of your online personality . ..

by ec

Tue Oct 07, 2003 16:03

... bubble to the surface.

Lets compare and contrast deletions in an adult manner.

The reason R Isible is pissed with you is because of your habit of hitting the reply button to the editorial list and being too lazy (despite polite requests) to delete the sometimes very long mails (deleted articles) that come along with your posts to the lists. I use a hotmail account and it pisses me off too as I just got 75+ IMC related mails today and the ones from you had the biggest K size by far. Your laziness could make the difference between me maxing out the size of my inbox and missing an important mail and that not happening.

I think maybe you are pissed off by your new 'backstage' moniker more than anything else. Aidan surpassed himself with that one ;-)

The comment you are so incensed by is satire btw. Maybe you should spend your oodles of spare time campaigning for the removal of the lieutenant of inismore from the olympia stage.

editors like risible are the real drama queens

Tue Oct 07, 2003 16:31

"The reason R Isible is pissed with you is because of your habit of hitting the reply button to the editorial list and being too lazy (despite polite requests) to delete the sometimes very long mails (deleted articles) that come along with your posts to the lists."

i am not the only one, i usually remembere to delete the other stuff. indy editors also leave stuff on.

" I use a hotmail account and it pisses me off too as I just got 75+ IMC related mails today and the ones from you had the biggest K size by far. Your laziness could make the difference between me maxing out the size of my inbox and missing an important mail and that not happening."

raise the laziness of others on the editorial list why dont you?

"I think maybe you are pissed off by your new 'backstage' moniker more than anything else. Aidan surpassed himself with that one ;-)"

i have no idea what you are on about.

"The comment you are so incensed by is satire btw. Maybe you should spend your oodles of spare time campaigning for the removal of the lieutenant of inismore from the olympia stage. "

and maybe you would spend more time trying to ensure a consistent policy of deletion.

i dont think risible is fit to be an editor.

just checked back

Tue Oct 07, 2003 16:44

even this am one of the indy editors failed to delete unnecessary text. i'm sure you were too busy to notice it. but he doesnt get abuse from risible or you.

Wasting Your Time Pat

by Cynic

Tue Oct 07, 2003 17:06

I was on the IMC Editorial Lists once but just got fed up. Its dominated by the editors who are a bunch of Ego Trippers. A lot of discussion takes place off the Editorial Lists. The Editors have their own list where they discuss what really happens and sneer at the rest of Inymedia users.

Double standards

by Son of Risible

Tue Oct 07, 2003 18:15

If anyone called a member of the Socialist Party a dog , Risible would delete it straight away. But its ok to abuse INLA members. Daddy isnt showing a good example to me.

grrrrrrrr woof

Tue Oct 07, 2003 19:13

Dessie was not originally a memebr of the INLA. He was attempting to set up and finance his own group to free ireland. Thats why he chopped off the fingers of a hard working individual and mailed them to his family. Why dessie appears more of a patriot to you than his victim, ill never know.
how much is that dessie in the window?

So What

by K9

Tue Oct 07, 2003 19:40

Isle Of Dogs

Dessie was not getting money for himself. He is now in the INLA and is a qualifying prisoner under the terms of the Good Fri Agrt. Loyalists and British soldiers who have murdered people , not just cut off fingers have been released.

stone cold lie

Tue Oct 07, 2003 20:13

"The Editors have their own list where they discuss what really happens and sneer at the rest of Inymedia users." Cynic - a complete and utter lie

"even this am one of the indy editors failed to delete unnecessary text. i'm sure you were too busy to notice it. but he doesnt get abuse from risible or you" - What abuse pat? I never brought the subject of untrimmed mails up - and what's more I never dragged (and misrepresented) minor shit like this onto the wire in the hope of having a little flamewar.

Aidan's moniker - 'The Mary Whitehouse of Indymedia'

I support R Isible 100%. He puts a shitload of work in here and responds in an exemplary way to constructive criticism.

If you have problems with deletions being inconsistent and want to raise them on the wire then trawl the archives and show us here what you are so het up about.

Yourze fratenrally

ec

Dessie is an Irish Revolutionary

by Dessie Supporter

Tue Oct 07, 2003 21:58

I have to say that I am not al all surprised by the anti-republican bile that has been spouted here. Even the minister for Justice has said that Dessie is a qualifying prisoner.

Dessie was fighting the REVOLUTION in Ireland while some people here were busy supporting similar struggles in Palestine and Cuba and other distant struggles. Dessie led by example. He took up arms to fight an occupying force while the trolls here were standing in the safety of meeting halls selling the SW.

