Seven men acquitted on membership of an organisation that does not exist anymore

                                                                   The unbalanced scales of Irish justice

Seven Dublin men have been cleared of IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court today after the prosecution case against them collapsed following a court ruling on evidence. They decided that the evidence of the head bogger in the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwin, was just too much cabbage and not enough bacon in it. It was a non-jury trial, which by itself was all kangaroo anyway, and those that did attend fell about the place laughing at the ‘evidence.’

The ‘evidence’ was solely a belief, a fantasy really,  and one for the pub on a Saturday night. But it is a modern look at Irish justice, well, Irish style. Kirwan, the head of Security and Intelligence at Garda Headquarters, which is a stretch I know for all concerned, previously told the court that he believed, on the basis of confidential information, that all seven accused were members of the IRA.

He claimed privilege in relation to the sources of the confidential information but during cross examination he admitted that it was based on human sources and telephone intercepts. In 'intelligent' lay man terms that meant he got the info down at the pub as well with a few dodgy phone calls in between. The judge ruled it a cock and bull story otherwise known as a bunch of lies, which makes Kirwan a red faced liar.

The seven men have now been happily restored to their families though it is suspected all of them have now joined Sinn Fein as an act of protest. Their addresses where they live were printed in full in the newspaper as another act of intimidation but sure everyone knew where they lived all along, even them. 

In case there was any thick who did not know who the IRA ‘were’ the paper even filled in the blank spots with this: An illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA.

Evidence was solely based on Garda ‘observations’ and the opinion evidence of Chief Superintendent Kirwan for their sum and total evidence of the facts. Next time either of this squad of bog-necks gives you an opinion, even on the weather, it is better to actually see is it raining outside first.

Barry Clifford