If Dessie was a Palestinian prisoner fighting for his release by the Israelis then you would be joining the call for his release.

revolution

Tue Oct 07, 2003 22:58

please tell how dessie was helping a revolution.
In 1987 he was a criminal not engaged in activities against the british forces , not part of any organisation doing so, and duly convicted for his henious crimes.
woof woof, he is only qualified to join md dog mcglinchy in that big republican dog pound in the sky. Do all dogs go to heaven?

This is a gray area

by Feelsgood

Wed Oct 08, 2003 04:20

There was a political vacuum in the Nortn, so of course gunmen were able to fill it with some tenuous claims to legitimacy. Now a framework is in place (just about, bt mandated by everyone on the isle) so there is no way that violence can be condoned or excused. it's over, finished, kaputt.

Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:02

"stone cold lie
by ec Tuesday, Oct 7 2003, 7:13pm

"The Editors have their own list where they discuss what really happens and sneer at the rest of Inymedia users." Cynic - a complete and utter lie "

i would agree with eamon on this, i dont put any credence in secret lists.

" What abuse pat? "

the abuse i got from risible and the attack that you brought on to this list.

"I never brought the subject of untrimmed mails up - and what's more I never dragged (and misrepresented) minor shit like this onto the wire in the hope of having a little flamewar."

i never wanted a flamewar, risible harrassed me offline and i specifically said i didnt want a flamewar but i would defend myself if he attacked me on the editorial list.

you might note that he demanded i be expelled from the editorial list directly after i suggested he be consistent in his deletrions.

i dont consider his demand that i be thrown off the list minor.

again i will point out that two (2) people other than me posted untrimmed mails to the list yesterday. i wonder if they got mails from risible?

"Aidan's moniker - 'The Mary Whitehouse of Indymedia'"

come on now, call that wit? you'd be half right. if he had come out with something like cotton mathers i'd give a dry chuckle.

but i wont be deterred from pointing out inconsistencies in deletions by editors.

"I support R Isible 100%. He puts a shitload of work in here and responds in an exemplary way to constructive criticism.
"

so asking that i be expelled is an exemplary way to respond to criticism! the only times he has raised untrimmed mails is when i have challenged editorial decisions.

i think risible is a rude egotistical clown and is not fit to be an editor.

"If you have problems with deletions being inconsistent and want to raise them on the wire then trawl the archives and show us here what you are so het up about."

i have consistently done so on the wire, you have agreed with me on occasion. are you saying that i havent questioned editors decisions on numerous occasions? i would hope that more people would join the editorial list and see for themselves.

regards

pc

Dessie

by Oona deathlist

Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:30

Dessie is less dangerous and more trustworthy than Ian paisley/Hugh Odd bored. The british government in the past has let the likes of their unreformed hired mass murderer Johnny Adair out, whilst Dessie who has not been convicted of murder, and has not murdered anyone is kept in prison indefinitely.

Lets put Dessie's 'crimes' in context, he has not murdered anyone or taken anyones life. The phenomenon of Dessie 'O' Hare, a principled bandit is exclusive to a particular era and geographic location in Ulster's past which may not come again. All Dessie has done is kidnapped a rich industrialist, to exact funds for the INLA. Now a widespread practise used by both guerilla and junta militias in Latin American countries.

Dessie is now a reformed which is more than can be said for the likes of Johnny Adair and Ian Paisley. Like most republicans Dessie has embraced the peace process and a new era.

Brit military personnel on the other hand are stuck in the past and cannot see beyond their bitter prejudice and hatred. To them Dessie is the scourge of the brit military establishment, the one that got away, slipping out of the grubby clutches of the SAS and dodging the brit military war machine 'shoot to kill' policy.

The Brit military establishment believe Dessie should be dead, laid to rest along with all the other mythical bandits of the past. They are sickened that some day Dessie may emerge out of the depths of prison, to some day experience a freedom from brit state military dominance/oppression/interference he never knew when both outside and inside prison in the early seventies.

Kidnapping

by Drbinoche

Wed Oct 08, 2003 23:38

So he should be let go, because the rest of the terrorists are free. Well he wasn't a member of the INLA when he kidnapped the dentist, he became a member in prison. Even if he was, he should not be set free, he cut a mans fingers off for no good reason. The ransom was not being refused, and was not being tracked or anything, he just chopped the guys fingers off. So lets put it into context, I kidnap someone who needs their legs, Dave Beckham or something like that. Someone who relies upon their legs to make a living no matter how expensive that living is, or anything of that matter, the man depends on his legs to make his living. The dentist needed his fingers to effectively work as a dentist, now irrespective of whether or not he was a millionaire, a billionaire anything, he was dependent on his fingers to maintain his work. So Mr. O'Hare chops off his fingers. And then expects his crime to go unpunished. He has embraced the Peace process, or so he claims. Well Johnny Adair embraced the peace process to get out of jail under the GFA, and look what he did shortly after leaving prison, so whose to say O'Hare won't do the same. It could all be a ruse to secure his release. I personally do not think he should ever be released, he is a danger to society and a danger to the peace process. Besides he is probably safer in prsion, if he got released there would be a large bounty on his head and also alot of people would love to take a crack at him. Hes safer where he is.

drbinoche

Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:02

whether you like it or not dessie is a qualifying prisoner under the gfa and will be getting out.

incidentally, 3 psychiatrists and a psychologist have judged dessie to be sane. i doubt if many on indymedia would pass such a rigorous test.

drbinoch still talking shit

by TPT

Thu Oct 09, 2003 14:11

Tell me drbinoche is your IRA relation still in Portlaoise?Your full of shit.Dessie was in the IRA long before he ever went to prison and was in the INLA a good while before he went inside and all.His missus sees fit enough to forgive him for shooting her so I don't see why a little lying maggot like you can't.

woof

Thu Oct 09, 2003 15:57

dessie was a memebr of his own bizzare group the IRB. NOT a qualifying prisoner.

Dentist kidnapper , dog ,not a freedom fighter

Sammy You're Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Thu Oct 09, 2003 16:50

As a member of the INLA, an organistion on ceasefire, Dessie qualifies under the GFA. This has been recognised by the Minister for Justice (sic).

endorsing the free state

Thu Oct 09, 2003 17:37

so what. the minister is wrong. Dessie is a threat to society and should pay for his crimes.He is not political and his crimes have no political motivation. It is like the rangers thug campbell attempting to get transferred to the maze after stabbing a catholic teen in glasgow.
He was a former memebr of the IRA and later joined the INLA. If he was incarcerated for something he did as a member of those orgs then let him off his leash , but that is not the case.
Sociopathic criminals belong in jail.

My Relative

Fri Oct 10, 2003 00:25

Well actually my relative is out of Portlaoise, he served his time and was released and irrespective of what he did, I can assure you he did not cut a mans fingers off for no good reason. Can everyone at least admit that cutting off of the dentists fingers was morally wrong and he deserved to be punished for that alone. I also fail to see how my relatives whereabouts have any bearing whatsoever on whether Dessie should be released, my relative is certainly not as dangerous a member of society as Dessie is!

Is it Dessie who says he was a member of an illegal organisation before he was thrown in jail or was it the intelligence services. Because if it was him I would be dubious, but if it were the intelligence agenies [MI5/MI6, Garda Intelligence Unit etc] then I would be inclined to believe them, they have nothing to gain or lose by lying. You have to understand that he has nothing to gain by staying in prison and when cornered a rat will do anything to get away!

Dirtbag

by RED BHOY

Fri Oct 10, 2003 14:39

Good on ya Dessie for getting involved in the republican movement. But to associate with scum like Gilligan and Co. in prison and then re-join the movement seems a bit rich. Id say if they let you out,you'd be organising shipments of gear in from abroad and making millions. Throw away the key!!!!

Sour grapes

by woke up this morning got myself a gun

Sun Oct 12, 2003 23:25

Say what you mean, what you mean is alot of oul redneck loyalists/brit military binky old boy types would like to exact their revenge on Dessie. It's clear from your attitude that youse have not grasped the concept of a peace process or ceasefire as you are slow learners.
Whilst Dessie has been in prison for such a long time, he like most republicans spends his days improving his mind and doing educational courses.

Unlike as revealed in the Sunday world centre spread, some loyalist 'C' company prisoners, who spent their time in prison, wanking to phone sex chat lines, and whom the prison authorities classed as sexual deviant degenerates.

Emmm.....

by Itchie Feet

Mon Oct 13, 2003 19:28

Guys, focus, the GFA is all well and good but, from my understanding, and if I'm incorrect let me know, this man will jailed for kidnapping a dentist and cutting off his fingers. This isn't a crime related to ANY para-military organization. Again I'm not totally knowledgable in this so I could be wrong.

If, however, I'm correct then to hell with the GFA, this man is a CRIMINAL not a POW as someone called him.

If I was a soldier and I kidnapped someone, without orders to do so, I would be a criminal, and answerable for my crimes. Oh and to answer an earlier comment, kidnapping, false imprisonment and cutting someones f***ing fingers off are ALL crimes

Sorry if I offended anyone, this is just my opinion

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Comments (33 of 33)